A rock formation in Madagascar has been exposed at the Earth's surface, according to Sukabumizone. The massif, known as Saririaky, is described in reports as an anorthosite formation.
Coverage of the formation has focused on two features: its great age and its resemblance to the lunar surface. Detikcom reported that the rock dates back 600 million years and that its type is similar to the surface of the Moon. Liputan6.com likewise reported that the Madagascar rock resembles the lunar surface and is more than 600 million years old. Qoo Media described it as a 600-million-year-old anorthosite formation comparable to the Moon's highlands.
Anorthosite is a rock type dominated by plagioclase feldspar, and lunar highlands are largely made of anorthositic material — the basis for the comparisons drawn in the reports. The reports do not detail how the Madagascar formation was identified or which researchers conducted the work.
The reports also do not specify the size of the exposed area, its exact location within Madagascar, or the methods used to establish its age. No peer-reviewed study is cited in the available material.
What to watch next: whether researchers publish detailed findings on the formation's age, composition and extent, and whether the comparison with lunar highlands is examined further in the scientific literature.