An international group of scientists identified the source of the largest surface tremor ever observed on Mars in May 2022. The findings appeared in Geophysical Research Letters, a respected scientific journal. The event is described as a magnitude 4.7 seismic tremor detected by NASA’s InSight lander, with a Marsquake that persisted for at least six hours and influenced the entire planet’s surface and interior dynamics. The team’s analysis relied on data gathered by the stationary mission on Mars and collaborative modeling from multiple research institutions across North America and beyond, reflecting a concerted effort to understand Martian geophysics.
Early hypotheses suggested a meteor impact caused the shaking. Yet after extensive surface surveys, no fresh craters were found, and mapping a vast area of about 144 million square kilometers did not reveal an impact site. The absence of a meteorite signature shifted the focus toward internal planetary processes. The researchers concluded that the tremor stemmed from the release of substantial tectonic stresses within Mars’ crust and upper mantle, indicating that the planet might be more seismically active than previously believed.
Quoted by the study team, the leaders noted that while Mars likely lacks active plate tectonics in the sense familiar on Earth, the observed event implies significant stress release mechanisms inside the Martian crust. The work raises questions about why certain regions accumulate higher stress than others and how these patterns evolve over time. Understanding these dynamics could be crucial for planning future human or robotic habitats on Mars, including assessments of terrain stability and ground-based risk for missions and settlements. The researchers emphasized that while the exact causes of variable crustal voltages remain to be fully understood, advances in Martian geophysics will gradually clarify how the planet manages internal energy and reshapes its surface over long timescales.
In related work, astronomers have explored phenomena such as neutron star emissions and how short radio pulses from space may reveal new information about dense stellar objects, illustrating the broad range of observational tools scientists use to study extreme environments beyond Earth. These investigations, though distinct in focus, share a common thread: the pursuit of how energy moves through matter under extreme conditions and what that reveals about planetary and cosmic evolution. Pioneering studies like the Marsquake project contribute valuable data toward a more complete picture of planetary behavior, both in our solar system and in comparative planetary science across the universe. Attribution: Geophysical Research Letters and NASA InSight mission team; supporting researchers from multiple institutions contributed to data analysis and interpretation.