Question map
Which one of the following lakes in India has a large antity of a substance found in the Moon?
Explanation
Lonar Lake in Maharashtra is a unique meteorite impact crater formed in basaltic rock during the Pleistocene Epoch [2]. It is scientifically significant as the only known terrestrial impact crater in basalt, providing a direct analog for lunar craters [5]. Research has identified substances such as maskelynite (a glass formed by shock metamorphism of plagioclase) and glass spherules within the crater's debris [2]. These materials, including impact-melted glasses and microbreccias, have close analogs among samples collected from the Moon [2]. The presence of these 'tektite-like' bodies and shocked silicates makes Lonar a primary site for comparative planetary studies [3]. While other lakes like Pangong and Loktak are of glacial or tectonic origin, only Lonar contains these specific impact-generated substances found on the lunar surface [5].
Sources
- [1] Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 11: Volcanism > Difference Between Crater Lake and Caldera Lake > p. 152
- [2] https://pubs.usgs.gov/publication/70010158
- [5] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0009281924000515
- [3] https://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=19870046817