Scientists Warn of Earthquake Risks as the Moon Continues to Shrink
For a long time, the Moon has often been considered a geologically dead celestial body, but recent research reveals surprising facts. Scientists from the Center for Earth and Planetary Studies at the National Air and Space Museum have just released the first global map documenting thousands of small geological features called Small Mare Ridges (SMR).
This finding, published in The Planetary Science Journal, confirms that the Moon is actively continuing to shrink, a process that triggers moonquakes in areas previously considered stable.
Unlike Earth, which has tectonic plates that collide or move apart, the Moon has only one continuous crust. Tectonic stress on the Moon occurs because the Moon’s interior or core slowly cools.
This cooling process causes the Moon’s surface to wrinkle, similar to how a grape turns into a raisin, creating tremendous pressure on its crust. This pressure then forms giant wrinkles or faults on the surface.
The research, led by Cole Nypaver and Tom Watters, successfully identified 1,114 new segments of SMRs that were previously unrecognized in the maria, the dark plains of the Moon visible from Earth. With this finding, the total number of recorded wrinkles now reaches 2,634.
Analysis shows that the average age of these wrinkles is about 124 million years, which is very young on a geological timescale. The fact that these features are widespread indicates that tectonic activity due to the shrinking of the Moon occurs globally, not just in a specific area.
The implications of this finding are crucial for the safety of future space missions, such as NASA’s Artemis program. Because these wrinkles are formed through active faults, scientists warn that moonquakes can occur wherever these features are found.
Earthquakes on the Moon can last much longer than on Earth due to its dry and rigid structure, so the vibrations can be very damaging to the infrastructure of a base or the safety of astronauts living there.
Understanding the locations of these active areas provides a new perspective for scientists to determine the safest landing sites. With a complete map of the shrinking and seismic activity, lunar exploration missions are expected to avoid the risk of tectonic disasters.
Source: Science Alert
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