We developed an interactive scientific visualization that explores the behavior of surficial water molecules on the Moon. It combines lunar topography, illumination, and temperature measurements from NASA’s Diviner instrument with a physical model of thermal desorption, ballistic transport, and adsorption, described in the publication of Peschel et al. (2026). As the lunar surface heats and cools throughout the day, water molecules may be released, travel above the surface under lunar gravity, and settle at new locations.
Created as a tool for scientific dissemination, the visualization makes these processes accessible through an interactive 3D model. Users can explore the Moon, inspect its changing illumination and thermal environment, and follow simulated molecular trajectories across multiple lunar days. Open the Lunar Water Migration Simulation.