Which lunar feature is the dark basaltic plains on the Moon's surface?

Which lunar feature is the dark basaltic plains on the Moon's surface?

• A. Craters
• B. Rilles
• C. Maria
• D. Highlands

Answer: (C)

The dark plains on the Moon are called maria. They are large basalt lava plains that formed when ancient volcanic activity flooded big impact basins with low-viscosity lava. When this lava cooled, it solidified into dark basalt rock, giving the maria their characteristic color. The surfaces are relatively smooth and younger than the surrounding highlands, so they have fewer impact craters. In contrast, craters are pits from impacts, rilles are long trenches from cooling lava or tectonic movement, and the highlands are the bright, heavily cratered regions that are much older.

The dark plains on the Moon are called maria. They are large basalt lava plains that formed when ancient volcanic activity flooded big impact basins with low-viscosity lava. When this lava cooled, it solidified into dark basalt rock, giving the maria their characteristic color. The surfaces are relatively smooth and younger than the surrounding highlands, so they have fewer impact craters. In contrast, craters are pits from impacts, rilles are long trenches from cooling lava or tectonic movement, and the highlands are the bright, heavily cratered regions that are much older.