Moonquakes and fault lines detected near lunar South Pole, which is also Artemis astronauts' landing site

NASA’s recent study on the Moon’s South Pole revealed that some moonquakes and fault lines are also found at the lunar South Pole, which is the landing site of the Artemis 3 mission. These regions of moonquakes and faults are found both near and within the areas of the landing regions of the mission, which is set to launch in 2026.

“Our modelling suggests that shallow moonquakes capable of producing strong ground shaking in the South Polar Region are possible from slip events on existing faults or the formation of new thrust faults,” said Tom Watters of the Smithsonian Institution, Washington, lead author of a paper on the research published January 25 in the Planetary Science Journal.

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“The global distribution of young thrust faults, their potential to be active, and the potential to form new thrust faults from ongoing global contraction should be considered when planning the location and stability of permanent outposts on the Moon.”

Chalking out these fault lines is important for the mission, to plan accordingly where to land the crewed spacecraft on the moon.

Fault lines and moonquakes detected near the Lunar South Pole

The detection of thousands of small and young thrust faults were detected near the South Pole with the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera onboard NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO).

The formation of the faults is usually accompanied by seismic activity in the form of shallow-depth moonquakes. Similar shallow moonquakes were also recorded by the Apollo Passive Seismic Network, a series of seismometers in the south-polar region.

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The strongest recorded shallow moonquake had an epicentre in the south-polar region.

The team also modelled the stability of surface slopes in the lunar South Polar Region and found that some areas are susceptible to regolith landslides from even light seismic shaking, including areas in some permanently shadowed regions. These areas are of interest due to the resources that might be found there, such as ice.

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As the date of the Artemis mission arrives closer, it becomes crucial for researchers to make sure that the surface on which the spacecraft lands is stable.

"As we get closer to the crewed Artemis mission’s launch date, it's important to keep our astronauts, our equipment and infrastructure as safe as possible," said Nicholas Schmerr, a geologist and one of the researchers, in a statement.

"This work is helping us prepare for what awaits us on the moon — whether that’s engineering structures that can better withstand lunar seismic activity or protecting people from really dangerous zones."

(With inputs from agencies)