In a first collection of seismic data from Moon’s southern polar region, Chandrayaan-3 has detected over 250 seismic signals, some of which may be linked to moonquakes.
This experiment, conducted by Instrument for Lunar Seismic Activity (ILSA) aboard Vikram lander, is the first of its kind on the lunar surface since Apollo.
“Of the more than 250 seismic events recorded, about 200 signals correlate to known activities involving Pragyan rover’s movements or the operation of scientific instruments, but the remaining 50 do not have any explanation. Further studies are needed to understand what may have caused these unexplained signals,” Isro’s Laboratory for Electro-Optics Systems (LEOS) saiddirector Sriram said. The findings have been analysed and published by a group of Isro researchers in ICARUS, a scientific journal dedicated to planetary science.
The paper notes, “As the distance between the rover and ILSA increased, there was a systematic reduction in the amplitude of the signal under normal roving conditions. For example, when the rover was about 7 metres away from the lander, the average peak-to-peak amplitude was around 200 microgravity.”
Researchers mentioned that any events classified as deep or shallow quakes were beyond the targeted objectives and design specifications of ILSA. They acknowledged the very low probability of such events occurring during the instrument’s operation over one lunar day.
