NASA’s Mars Insight probe has detected the largest earthquake ever observed on another planet: an earthquake with a magnitude of 5 on the Richter scale that occurred on May 4, 2022, which is 1222 Mars or the mission’s Sol day. This adds to the catalog of more than 1,313 earthquakes detected by InSight since it landed on Mars in November 2018. The largest previously recorded earthquake was Estimated amount 4.2 It was discovered on August 25, 2021.
InSight was sent to Mars using a highly sensitive seismometer, provided by the French National Center for Space Studies (CNES), to study the depths of the planet’s interior. When seismic waves pass or are reflected on materials Mars crust, mantle, and coreThey are changing the ways seismologists can study to determine the depth and composition of these layers. What scientists are learning about the structure of Mars could help them better understand the composition of all rocky worlds, including Earth and the Moon.
The magnitude 5 earthquake is a moderate-sized earthquake compared to those felt on Earth, but it’s close to the upper limit of what scientists had hoped to see on Mars during the Insight mission. The science team will need to study this new earthquake further before they can provide details such as its location, the nature of its source, and what it might tell us about the interior of Mars.
