A volcano that erupted on the moon 3.5 billion years ago has been mapped in detail , showing it was much more explosive than thought . The research reveals that the eruption would have sent debris across an area the size of Scotland on the lunar surface . And the team are going to use their same technique to map the eruption of the largest known volcano in the solar system : Olympus Mons on Mars . Research led by Durham University studied a lunar volcanic eruption . The team found that the eruption was much bigger than was thought . It erupted 3.5 billion years ago ( illustration of Earth from around this time with the moon shown ) and covered a Scotland-sized area in debris . This was thanks to the low gravity of the moon . The findings were led by experts in the Institute for Computational Cosmology and Department of Earth Sciences at Durham University , UK . They found that the eruption threw rock five times further than the flow of rock and gas that buried the Roman city of Pompeii . Although the moon was already known to be volcanically active during this time , the size and scale of this particular eruption was surprising . Scientists believe there is a huge network of tunnels that exist beneath the lunar surface . The volcanic structures , known as 'lava tubes ' , have previously been proposed as sites for human colonies on the moon . Now a study by Purdue University has claimed that tubes 0.6 miles ( 1km ) in diameter could be stable enough to house permanent bases beneath the surface . Researchers believe that these lava tubes could help protect future astronauts against the challenges of the harsh lunar environment , which lacks a thick atmosphere . The volcano is located between two craters on the far side of the moon , Bel'kovich - which is 133 miles ( 214km ) wide - and Compton - which is 101 miles ( 162km ) wide . With the help of the moon 's low gravity , debris from the eruption spread over an area of 27,000 square miles ( 70,000 square kilometres ) . Nasa 's Lunar Prospector spacecraft first spotted the volcanic site in 1999 by detecting an isolated deposit of thorium - which is associated with volcanic activity . Since its discovery , the deposit had been hard to study because it is hidden beneath debris from meteorite impacts . But the Lunar Prospector was also able to detect gamma rays emitted by the thorium that can pass through up to 3.3 feet ( one metre ) of rock . Based on this information , the Durham-led team used a 'pixon ' image enhancement technique , originally designed to peer into the distant universe , to sharpen the map and reveal the enormous size of the thorium deposit from the volcanic eruption . In this artist 's impression , the red region is the volcanic complex , and measures 22 miles ( 35km ) in diameter . The green area shows where debris from the eruption went , spreading 185 miles ( 300km ) east . Nasa 's Lunar Prospector spacecraft ( illustrated ) first spotted the volcanic site in 1999 by detecting an isolated deposit of thorium - which is associated with volcanic activity . The spacecraft was launched on 7 January 1998 , and remained in operation until 31 July 1999 . This map of the Moon shows gamma-spectrometric data collected by Nasa 's Lunar Prospector spacecraft , specifically thorium in surface rocks . On the left is the near side , and the right is the far side of the moon . Jack Wilson , a PhD student in Durham 's Institute for Computational Cosmology , said he was surprised by the gigantic scale of the explosion . 'Volcanoes were common in the early life of the moon and in fact the dark `` seas '' you can observe on the lunar surface were created by runny , iron-rich , lava that flooded large areas , filling in impact craters and low-lying ground , ' he said . 'Eruption of viscous , light-coloured , iron-poor , lava , which creates steep-sided volcanic cones , was rare and observed only at a handful of sites such as this one . 'The explosive eruption of such lava is unknown elsewhere on the moon , making this volcano unique . 'By mapping the radioactive content of the lava from this volcano we have been able to show that molten , radioactive rock was thrown far beyond the slopes of the volcano , reaching several hundred miles in one direction . ' The research team is now planning to apply its mapping technique to the largest known volcano in the solar system , Olympus Mons on Mars . Rather than the radioactive element thorium , the researchers will be looking for hydrogen and the possible remnants of water ice from glaciers on the high slopes of the red planet . The volcano ( shown in red ) is located between two craters on the far side of the moon , Bel'kovich - which is 133 miles ( 214km ) wide - and Compton - which is 101 miles ( 162km ) wide . Shown is a picture of the far side of the moon taken by the Apollo 16 astronauts in 1972 , where the volcanic site of the huge eruption is located .
Research led by Durham University studied a lunar volcanic eruption . The team found that the eruption was much bigger than was thought . It erupted 3.5 billion years ago and covered a UK-sized area in debris . This was thanks to the low gravity of the moon . The same 'mapping ' technique will be used for Olympus Mons on Mars .