Scientists used Artificial Intelligence to study seismic activity from a crater that was made by an impact on Mars. They found that the impact shook material as deep as the Red Planet's mantle, suggesting that marsquakes don't always begin under the surface. 

Advertisment

Also read: In a first, scientists record countless tiny 'ice quakes' inside Greenland ice stream 

NASA's InSight (Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport) lander, which successfully landed on Mars in 2018, detected marsquakes. These quakes provide valuable insights into Mars' internal structure, composition and evolution. 

Also read: 'Cloudgazing on Mars': NASA's Curiosity rover captures colourful clouds on Mars - WATCH 

Advertisment

The European Space Agency said in a statement: "Not one, but two recent related papers in the Geophysical Research Letters scientific journal suggest that quite a few of the seismic events recorded by InSight, previously thought to originate from tectonic sources, could actually be caused by meteor strikes." 

Also read: Scientists discover world's largest underground thermal lake in Albania 

As many as 49 quakes that matched impacts captured by the InSight lander were discovered by the researchers using machine-learning technologies to sift through an overwhelming amount of imagery from three separate satellites. 

Advertisment

More than 1,300 marsquakes were detected by InSight, which was retired in 2022. However, data collected by the lander continue to aid studies. The lander also placed the first seismometer on Mars. 

Also read: Inside an oval shaped galaxy, European astronomers detect nearest Einstein ring using Euclid telescope 

As quoted by Science Alert, planetary scientist Valentin Bickel of the University of Bern in Switzerland, explained, "Our observations show that some of the recorded marsquakes are actually caused by meteoroid impacts and not tectonic activity." 

"This has far-reaching implications for estimates of the frequency of marsquakes and our understanding of the dynamics of the Martian surface in general," Bickel added.