Recent advancements in lunar exploration have unveiled a significant dynamic at play on the Moon’s surface—active landslides. A research team, spearheaded by Professor Zhiyong Xiao of Sun Yat-sen University, in collaboration with experts from Fuzhou University and Shanghai Normal University, has conducted an exhaustive study utilizing multi-temporal imaging data from 2009 to 2024. Their meticulous analysis of the lunar surface suggests that the primary cause for these landslides is not external impacts, as traditionally thought, but rather endogenic moonquakes. This revelation reshapes our understanding of lunar geological processes and carries vital implications for future lunar missions.
For decades, the scientific community has grappled with the question of what triggers landslides on the Moon. These phenomena fundamentally shape the Moon’s topography, yet they have been comparatively under-researched. Historically, explanations for lunar landslides have revolved around both external forces, such as cosmic impacts, and internal geological processes, including endogenic moonquakes driven by various energy sources. Thermal weathering has also been considered a factor, as extreme temperature fluctuations can exacerbate the degradation of slope materials. Despite these theories, definitive data on active lunar landslides had remained elusive, creating uncertainties around their triggers and frequency, a gap that this new study aims to address.
Dr. Xiao and his colleagues set out with a clear objective: to identify new landslides by focusing on the Moon’s most unstable regions, specifically targeting young impact crater walls, fault-formed wrinkle ridges, and volcanic terrain. This approach was intended to capture new landslides representative of contemporary lunar activity. To achieve this, the researchers meticulously analyzed 562 pairs of high-resolution images taken over a vast area of the Moon’s surface, spanning both the near and far sides. This distribution was crucial, ensuring a comprehensive representation of global lunar conditions.
The findings of the research team were nothing short of remarkable, uncovering 41 newly-formed landslides—an outcome that echoes an earlier global survey’s discoveries. Each of these landslides displays dimensions under 1 km in length, 100 m in width, and less than 1 meter in thickness, with volumes restricted to below 100,000 cubic meters. These newly identified landslides represent a stark contrast to the larger, ancient landslides that populate the lunar surface. Their location on slopes with angles ranging from 24° to 42° places them near the angle of repose, indicating that they are situated in some of the most unstable terrains on the Moon.
Interestingly, the researchers found that a mere 29% of the newly identified landslides may have links to recent impacts. While new impacts are prevalent, with over 2,000 observed on the Moon, the strikingly low incidence of landslides associated with these impacts suggests the mechanism through which impacts induce landslides is rather inefficient. The substantial evidence points to endogenic moonquakes as the predominant driver of most new landslide activity. The striking observation that even sizable impacts, some reaching up to 75 meters, failed to trigger nearby landslides reinforces the notion that internal processes are to blame for these geological changes.
Significantly, 71% of the newly identified landslides showed no connection to impacts or exposed rock formations, underscoring the likelihood that endogenic moonquakes are indeed the sole instigators of these events. The spatial clustering of these landslides in the eastern Imbrium Basin—a colossal 3.92-billion-year-old impact basin aligned with previously recorded shallow moonquakes—further supports the hypothesis that this area constitutes a currently active seismic zone on the Moon. This observation has profound implications for understanding seismic activity within the lunar interior.
The implications of this research were highlighted by Dr. Xiao, who emphasized the importance of these findings in context to the accelerating pace of lunar exploration and the establishment of future research stations. Understanding the risk of geohazards associated with modern landslide activity on the Moon is critical for mission planning and infrastructure development on its surface. As global space agencies gear up for ambitious human exploration missions, the ability to assess and mitigate potential risks is paramount.
The study also posits that the distribution of active landslides can serve as a “proxy” for identifying subsurface seismic activity on the Moon. By mapping the locations of landslides, scientists may gain insights into hidden zones of moonquake activity without the need to deploy seismometers across the lunar landscape. This aspect of the research not only highlights the intricacies of the lunar surface but also proposes efficient methodologies for future studies in lunar geology.
In conclusion, the findings presented by Dr. Xiao and his research team indicate a transformative shift in our understanding of lunar geological processes. By demonstrating that endogenic moonquakes are the primary trigger for contemporary landslide activity on the Moon, this research challenges long-held models and suggests a need to prioritize internal lunar dynamics in future studies of the Moon’s surface evolution. The study serves as a crucial reminder that the Moon is not merely a static celestial body; rather, it is an active geological environment that continues to evolve and pose potential hazards for future exploration endeavors.
These insights bridge the historical and contemporary understanding of the Moon’s geological processes, enhancing both scientific knowledge and mission planning strategies for upcoming lunar endeavors.
Subject of Research: Active landslides on the Moon and their causes
Article Title: New Insights on Lunar Landslides: Endogenic Moonquakes as Primary Drivers
News Publication Date: October 2023
Web References: National Science Review DOI
References: National Science Review
Image Credits: Zhouxuan XIAO
Keywords
Lunar exploration, landslides, endogenic moonquakes, lunar geology, Imbrium Basin, geohazards, seismic activity, moonquakes, research study, surface dynamics.
