Earth’s moon hasn’t changed much for over a billion years when it was volcanically active. Small changes on the surface occur with the constant rain of micrometeorites, a larger impact once in awhile, minor seismic events (moonquakes), and spacecraft visits. During the Leonid meteor shower on November 17, 2006, two tennis-ball size meteoroids were documented hitting the moon at a speed of about 144,000 miles per hour.

A team from Brown University studied a volcanic depression in Lacus Felicitatis called Ina. They have discovered evidence that the moon may still be venting gas from its interior as recently as 10 million years ago. If the moon is still volcanically active, then it is still evolving, or “alive.”

Three pieces of evidence of unusual surface features of the moon support their theory. Ina has razor-sharp edges, which means they haven’t been worn smooth by micrometeorites (that takes a few million years to erode.) It has only two craters larger than about 100 feet. Spectral data shows mineral deposits show that the depression contains freshly exposed titanium-rich volcanic rock.

Scientists believe the unusual features could be caused by periodic releases of interior gas. The gas would blow away surface dust and give a fresh appearance. Ina is located at the junction of two linear valleys, which would support the possibility of outgassing.

Telescopic viewers of the moon have seen short-lived brightening events called LTPs (lunar transient phenomena) caused by small impacts and by dust kicked up on the moon’s surface during outgassings. The gas is released for one second, the dust stays suspended for about 30 seconds. A professional telescope is needed to officially document the event.