What is the primary structural reason cited for the scarcity of lunar maria on the far side?
Answer
The crust on the far side is considerably thicker, insulating the molten rock.
Scientific investigation points to a fundamental difference in crustal structure as the cause for the lack of dark maria on the far side. Data suggests that the crust on the far side is substantially thicker than the crust on the near side. This greater thickness likely acted as an effective insulator, physically impeding the massive upwelling of molten rock (lava) from the Moon's interior that created the maria observed on the near side. This thicker layer essentially prevented the ancient basaltic floods from reaching the surface there.
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