The lunar surface is shrinking and becoming more fragile
The moon is waning in the literal sense of the word. The Earth's only satellite gradually decreased in size — over the 4.4 billion years since its formation, the natural satellite of our planet has “lost weight” by about 46 meters. All this can lead to “moonquakes” that cause landslides.
The Moon is shrinking because its dense iron core is gradually cooling, according to a new study. As a result, the lunar surface shrinks and becomes more fragile — and, in turn, more prone to seismic tremors known as «moonquakes».
If these tremors cause landslides, they could pose a danger to NASA's Artemis astronauts once they land on the moon, scientists at the University of Maryland warn. They predict missions, in the event of such a scenario, will have catastrophic consequences.
When the moon shrinks, folds appear on its surface. This is similar to the process of turning grapes into raisins. However, unlike the flexible skin of grapes, the surface of the Moon is fragile. Its shrinkage leads to the formation of faults where sections of the crust are pressed against each other.
This causes lunar earthquakes and can lead to landslides that endanger all inhabitants of the Moon.
“As we approach the launch date of the crewed Artemis mission, it is important to ensure the maximum safety of our astronauts, our equipment and infrastructure,” said study author Nicholas Schmerr, a geoscientist at the University of Maryland.
“This work helps we need to prepare for what awaits us on the Moon — be it engineering structures that can better withstand lunar seismic activity, or protecting people from truly dangerous areas,” the scientist said.
In their study, experts linked a group of faults located in the south polar region of the Moon to one of the most powerful lunar earthquakes recorded by Apollo seismometers back on March 13, 1973, called event N9.
Using models to simulate slope stability surfaces in the region, the team found that some areas are particularly vulnerable to landslides due to seismic shaking.
Experts say the Moon's continued shrinkage has led to noticeable curvature of the surface in the South Polar region. It turns out that the Artemis mission plans to land precisely in the south of the Earth's satellite.
Later in the mission program, probably after 2030, NASA intends to create a base camp in the south of the Moon.
Space agencies are generally interested in landing in the southern region of the Moon due to its rich supply of water ice. It could provide drinking water for lunar explorers and help cool equipment, and could also be broken down to produce hydrogen for fuel and oxygen for breathing.
But moonquakes and the resulting landslides could destroy Artemis' base camp, including its buildings and infrastructure. The study authors are concerned about shallow lunar earthquakes, which occur near the surface of the Moon, just about a hundred miles deep into the Earth's crust.
Like earthquakes on Earth, they can be strong enough to damage buildings, equipment and other structures. created by human hands. But unlike earthquakes, which typically last only a few seconds or minutes, shallow moonquakes can last for hours or even a whole day.
“A slight seismic tremor may be all that is needed to trigger regolith landslides. The preparation and deployment of permanent outposts should consider the potential for strong seismic events due to active thrust faults, which could pose a possible hazard to future robotic and human exploration of the South Polar region,” the team warns in their paper.
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