Study Links Moonquakes to Apollo 17 Terrain Changes

Smithsonian Senior Scientist Thomas R. Watters and University of Maryland Associate Professor Nicholas Schmerr found moonquakes reshaped terrain at Apollo 17's Taurus-Littrow valley linked to Lee-Lincoln fault.
Team used Apollo 17 samples and boulder tracks to infer seismic activity and modeled a magnitude 3.0 quake on Lee-Lincoln fault 90 million years ago.
Daily chance of damaging moonquake near fault is 1 in 20 million, rising to 1 in 5,500 over 10 years.
Starship Human Landing System may be exposed to moonquake ground acceleration, warning: 'Don't build right on top of a scarp.'. Study used Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter data and orbital imaging, with Artemis missions expected to deploy advanced seismometers.

Geology | Astronomy | Seismology

United States

Thomas R. Watters | Nicholas Schmerr

1 month ago