Dear Dr Hillary J. Shaw,
according to this hypothesis the earth first originated as a gas-giant.
It lost its voluminous atmosphere in several T-Tauri phases of the sun.
http://innovative-planetary-science.page.tl/Origin-of-the-Moon.htm
The author suggests a time correlation between the hot phases of earth's
paleoclimate and the T-Tauri phases. There were some more hot phases
after Permian (at the end of Trias, in Cretaceous and in Tertiary) drying
out the earth more and more, enhancing the diagenesis of sediments
and the metamorphosis of rocks.
In Permian the earth still contained a lot more water and gases and the
atmosphere was still very dense and voluminous in comparison to the
atmosphere of today.
Under these conditions it is possible that the emerging moon did not
constist of dense rock-material like today. At the time of its emerging
it can have been rich of water and gases, because the earth's interior
was humid and richer of gases as well.
The young moon can have been relatively light compared to the density
of the atmosphere of that time. After its emerging it was affected by the
hot phases like earth and mars becoming dryer and denser. Maybe the
secondary melting of the moon basalt also happened after its emerging
caused by the T-Tauri eruptions of the young sun.
Can you try some new calculations with these hypothetical parameters?
It would be very interesting.
Regards - Theresa
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