Widespread hematite at high latitudes of the Moon

Hematite (Fe2O3) is a common oxidization product on Earth, Mars, and some asteroids. Although oxidizing processes have been speculated to operate on the lunar surface and form ferric iron bearing minerals, unambiguous detections of ferric minerals forming in the highly reducing conditions on the Moon have remained elusive. Our analyses of Moon Mineralogy Mapper (M3) data show that hematite, a ferric mineral, is present at high latitudes on the Moon, mostly associated with east-equator facing sides of topographic highs, and is more prevalent on the nearside than the far side. Oxygen delivered from Earth's upper atmosphere could be the major oxidant that forms lunar hematite. Hematite at craters of different ages may have preserved the oxygen isotopes of Earth's atmosphere in the past billions of years. Future oxygen isotope measurements can test our hypothesis and may help to reveal the evolution of Earth's atmosphere.