Besides impact craters, what specific features signal that volcanic processes continued on the Moon after heavy bombardment ceased?
Answer
Sinuous rilles or fresh, dark lava flows contrasting with older terrain.
Volcanic activity, even minor activity driven by residual internal heat, leaves specific morphological signatures. On the Moon, evidence for volcanism continuing long after the period of intense early bombardment includes the observation of sinuous rilles, which are features believed to be collapsed lava tubes. Furthermore, locating fresh, dark lava flows that sharply contrast against the brighter, older material found in the highlands strongly suggests that magma rose through crustal fractures relatively recently in geologic time. The presence of these specific volcanic landforms is key to dating the latter stages of lunar igneous activity.
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