'Monster Quake' Hints at Mysterious Source within Mars

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October 19, 2023

Another week, another vibe check. These "vibes," though, were seismic waves rippling through Mars, as recorded by NASA's InSight lander last year. This marsquake was about five times more powerful than any other ever seen on the Red Planet—which is much more geologically inert than Earth—so scientists suspected the tremor originated from an external source, such as a meteorite impact. But a new study incorporating satellite imagery from all orbiters now around Mars has failed to find any associated fresh crater, boosting the odds that the quake came from within the planet itself. The finding has implications aplenty, ranging from a reassessment of risks for future crewed outposts to potential revisions in our models of how long rocky worlds can sustain significant tectonic activity. Elsewhere this week, we have stories on awesome auroras, the largest known solar storm, the uncertain science of a doomsday supercontinent, the 30th anniversary of a landmark astrobiological experiment, and more. Enjoy!

Lee Billings, Senior Editor, Space & Physics @LeeBillings

Planetary Science 'Monster Quake' Hints at Mysterious Source within Mars Images from each and every spacecraft now orbiting Mars have ruled out a meteorite strike as the cause of a 4.7-magnitude marsquake, the strongest temblor ever detected beyond Earth By Jonathan O'Callaghan

Arts Why Settling Mars Is a Terrible Idea The downsides of spacefaring, infiltrating Florida's gator poachers, and more books out this month By Amy Brady

Planetary Science Will the Next Supercontinent Really Drive Mammals to Extinction? The formation of Pangaea Ultima some 250 million years from now would be bad news for mammalian life. But whether it would mean the end for mammals—or whether the supercontinent will form at all—is far from certain By Robin George Andrews

Planetary Science How to Watch the Northern Lights and Other Awesome Auroras When the sun gets feisty, Earth's atmosphere can literally light up. But seeing the resulting aurora isn't always easy By Phil Plait

Astrophysics Traces of Oldest and Largest Solar Storm Found in Buried French Forest An enormous "Miyake event"—a bombardment of Earth by particles from the sun—hit 14,300 years ago. Such an event today would have devastating effects By Stephanie Pappas

Pollution Nuclear Waste Is Piling Up. Here's How to Fix the Problem Congress must end the exemption of nuclear waste from environmental law if we ever hope to end a 60-year logjam on how to safely store it By Geoffrey H. Fettus

Astronomy How Would We Know There's Life on Earth? This Bold Experiment Found Out Thirty years ago, astronomer Carl Sagan convinced NASA to turn a passing space probe's instruments on Earth to look for life — with results that still reverberate today By Alexandra Witze,Nature magazine

Aerospace What It Takes to Grow Crystals in Space Researcher Debbie G. Senesky builds materials that can work on Venus By Debbie G. Senesky

QUOTE OF THE DAY "I don't think Pangaea Ultima is the biggest problem mammals have to face right now. Let's see first if they make it through the next 100 years." Tori Herridge, a mammal paleontologist at the University of Sheffield in England, on the potential for a future supercontinent to drive mammals to extinction.

FROM THE ARCHIVE Largest Marsquake Ever Recorded May Be InSight's Swan Song NASA's three-and-a-half-year mission to collect seismic data from Mars is running out of juice By Joanna Thompson | May 2022

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