Scientists Detect Two Largest 'Marsquakes' To Ever Rock The Red Planet

Scientists have discovered the largest "Marsquakes" in the Red Planet's "Shadow Zone." Scientists have been intrigued by the presence of quakes on Mars that are a lot like the ones on Earth. Through a seismometer built into the InSight lander, scientists have been logging "Marsquakes" since 2019.

And now, they've found proof of the largest Marsquakes ever. The two Marsquakes are called S0976a, a 4.2 magnitude quake that took place on August 25, 2021 and S1000a, a 4.1 magnitude event that struck 24 days later. These two Marsquakes are five times stronger than the ones previously logged by scientists.

Uncredited

Mapping the far side of Mars

Both the quakes originated in the shadow zone of Mars, the opposite direction from the InSight lander. This is the first time its sensors have recorded data from so far off.

"Not only are they the largest and most distant events by a considerable margin, S1000a has a spectrum and duration unlike any other event previously observed," planetary seismologist Anna Horleston, from the University of Bristol in the UK told Science Alert.

NASA

The S1000a Marsquake has been described as a "clear outlier" owing to the broad frequency spectrum of energy it produced. It is also the longest-lasting seismic event recorded by InSight so far - with 94 minutes of action.

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Seismic waves were used to detect both the Marsquakes. These waves don't follow a direct path but are reflected at least once at the surface, and that's how InSight was able to measure the quakes from so far away.

NASA

Both the quakes took place in Mars' shadow zone, where InSight has trouble detecting seismic activity directly. Scientists had some idea about quakes taking place at this region, but this marks the first time data has been recorded.

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By recording such events from Mars' shadow zone, scientists could develop a better understanding of our neighbouring planet Mars.

What do you think about Marsquakes that are not so different from earthquakes? Let us know in the comments below. For more in the world of technology and science, keep reading Indiatimes.com.

References

Nield, D. (2022). The Largest Marsquakes to Date Have Been Detected in The ¡°Shadow Zone.¡± ScienceAlert.