Just like the Earth, the Moon is sometimes the scene of earthquakes which could cause landslides. A phenomenon studied by scientists who warn of the dangers it represents for future lunar bases.
While space agencies are planning long-term lunar missions like the American Artemis program and its eventual installation of a lunar base at the south pole of the Moon or even China, which would also like to establish a base permanent in this highly coveted region of our natural satellite, a group of scientists is warning of an unexpected risk that could jeopardize these projects: lunar earthquakes.
Yes, you read correctly ! Beneath its appearance as an inactive and frozen star, the Moon is in reality the scene of seismic tremors, in other words, earthquakes… or of the moon in this case. Observed from the Apollo missions, these events are very different from the earthquakes we experience on Earth. To understand their origin, we must delve into the bowels of our natural satellite. Since its formation 4.4 billion years ago, the natural core of the Moon has been slowly cooling. As this happens, the interior of the star contracts and the exterior wrinkles like a raisin. It is precisely this outer layer that deforms and cracks in different places, forming faults that we observe on the surface of the Moon.
Until now, these earthquakes have had no consequences on human activities, which are extremely punctual and brief on the surface of the Moon. But this risk could become a real constraint for long-term missions and future lunar bases. Indeed, according to a study published in the journal The Planetary Science Journal, seismic faults formed around the south pole of the Moon. This region, strongly anticipated to host lunar bases, therefore presents a certain geological fragility since in the future, it could suffer landslides caused by small earthquakes.
One of the regions of the Moon where these cliff-like fault scarps are found is none other than one of the candidate landing sites for the United States’ Artemis III mission. According to the study, it would only take a small earthquake to trigger a landslide that could cause considerable damage to nearby human settlements. The authors of the study therefore insist on the importance of taking this danger into account when preparing future lunar missions…