A recent study found that ground shaking caused by moonquakes, not meteorite impacts, was responsible for altering the terrain in the Taurus-Littrow valley, the site of the Apollo 17 landing in 1972. The research also identified a likely source of these surface changes and evaluated the potential hazards by applying new seismic models, with results that carry important implications for both future lunar exploration and the development of permanent bases on the Moon.

Geological evidence from Apollo 17 site
The research team examined data from the Apollo 17 site, where astronauts had gathered rock samples from boulder falls and landslides believed to have been triggered by moonquakes. By analyzing these geological traces, they were able to estimate the intensity of past moonquakes and determine their most likely origin.

“We don’t have the sort of strong motion instruments that can measure seismic activity on the moon like we do on Earth, so we had to look for other ways to evaluate how much ground motion there may have been, like boulder falls and landslides that get mobilized by these seismic events,” Schmerr said.