What rock type dominates the lighter-hued lunar highlands?
Answer
Anorthosite
The lighter-hued regions of the Moon, referred to as the highlands, are dominated by the rock type known as anorthosite. This material represents the Moon's original crust, which formed early in the Moon's history when much of it was molten, causing lighter minerals to float to the surface during global magma ocean solidification. Anorthosite is specifically rich in the mineral plagioclase feldspar, which has a lighter color and reflects sunlight well, creating the visual contrast when compared against the dark, iron-rich basalt flows that later formed the maria.
Related Questions
What is the key constituent defining the material of the lunar maria?What minerals high in iron and magnesium cause the maria's darker color?What rock type dominates the lighter-hued lunar highlands?Lunar basalts are notably characterized as being what, unlike many terrestrial basalts?Which mineral is the lunar highlands rock anorthosite rich in?What property allowed basaltic lava to spread across vast distances to form the maria?Which iron-titanium oxide mineral contributes to the dark character of mare basalts?What did early astronomers mistakenly believe the lunar maria were?The maria formed when basaltic lava flowed into and filled what features?What chemical content dictates the contrast between mafic mare basalts and felsic highland material?