Moon is alive: Scientists confirm tectonic activity, threat to future lunar bases

The Moon is not the quiet, dead rock we once thought it was. It is actually shaking. New research shows that our celestial neighbour is still active, much like a grape turning into a raisin.

As the Moon’s interior cools down, its surface gets squashed and wrinkled, creating tiny ridges that could trigger dangerous moonquakes.

Scientists have now mapped thousands of these wrinkles, known as small mare ridges, across the dark patches we see from Earth.

These dark areas, called the lunar maria, are actually vast plains made of ancient solidified lava.

A ridge wrinkle on the Moon. (Photo: Nasa)

The discovery of these young ridges proves that the Moon’s crust is still breaking and shifting today. This is a big deal for future explorers, as these moving faults could cause the ground to shake right where astronauts might want to land.

ARE THERE RECENT MOONQUAKES IN THE LUNAR MARIA?

For a long time, researchers focused mostly on cliff-like ridges formed as the Moon’s interior cools and the entire body slowly shrinks, like a grape turning into a raisin.

However, the new study published in The Planetary Science Journal shows that similar activity is happening in the lunar maria. The team identified 1,114 new small mare ridges, bringing the total to 2,634.

A small mare ridge, a specific type of young tectonic feature found in the Moon's dark volcanic plains, in Northeast Mare Imbrium. This is captured by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera. (Photo: NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center/Arizona State University) — A small mare ridge, a specific type of young tectonic feature found in the Moon’s dark volcanic plains, in Northeast Mare Imbrium. This is captured by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera. (Photo: NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center/Arizona State University)

These ridges are caused by shallow thrust faults where the crust is pushed together and breaks.

HOW OLD ARE THESE LUNAR RIDGES?

By studying how these ridges cross-cut small impact craters, scientists estimated their age.

Their average age is only about 124 million years.

The Moon is more active than we thought. Scientists have mapped thousands of young ridges in the lunar maria, suggesting recent moonquakes could pose a risk to future Nasa missions. (Photo: Nasa)

In geological terms, that is incredibly recent. Some are as young as 50 million years. This matches the age of the ridges in the highlands, suggesting the entire Moon is undergoing a global contraction.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR NASA AND ARTEMIS?

The discovery is a wake-up call for future human exploration.

If these ridges are young and still forming, they are likely sources of shallow moonquakes.

Unlike the deep quakes caused by Earth’s gravity, shallow moonquakes can be quite strong.

Nasa astronaut Buzz Aldrin standing beside the US flag on the Moon during the Apollo 11 mission. (Photo: Nasa)

As Nasa prepares for the Artemis missions to send humans back to the lunar surface, understanding where these quakes might strike is vital for picking safe landing sites and building stable lunar bases.

The maria, once thought to be quiet plains, may be more seismically “alive” than we ever imagined.