US EditionMoonquakes Threaten NASA's Plans for Permanent Lunar Bases
Study shows moonquakes near Apollo 17 site pose a 1 in 5,500 risk of damage during decade-long missions, impacting future lunar habitat planning.
- Smithsonian Senior Scientist Emeritus Thomas R. Watters and University of Maryland Associate Professor of Geology Nicholas Schmerr found that moonquakes, not meteoroid impacts, reshaped terrain at Apollo 17's Taurus-Littrow valley, linked to the Lee-Lincoln fault.
- By tracing Apollo 17 samples and boulder tracks, the team inferred seismic activity using boulder trails and landslides and modeled a magnitude 3.0 quake on the Lee-Lincoln fault over 90 million years.
- The authors calculated daily odds, finding a one in 20 million chance of a damaging moonquake near an active fault, which over 10 years rises to about one in 5,500, with Schmerr warning: `If astronauts are there for a day, they'd just have very bad luck`.
- Newer lander designs face vulnerabilities as the study warns the Starship Human Landing System may be more exposed to moonquake ground acceleration; researchers advise: `don't build right on top of a scarp.`
- Given limited seismometer networks, the study used orbital imaging supported by Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter data, with researchers expecting rapid advances from upcoming Artemis missions deploying advanced seismometers, Schmerr said, `We don't have the sort of strong motion instruments that can measure seismic activity on the moon like we do on Earth.
12 Articles
12 Articles
Seismic activity on the moon could pose risk to long-term lunar infrastructure
A new paper reveals that ground acceleration from moonquakes, rather than meteor impacts, was responsible for shifting lunar landscapes at the moon's Taurus-Littrow valley, where Apollo 17 astronauts landed in 1972. The study also pinpointed a possible cause for those surface changes and assessed damage risk using new models of the quakes—findings that may impact the safety of future lunar missions and the establishment of long-term bases on the…
Science Daily
Science Tech UpdatesNew moonquake discovery could change NASA’s Moon plans
Scientists have discovered that moonquakes, not meteoroids, are responsible for shifting terrain near the Apollo 17 landing site. Their analysis points to a still-active fault that has been generating quakes for millions of years. While the danger to short missions is low, long-term lunar bases could face increasing risk. The findings urge future planners to avoid building near scarps and to prioritize new seismic instruments.
Paleoseismic activity in the moon's Taurus-Littrow valley inferred from boulder falls and landslides
The Taurus-Littrow valley offers a unique opportunity to analyze surface changes due to seismic activity on the lunar surface. Ground acceleration from moonquakes has triggered landslides and boulder falls in the valley. The formation and growth of the Lee-Lincoln thrust fault is a likely source of …
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 80% of the sources are Center
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
