Produced by: Tarun Mishra Designed by: Muskan Arora
A recent study conducted by NASA has disclosed that the Moon has been gradually diminishing in size over the past few hundred million years, leading to significant changes and an increase in Moonquake activity.
The study, published on January 25 in Planetary Science Journal reported, that the Moon has contracted more than 150 feet in circumference as its core cooled over a period of time.
The ongoing shrinking process contributed to the creation of faults on the Moon's surface, causing Moonquakes that mirror seismic activity on Earth's fault lines.
Collaborative efforts from scientists at NASA, the Smithsonian Institution, Arizona State University, and The University of Maryland conducted the study, analysing data to understand the Moon's dynamic changes.
Evidence suggests that the continued shrinkage has impacted the Lunar South Pole. Surface changes in this region necessitate careful consideration for future lunar exploration.
Researchers utilized the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera on NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) to identify numerous small thrust faults distributed widely across the lunar crust.
The contraction, induced by the cooling of the Moon's interior and tidal forces from Earth, is likened to the wrinkling of a grape turning into a raisin. The Moon's brittle surface leads to the creation of faults as crustal sections interact.
Unlike earthquakes on Earth, which endure only for a few seconds, shallow Moonquakes delve about 100 miles into the Moon's crust and can persist for hours or even an entire afternoon.