New structures on the moon created by tectonic activity discovered
Researchers have studied structures in the lunar maria that indicate earthquakes. These could also affect manned missions.
(Image: Werner Pluta / heise medien)
The Moon does not have plate tectonics like Earth. Nevertheless, it experiences quakes, as measurements from the Apollo missions have shown. Scientists from the Center for Earth and Planetary Studies at the Smithsonian Institution have created the first map of structures on the Moon formed by tectonic activity. This could also have implications for future manned lunar missions.
The reason for the tectonic activities on the Moon is that it is cooling and therefore shrinking. This was only discovered in 2010. The shrinkage leads to stresses in the lunar crust, which create certain characteristic landforms.
These are lobate scarps in the lunar highlands, which form when the crust is compressed and rock is pushed upward along a fault. In the maria, small ridges, known as Small Mare Ridges (SMRs), indicate tectonic activity. They form in the same way as the scarps in the highlands.
Geologically young structures
The SMRs are also a relatively new discovery. The Smithsonian team, led by Cole Nypaver, searched for SMRs on the visible side of the Moon and discovered 1,114 new ones. A total of 2,634 are now known, as the team writes in the journal The Planetary Science Journal. These are on average 124 million years old and, along with the scarps, which are on average 105 million years old, are among the youngest geological features on the Moon.
The scarps in the lunar highlands have been known since the Apollo era, said lead author Nypaver_blank. The new work documents for the first time that similar features are also widespread in the maria. "With this work, we gain a complete perspective on the recent tectonic activity on the Moon, leading to a better understanding of its interior and its thermal and seismic history, as well as the potential for future moonquakes."
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A better understanding of lunar tectonics is also relevant for manned missions and potential settlement, says Nypaver: "Upcoming lunar exploration programs like Artemis will provide a wealth of new information about our Moon. A better understanding of lunar tectonics and seismic activity will directly impact the safety and scientific success of these and future missions."
(wpl)
