Seismic tremors that occur due to the gradual compression of the Moon threaten disaster for future researchers, naked-science.ru reports, citing the findings of American scientists published in the journal Planetary Science. The danger also extends to the regions of the lunar south pole, including those areas that NASA has proposed for landing specialists.
The material notes that the seismic activity of the Moon was first studied by astronauts of the Apollo missions in the late 1960s and early 1970s: the moonquakes occurring there are weaker, but longer lasting than on Earth – they can last from several hours to a whole day. Further research made it possible to determine that the causes of moonquakes are sharp fluctuations in surface temperature – during sunrises and sunsets, the action of tidal forces, meteorite falls, as well as movements in the shallow layers of the lunar crust.
One of the latest tectonic moonquakes had a magnitude of 5.5 on the Richter scale, which is already critical for the safety of equipment and human-built objects.
In 2010, the probe’s camera NASA recorded 14 relief formations on the surface of the Moon, which arose as a result of faults in the lunar crust and the movement of its individual sections. According to scientists, they appeared less than a billion years ago due to the slow cooling and compression of the Moon.
Recently, scientists from the University of Maryland, using a series of simulations, identified the most seismically dangerous areas of the Moon for future colonists. They assume the main risks in the south polar region – as a result of shifts of existing tectonic faults or the formation of new ones. The situation can be especially dangerous in areas of steep slopes due to landslides and rolling boulders. According to scientists, in order to avoid risks for researchers, when planning the construction of lunar bases, engineers need to take into account the distribution of young tectonic faults and their potential danger. This should be done on the basis of a special map, which researchers are currently working on.
Source: Rosbalt
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