Final answer:
The false statement about the Moon is that the lunar maria formed before the heavy bombardment period. In truth, the maria formed after this period between 3.3 and 3.8 billion years ago. The Moon is now geologically inactive but does have recent craters due to ongoing impacts.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that is FALSE about the Moon is (d) The lunar maria formed before the period of heavy bombardment. The maria, which are the darker volcanic plains on the Moon, were actually erupted primarily between 3.3 and 3.8 billion years ago, after the time of the heavy bombardment that the lunar surface experienced. The heavy bombardment period happened earlier, during which many craters were formed on the Moon's surface, including some of the very large ones that the maria later partially covered.
The Moon's geological processes have virtually stopped because its mantle has cooled and become solid. Today, even internal seismic activity on the Moon has declined to almost zero, making it a geologically dead world. Despite this, there are indeed signs of past geological activity, such as the maria and highland structures. Also, there are recent craters on the Moon due to its position in space where it continues to be impacted by meteorites, asteroid fragments, and comets, contributing to the features we observe on the lunar surface.