Studies by scientists from Kyushu University (Japan) have shown that there are earthquakes up to 4 on the Richter scale on Mars. This was reported in the journal Geophysical Research Letters.

Japanese scientists have analyzed the seismic activity of Mars, having studied the readings of instruments installed on the InSight research lander. The results showed that, in comparison with the Earth, the seismic activity of the Red Planet is small, however, some “earthquakes” reached magnitudes of 4 on the Richter scale. Analysis of the seismometer data showed that the vibrations of the surface of Mars have a different nature: from conditioned winds to caused, presumably, geological activity ..

Recall that the mission of the automatic interplanetary station InSight, created by scientists from the United States, Germany and France, began on May 5, 2018. After successfully landing on Mars on November 26 of the same year, InSight began to study the internal structure and composition of the Red Planet. During a seismic experiment to study the internal structure of Mars, scientists investigated its geological activity and soil vibrations.

Observations began in February. The first "marsquake" was recorded in April 2019. By June 2019, several hundred seismic events were noted. Most of them were much weaker than earthly ones, scientists noted.

“Our polarization analysis showed that seismic waves of different frequencies and types showed different oscillation patterns throughout the Martian day. Micro-vibrations of different types and frequencies probably have different sources, and some of them are probably influenced by geological structures, ”said one of the authors of the study, Tatsunori Ikeda.

  • Surrounding Martian lander noise recorded by a seismometer
  • © Takeshi Tsuji / I2CNER / Kyushu University

As Igor Mitrofanov, head of the Space Gamma-Spectroscopy Laboratory of the Space Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, said in an interview with RT, Mars, like other terrestrial planets, experiences earthquakes, but there is "no tectonics" on it, that is, there is no movement of continental platforms.

“On Earth, continents clash, continental plates meet, build up stress, which leads to earthquakes and eruptions. There are no such separately moving plates on Mars, there stress and seismic disturbance can be caused by thermal deformations, local crackles. The study is interesting, it allows us to learn more about the internal structure of Mars, ”said Igor Mitrofanov.

According to Japanese scientists, further seismic exploration of the Red Planet will not only simulate the internal geological structure of Mars, but also help in the search for such valuable mineral resources as underground ice.