InSight detects the three more large quakes on Mars, the most powerful measured so far
In the past month InSight’s seismometer has detected the three most powerful earthquakes so far measured on Mars, with one located in a region where no quakes had as yet been seen.
InSight spotted 4.2- and 4.1-magnitude temblors on Aug. 25, then picked up another roughly 4.2-magnitude quake on Sept. 18 that lasted for nearly 90 minutes, NASA officials announced on Wednesday (Sept. 22).
The previous record holder, which InSight measured in 2019, clocked in at magnitude 3.7 — about five times less powerful than a 4.2-magnitude quake.
At this time scientists have only been able to roughly pinpoint the location of the two August quakes, with the 4.1 quake occurring about 575 miles away, putting it in the volcanic plains where InSight sits and closer than the location of most of the previous large quakes near the long surface fissures dubbed Cerberus Fossae 1,000 miles away.
The August 4.2 quake’s is even more interesting, as its location is the farthest away of any so far detected, at an estimated distance of 5,280 miles away. The scientists presently suspect but have not yet confirmed that it may be located in the western end of Valles Marineris, Mars’ largest canyon.
The lander itself continues to fight a loss of power due to the amount of dust on its solar panels, forcing the science team to shut down practically all its other instruments so that the seismometer could continue operating.
In the past month InSight’s seismometer has detected the three most powerful earthquakes so far measured on Mars, with one located in a region where no quakes had as yet been seen.
InSight spotted 4.2- and 4.1-magnitude temblors on Aug. 25, then picked up another roughly 4.2-magnitude quake on Sept. 18 that lasted for nearly 90 minutes, NASA officials announced on Wednesday (Sept. 22).
The previous record holder, which InSight measured in 2019, clocked in at magnitude 3.7 — about five times less powerful than a 4.2-magnitude quake.
At this time scientists have only been able to roughly pinpoint the location of the two August quakes, with the 4.1 quake occurring about 575 miles away, putting it in the volcanic plains where InSight sits and closer than the location of most of the previous large quakes near the long surface fissures dubbed Cerberus Fossae 1,000 miles away.
The August 4.2 quake’s is even more interesting, as its location is the farthest away of any so far detected, at an estimated distance of 5,280 miles away. The scientists presently suspect but have not yet confirmed that it may be located in the western end of Valles Marineris, Mars’ largest canyon.
The lander itself continues to fight a loss of power due to the amount of dust on its solar panels, forcing the science team to shut down practically all its other instruments so that the seismometer could continue operating.