NASA’s InSight module detects biggest earthquake ever recorded on Mars

NASA’s InSight spacecraft has just detected the largest earthquake ever recorded on another planet – a “marsquake”, as recorded Mars quakes are called, of magnitude 5 on the Richter scale that struck the red planet on May 4.

“Since we set up our seismograph in December 2018, we’ve been waiting for the ‘big,'” Bruce Banerdt, InSight principal investigator at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, said in a statement.

“This earthquake will certainly provide a view of the planet like no other. Scientists will analyze this data to learn new things about Mars in the years to come,” continued Barerdt.

Since landing on Mars in 2018, InSight has detected more than 1,313 earthquakes. So far, the largest had a magnitude of 4.2 and took place on August 25, 2021.

“Marsquakes” are like the earthquakes we experience on Earth, only slightly different because they occur on each planet. On Earth, that event would be a medium-sized earthquake — but it’s enough for a new record of seismic activity detected by scientists studying Mars.

When we experience earthquakes, it is because the Earth’s tectonic plates are shifting. So far, Earth is the only planet known to have these plates.

Structure of the Martian crust

So how do earthquakes occur on Mars? Think of the Martian crust as a single giant slab. This crust has faults and fractures within it because the planet continues to shrink as it cools. This puts pressure on the Martian crust, stretching and cracking it.

When seismic waves from “marsquakes” travel through different materials within the Martian interior, it allows scientists to study the structure of the planet. This helps them understand the mysterious Martian interior and apply that research to learning how other rocky planets, including our own, are formed.

The spacecraft’s incredibly sensitive seismometer, called the Seismic Experiment for Interior Structures, has the ability to detect earthquakes thousands of kilometers away. Data collected by InSight so far has revealed new details about the little-known Martian core and mantle.

The InSight science team continues to analyze the earthquake to better understand its origin and what it might reveal about the red planet.

The mission is facing new challenges as Mars enters its winter season, when more dust is thrown into the air. These floating particles reduce the sunlight needed to charge the solar panels that power InSight, which is currently working on an extended mission that lasts until December.

On May 7, the lander went into safe mode when its power levels dropped, with only essential functions operating. The team anticipates this could happen more in the future as dust levels rise.

InSight’s steady stream of data to scientists on Earth will stop when solar cells can no longer generate enough power, which could be by the end of this year. But researchers will study InSight’s detections over the next few decades in order to learn as much about Mars as possible.