What geological feature characterizes the near side of the Moon as distinct from the far side?
Answer
It is dominated by large, dark, smooth plains known as maria.
There is a profound geological asymmetry between the two hemispheres of the Moon. The near side, which faces Earth, is characterized by vast, dark, and relatively smooth plains referred to as *maria* (Latin for seas). These features formed from ancient, extensive floods of basaltic lava that welled up through weaknesses in the crust and solidified. These maria cover about 31% of the near side's surface, creating a significantly different visual and geological portrait compared to the far side.
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