A new study released this month details the largest marsquakes ever recorded, which could give scientists deeper glimpses into the Red Planet.
. As such, this could be one of the last big pieces of data that we get from the lander. The first marsquake recorded a magnitude of 4.2. The second, InSight measured at a magnitude of 4.1.
These measurements are nowhere close to some of the more powerful earthquakes suspected to have hit our planet, with an believed to have measured around 9.5. Still, they are astounding readings. Especially when you think about where the marsquakes originated from.When InSight landed on the Martian surface in 2018, it brought the first seismometer to the Red Planet. In 2019, when the seismometer was finally set up, InSight began monitoring the planet for seismic activity.
. That’s because the planet’s core affects and sometimes blocks the waves. Instead, the waves of pressure are reflected at least once before they reach InSight. Previously, the energy that travels within the core shadow of Mars has never been seismologically studied. As such, recording the largest marsquakes ever is a huge step forward for scientists.
Not only can it help us learn more about marsquakes in general. But scientists also believe that it could help reveal more about the deeper layers that make up Mars. With a little luck, it may even tell us more about ancient Mars and how the planet formed and evolved over the years.Josh Hawkins fell in love with writing and technology at a young age. Eventually he decided to combine the two and started writing about video games, the latest tech, and all the cool gadgets he could find.