Since 2009, the moon’s surface has quietly shifted under our feet – or rather, under our space boots. A new study in National Science Review reveals dozens of fresh, shallow lunar landslides that reshape unstable slopes across the lunar highlands.
Researchers from Sun Yat-sen University on the Chinese mainland combed through multi-temporal images of the moon’s most fragile terrains, spotting landslides each displacing under 100,000 cubic meters of material – roughly the volume of 40 Olympic swimming pools. Most slides stretch less than one kilometer long and 100 meters wide, making them small but scientifically mighty.
While impact craters dot the landscape, fewer than 30 percent of these events align with new craters larger than 70 meters in diameter. Instead, the main culprit is endogenic moonquakes – seismic tremors originating deep within the lunar interior.
These quakes leave distinct signatures: clusters of landslides east of the Imbrium Basin point to active seismic hotspots previously hidden from instruments. By mapping these patterns, scientists have unlocked a new tool to trace moonquake zones without ever touching down.
Looking ahead, this insight offers a clear strategy for future seismometer deployments. By targeting the clusters uncovered in this study, upcoming lunar missions can probe the moon’s internal structure with unprecedented precision, bringing us one step closer to unraveling our closest cosmic companion.
For young global citizens and space enthusiasts, these findings are a reminder that even the silent moon is alive and shifting – and that data-driven exploration continues to push the boundaries of what we know.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
