Particle.news
Download on the App Store
9 ARTICLES
·
last yr.

Moon's Gradual Shrinkage Causes Moonquakes, Poses Risk to Future Lunar Missions

As the moon's core cools and its circumference shrinks, faults form triggering moonquakes, particularly in the lunar south pole region, a potential site for future human settlements.

Image
The epicenter of one of the strongest moonquakes recorded by the Apollo Passive Seismic Experiment was located in the lunar south polar region. However, the exact location of the epicenter could not be accurately determined. A cloud of possible locations (magenta dots and light blue polygon) of the strong shallow moonquake using a relocation algorithm specifically adapted for very sparse seismic networks are distributed near the pole. Blue boxes show locations of proposed Artemis III landing regions. Lobate thrust fault scarps are shown by small red lines. The cloud of epicenter locations encompasses a number of lobate scarps and many of the Artemis III landing regions. NASA/LROC/ASU/Smithsonian Institution
A photograph of the moon's surface.
Image

Overview

  • The moon's core has been gradually cooling over the past few hundred million years, causing the moon's circumference to shrink by more than 150 feet.
  • This shrinkage has led to the creation of faults and the occurrence of moonquakes, particularly in the lunar south pole region.
  • Moonquakes can last for several hours and have the potential to cause significant damage to human-made structures on the moon.
  • Scientists warn that these seismic activities should be considered when planning future human settlements or missions on the moon, including NASA's Artemis III mission.
  • Despite the shrinkage, scientists assure that the moon's mass remains unchanged, and the shrinkage will not affect tidal cycles, eclipses, or full moons on Earth.