Examining seismic wave data from NASA’s InSight Lander, researchers reported that the largest earthquakes the planet has ever seen, with magnitudes of 4.2 and 4, occurred on Mars. The previous record holder was a 3.7 magnitude earthquake in 2019.
Tremors occurred on August 25, 2021 and September 18, 2021. A report published in the journal The Seismic Record provided details on the details, locations and intensities of the two earthquakes.
The Martian earthquakes occurred in what’s called the “core shadow zone,” a part of the planet where some types of seismic waves cannot travel directly. Waves bent by the planet’s core are reflected off other surfaces before reaching InSight’s seismometer. The all-terrain vehicle’s seismometer started operating in December 2018 and has since detected more than 1,000 events. The data allows scientists to draw a picture of Mars’ interior structure, including details about its depth and structure.
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