•Sources and chemical forms of water on the Moon[edit] Water on the Moon is present as ice on the surface. Liquid water cannot persist on the Moon’s surface and water vapor is rapidly lost to space by solar radiation. There are two potential sources of water on the Moon: water-bearing comets and meteoroids that impact the Moon, and in situ production. The latter is theorized to occur when hydrogen ions in the solar wind (protons) chemically combine with oxygen atoms in the Moon’s minerals (oxides, silicates, etc.) to form water or hydroxyl groups, the possible precursors to water, trapped in a crystal lattice. Water (H2O) and the chemical compound hydroxyl (-OH) exist as hydrates and hydroxides of the Moon’s minerals in low concentrations over much of the surface. Indeed, adsorption of water has been estimated to be present in concentrations of 10 parts per million to 1,000 parts per million. This mineral-bound water, or hydroxylated rock 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 been debating 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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