Earth's Moon is still quaking, and it’s causing new lunar landslides

For decades, we’ve looked at the Moon as a silent rock. We didn’t expect to see wind, rain, or oceans – just dust, craters, and ancient scars. But now, it turns out the Moon isn’t as still and quiet as we thought.

Recent research has found that parts of the lunar surface are shifting right now – and it’s not because of meteor strikes. It’s because the Moon is shaking from the inside.

This finding is a big deal for future Moon missions. If we want to build on the Moon – and we do – we’ll need to think about where we build and what forces might knock things loose.

Evidence of new Moon landslides

Landslides on the Moon aren’t new. You can see them on crater walls and cliffs – evidence that gravity has been working its slow magic for billions of years. But scientists haven’t been sure what’s still causing them today.

The leading ideas included three possibilities: impacts from space rocks, extreme temperature swings that break down rocks, and internal moonquakes.

Until now, we didn’t know which of these mattered most. The evidence was too limited. But that has changed.

Between 2009 and 2024, researchers studied more than 500 pairs of high-resolution images taken of 74 locations around the Moon. These weren’t random spots.

They chose areas that looked unstable – young crater rims, ridges from old faults, and odd patches of terrain that may have volcanic roots. They were looking for change. And they found it.

Moon landslides without space rocks

In total, the team discovered 41 new landslides. These weren’t massive – none longer than half a mile or thicker than about three feet.

But they were fresh. And importantly, they appeared on slopes between 24° and 42°, the tipping point for loose lunar material.

Here’s the kicker: only 12 of these landslides had any possible connection to recent impacts. Even then, the evidence was slim.

Meanwhile, over 2,000 new impacts have been recorded on the Moon in the past 15 years. If space rocks were the main cause of landslides, we’d expect far more movement – but that didn’t happen.

Even large impacts – some creating craters up to 250 feet wide – failed to trigger landslides on nearby slopes. That tells us impacts just aren’t very good at shaking things loose on the Moon.

Moonquakes shake the surface

So what caused the rest of the landslides? The study found that 29 of the 41 slides had no connection to impacts or thermal rock cracking. That leaves one explanation: moonquakes coming from inside the Moon.

This supports earlier data from Apollo missions, which picked up shallow moonquakes in certain areas. One of those areas – the eastern Imbrium Basin – just so happens to be where many of the new landslides occurred.

That’s no coincidence. This area, formed by a massive impact nearly four billion years ago, appears to still be active.

The Moon’s interior might not be entirely solid. Some parts could still be moving, cracking, or shifting, releasing energy in the form of quakes.

Lunar missions face hidden hazards

“Worldwide lunar exploration is accelerating, with plans for permanent research stations and deep-space outposts,” said Dr. Zhiyong Xiao, lead author of the study and researcher at Sun Yat-sen University’s Planetary Environmental and Astrobiological Research Laboratory (PEARL).

“Understanding today’s landslide activity and its drivers is essential for assessing geohazard risks to future missions.”

That warning matters. While the landslides discovered are small, they highlight a bigger risk: the Moon is still moving.

If we build near steep slopes in active seismic zones, we could run into trouble. It’s like setting up camp on the edge of a cliff in earthquake country.

Since we can’t put seismometers all over the Moon, landslides may serve as helpful clues for locating quake zones. They give scientists a way to map risky areas without needing to dig deep or drill into bedrock.

Ever-changing view of the Moon

This study doesn’t just change how we think about moonquakes. It shifts how we see the Moon itself. It’s not just a relic of the past – it’s still active, still changing.

“Our work reminds us the Moon is not a static, dead world – besides abundant new impacts, landslide is active today,” said Dr. Xiao.

“These insights bridge a gap between past lunar history and present-day processes, advancing both science and mission planning.”

For scientists, this is a puzzle piece that helps explain the Moon’s surface. For mission planners, it’s a caution sign. And for the rest of us, it’s a reminder that even the quietest worlds still have something to say.

The full study was published in the journal National Science Review.

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