'Monster' Mars quake shows the red planet isn't nearly dead

A powerful earthquake shook the desert.

The largest temblor ever detected on another planet was observed on May 4. The magnitude 5 marsquake is the strongest shake planetary scientists can observe on the red planet. Earth experiences stronger earthquakes, but it is also a world filled with geologic activity.

Mark Panning, a planetary scientist and NASA's InSight lander project manager, said that Mars is not as active as Earth.

A magnitude 5 earthquake on Earth can cause some structural damage, though building codes limit these impacts. NASA noted that it was a "monster quake" on Mars. The previous marsquake magnitude record was 4.2.

Mars has less shaking than Earth because it doesn't have big plates sliding around on the surface. Most earthquakes happen at these boundaries. It has been easier for Mars to lose its internal heat over the last few billion years because it is only half the size of Earth.

Mars has strong geologic life. 1,313 earthquakes were recorded on Mars as of May 10. The lander is located near the equator, but it isn't detecting all the earthquakes on Mars. It is not certain where the magnitude 5 temblor started.

A spectrogram showing the strong Mars temblor on May 4, 2022. Credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech / ETH Zurich

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There is evidence of recent lava flows on Mars. There are lava flows that may be around 10 million years old in the region. There are pockets of molten rock underground. The ground may have been stressed by the welling up of Martian magma.

There is a chance of volcanic eruptions on Mars in the future.

There is a question of how long InSight will record earthquakes on Mars. It landed in November of last year and has been recording activity for years. NASA acknowledges that the sun-powered robot is facing new challenges as the dusty air coats its solar panels. NASA said that the landers available energy fell just below the limit that triggered safe mode, where the spacecraft suspends all but the most essential functions. Next week, the space agency plans to give an update.

The lander has given planetary scientists an unprecedented understanding of what is happening below the surface of Mars. This knowledge will help us understand rocky planets in our solar system.

Panning said that we have to understand rocky planets more than Earth.