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Silicic volcanism refers to highly differentiated and evolved magma with high silica and alumina along with less iron content than the basaltic magma. It is rare on the Moon and constitutes a minor fraction of the vast mare (basaltic) region that nearly covers 17% of its surface (Head 1975). Lunar silicic volcanism is also termed as non-mare or highland volcanism. Similar to terrestrial volcanic features, it forms positive topographical surface features such as domes, highly viscous and thick flows, pyroclasts, and rarely even caldera. Their spectral character is also consistent with terrestrial rhyolites and dacites which suggest their highly evolved nature (e.g., Bruno et al. 1991; Wilson and Head 2003). Silicic composition on the Moon was established by analysis of the returned samples from Apollo and Luna missions recorded in the form of small clasts of granite and felsites (e.g., Rutherford and Hess 1975 Jolliff et al. 1999). These rock fragments showed low...
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References
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Chauhan, M. (2018). Silicic Volcanism on the Moon. In: Cudnik, B. (eds) Encyclopedia of Lunar Science. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-05546-6_124-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-05546-6_124-1
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