From: Tom <[email protected]> >> This massive thrust would have blown the dust away from the landing area >> creating a massive dust cloud, so why was thick dust still on the ground >> and no massive dust cloud? Please explain NASA. >No atmosphere, no blowing. - Tom I'd answer this somewhat differently. The rocket jet would indeed dislodge the dust: The particleswould acquire velocities, and would follow mostly-parabolic paths and eventually collide with and stayon the surface again. While this might be labelled a "cloud", unlike in Earth's atmosphere these particles will presumably return to the Moon's surface in a few seconds, yet far away from the lunar lander. As to "why was thick dust still on the ground", most likely the dust was very thick. (many meters).From: http://curator.jsc.nasa.gov/lunar/letss/regolith.pdf "The lunar surface is covered by a layer ofunconsolidated debris called the lunar regolith (fig. 53).The thickness of the regolith varies from about 5 m onmare surfaces to about 10 m on highland surfaces. Thebulk of the regolith is a fine gray soil with a density ofabout 1.5 g/cm3, but the regolith also includes brecciaand rock fragments from the local bedrock (reviewsby Heiken et al. 1974 and Papike et al. 1982). Abouthalf the weight of a lunar soil is less than 60 to 80 micronsin size. The grain size distribution is given in figure 55."
There may be an additional factor. As I vaguely recall, there is an odd electrostatic attraction between the particles of lunar soil. Perhaps not surprising, because except for subsurfacefrozen-water deposits (and some polar craters) the moon is 'dry as a bone'.
