Chinese researchers have discovered evidence of active landslides on the surface of the moon. According to the team, these landslides are most likely triggered by moonquakes (called endogenic moonquakes) and not asteroid impacts as previously thought.
Since 2009, 41 new landslides have been observed on the moon. These were detected by comparing 562 pairs of satellite images (resolution <1 m/pixel) of 74 unstable sites taken at different times.
When compared to landslides on Earth, these moon versions are much smaller, typically measuring around 0.62 miles (1 km long) and 328 feet (100 meters) wide. They also tend to be no more than 3.28 feet (1 m) deep, consisting of an estimated 3,531,467 cubic feet (100,000 cubic meters) of material.
However, researchers point out that moonquakes may be worse than earthquakes of the same size because the moon is dry (there is no water in rock to absorb shock). Seismic waves lose energy slowly on the moon, so quakes can last for hours, shaking structures much longer.
Moon is not as dead as once thought
“While moonquakes were detected during the Apollo missions, conventional geological wisdom posited that lunar endogenic activity had essentially ceased, leaving geological hazard assessments of lunar seismicity largely unexplored,” the team wrote the paper.
According to reports, most of these were found on steep slopes (24–42°), such as crater walls, wrinkle ridges (fault-related features), and volcanic patches. Most of them are also concentrated in the eastern Mare Imbrium basin, suggesting this area is seismically active.
“While sources of endogenic seismic activity on the moon are not completely understood yet, this interpretation aligns with the current thermal state of the moon, that the lunar interior remains active enough to drive endogenic seismic activity,” the team added.
This part of the moon is thought to have formed from a collision with a proto-planet during the late Heavy Bombardment phase of the Solar System’s history. Researchers also found new impact craters on the moon, but found that less than 30% of them coincided with landslides.
This, they postulate, would indicate that the majority were instead caused by internal moonquakes, meaning the moon is still geologically active. Not only is this interesting in itself, but it also shows the moon is not as geologically “dead” as once believed.
More work to be done
Such findings also help map seismic zones inside the moon, which were previously hard to detect. It also offers clues about the moon’s thermal evolution (how heat and energy move inside it).
Looking ahead, identifying active seismic zones on the moon will also help plan safe landing sites for future human missions and lunar bases. China wants to build a Lunar South Pole station as early as 2035.
While landslide risk is relatively low overall, equipment and habitats should avoid steep or quake-prone areas. It also suggested that placing seismometers in key locations to probe the moon’s interior better would be a great next step.
In fact, China’s upcoming Chang’e-8 mission (2029) will carry a lunar seismometer to the south pole. Once moonquakes are detected, satellites can quickly check for landslide signatures at the epicenter, linking quake events to surface changes.
The research was published in the National Science Review.