Moonquake: the Impact of the Moon Shrinking on Artemis Mission Landing

KOMPAS.com – The moon has been slowly shrinking over millions of years. This turned out to have big consequences, along with the shrinkage there were earthquakes on the Moon and landslides.

The problem occurs because the Artemis mission is currently making preparations to land on the Moon in 2026.

Also read: Why Choose to Build a Colony on Mars instead of the Moon?

Geologists are worried whether the Moonquake and landslide will have an impact on the mission’s landing.

Moonquake

Quoting IFL Science, Tuesday (30/1/2024) new research is now investigating the impact of recorded Moonquakes, especially around the South Pole of the Moon.

This is an area that has been an exploration destination, as well as an area located near the Artemis 3 landing site which is planned to land in 2026.

Research has found that several surface slopes in the region are very susceptible to cracking due to shaking.

“You can imagine the surface of the Moon being dry, filled with gravel and dust. For billions of years, the surface has been hit by asteroids and comets, so that the resulting fragments are continuously ejected by these impacts, allowing shocks and landslides to occur,” said Nicholas Schmerr, a researcher from University of Maryland.

Moonquakes themselves are not very deep, occurring at a depth of 50-220 kilometers below the surface.

The earthquake was also not very strong. The strongest earthquake ever recorded was a magnitude of 5.7 which originated in the South Pole region.

However, although weaker than earthquakes on Earth, moonquakes last for hours, making them a concern that should not be taken lightly.

Also read: The Moon Will Become a Funeral in the Future

“Our modeling shows that shallow moonquakes capable of producing strong ground shaking in the South Pole region may occur due to fault slip events or the formation of new faults,” explained Thomas R.Watters, lead author of the study.

So why is the Moon shrinking?

According to Live Science, that’s basically because the interior of the Moon has cooled over the last few hundred million years – like a raisin that has shriveled up.

Future permanent settlement

Furthermore, researchers continue to seek to understand regions of the Moon that may have significant seismic risks.

These areas should be avoided for future permanent settlement. But even short visits may still be risky if you get too close to vulnerable slopes.

“The potential for the formation of new faults due to ongoing global contraction must be considered when planning the location and stability of permanent outposts on the Moon,” added Watters.

Schmerr also said that as the launch date for the crewed Artemis mission approaches, it will be important to keep astronauts, equipment and infrastructure as safe as possible.

“This work helps us prepare for what awaits us on the Moon, for example preparing engineered structures that can better withstand the seismic activity of the Moon or protect humans from very dangerous zones,” he explained again.

The study was published in The Planetary Science Journal.

Also read: Why Is There No Life on the Moon?

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2024-01-31 06:34:00
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