The Moon Is in the Habitable Zone of the Sun

question 65

Multiple Choice

The Moon is in the habitable zone of the Sun at the same distance as the Earth but is not habitable. How can this be?

• A) the Moon did have water on its surface in the past, but it was destroyed by high-energy particles from the Sun
• B) the Moon has never had water on its surface at any time
• C) the Moon is too small to retain an atmosphere necessary for liquid water to be stable
• D) the Moon did have water on its surface in the past, but it was blasted off the surface by impacts

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Definitions:

Crustal Thickness

The measure of the thickness of Earth's crust, which varies between the oceanic and continental crust.

Volcanism

the process through which magma and volcanic gases are expelled onto the Earth's surface, forming volcanic features.

Foreland Basin

A basin that forms when crust (either continental or oceanic) is warped by the weight of thrust sheets, especially when formed between a mountain belt and continental interior.

Passive Margin

A tectonically inactive edge of a continent, characterized by a transition from continental to oceanic lithosphere without significant seismic activity.