•The sources and chemical forms of water on the Moon are two: water carried by comets and other objects that impact the Moon, and in situ production. The latter is theorized to be produced in small amounts by the chemical combination of hydrogen ions (protons) in the solar wind with oxygen atoms in the Moon’s minerals (oxides, silicates, etc.), forming water or its possible precursors, hydroxyl groups, trapped in a crystal lattice. Water (H2O) and its chemical compound, the hydroxyl group (-OH), exist as hydrates and hydroxides of the Moon’s minerals, in low concentrations over a large portion of the Moon’s surface. Indeed, the presence of adsorbed water in trace concentrations has been estimated at 10 parts per million to 1,000 parts per million. The mineral-bound water or hydroxylated mineral surface should not be confused with water ice.
Uncertain evidence of the presence of liquid water on the Moon has been found in various models that assume the presence of bound hydrogen. Moon scientists have debated the possibility of water deposits for decades. Now, they write in a report that they are “confident that the decades-long debate is over.” “There is water on the Moon everywhere, not just in minerals, but in fragmented form on the surface and probably in the form of ice blocks or slabs deep underground.”
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