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Old Moon, Young Crust: New Evidence Points to Lunar Volcanism and Greater Age Introduction: The Mystery of the Moon's Age After its formation, the moon underwent periods of extreme volcanism, during which its crust repeatedly melted and was thoroughly mixed. At the time, the moon was in a closer orbit to Earth, and the tidal forces generated by this proximity caused internal heating that drove the volcanic activity. Such conditions are reminiscent of lo, Jupiter's moon, which remains the most volcanically active object in the solar system. New Study Resolves Contradictions Resolving earlier contradictions, a study published today in Nature  by researchers from the University of California Santa Cruz, the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research (MPS), and the Coll è ge de France concludes that the moon formed between 4.43 and 4.51 billion years ago. The crust, however, is estimated to be 80 – 160 million years younger. The moon has proven to be surprisingly enigmatic when...