The Moon is still shaking as it shrinks
La Luna, ese compañero silencioso que ha guiado a la humanidad durante milenios, resulta ser un mundo todavía en movimiento: se contrae lentamente y tiembla. Nuevas investigaciones de la NASA revelan que el Polo Sur lunar —la región elegida para el histórico alunizaje de la misión Artemis III— alberga fallas geológicas activas capaces de generar sismos significativos. En la gran narrativa de la exploración humana, este hallazgo nos recuerda que cada frontera que aspiramos a cruzar exige primero que aprendamos a escuchar lo que la tierra —o en este caso, la roca lunar— tiene que decirnos.
- La Luna se encoge: su diámetro se ha reducido unos 48 metros en decenas de millones de años, y esa contracción genera fallas de empuje que sacuden el suelo con fuerza real.
- El Polo Sur lunar, elegido precisamente por sus reservas de hielo de agua, concentra una densidad alarmante de estas fallas jóvenes y potencialmente activas.
- Los astronautas de Artemis III podrían enfrentarse a lunamotos capaces de desestabilizar equipos, dañar estructuras y poner en riesgo vidas humanas en una zona sin posibilidad de evacuación rápida.
- La NASA reconoce que el riesgo sísmico no se limita al Polo Sur: las fallas jóvenes se distribuyen por toda la superficie lunar, amenazando cualquier futura base permanente.
- Los científicos exigen una red de monitoreo sísmico global en la Luna antes de que los humanos se instalen allí, pero esa infraestructura aún no existe.
La Luna se está encogiendo, y esa contracción sacude el suelo. Una nueva investigación de la NASA, publicada en el Planetary Science Journal y liderada por el Smithsonian Institution, revela que el Polo Sur lunar —la zona exacta donde está previsto el alunizaje de la misión Artemis III— se asienta sobre fallas geológicas activas capaces de generar lunamotos de considerable intensidad.
El fenómeno tiene una lógica implacable: desde su formación hace miles de millones de años, la Luna se ha ido enfriando lentamente, y al hacerlo, se contrae. En decenas de millones de años, su diámetro se ha reducido unos 48 metros. Esa compresión no ocurre de forma uniforme, sino que genera tensiones en la corteza que se liberan a lo largo de fallas de empuje, produciendo sismos superficiales localizados pero potencialmente violentos.
El Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter ha cartografiado miles de estas fallas distribuidas por toda la superficie lunar. Muchas parecen geológicamente recientes, lo que sugiere que siguen activas. El autor principal del estudio, Tom Watters, advierte que los lunamotos en el Polo Sur podrían desestabilizar equipos, dañar estructuras e incluso poner en peligro a los astronautas. La paradoja es evidente: esa misma región fue elegida por sus reservas de hielo de agua, esenciales para una presencia humana prolongada, pero resulta ser una zona sísmica activa.
Renee Weber, coautora del estudio en el Centro de Vuelo Espacial Marshall, subraya que el riesgo no se circunscribe al Polo Sur: las fallas jóvenes aparecen en todo el globo lunar. Tanto ella como Watters reclaman redes de monitoreo sísmico globales antes de establecer bases permanentes. La pregunta ya no es si la Luna seguirá temblando —lo hará— sino si la NASA logrará reunir los datos suficientes para construir en los lugares más seguros.
The Moon is shrinking, and that contraction is shaking. New research from NASA reveals that the lunar South Pole—the exact region where astronauts are scheduled to land within the next few years—sits atop active geological faults capable of producing significant earthquakes. The findings, published in the Planetary Science Journal and led by researchers at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, map thousands of recently formed thrust faults across the Moon's crust and connect them directly to the seismic hazards that future explorers will face.
The mechanism is straightforward but consequential. The Moon formed billions of years ago from a violent planetary collision, and it has been cooling ever since, shedding heat into space at a glacial pace. As the interior cools, the entire body contracts—a process that has compressed the lunar diameter by 160 feet over tens of millions of years. That compression doesn't happen smoothly. Instead, it creates stress in the crust, forcing material upward along fault lines in a process called thrust faulting. The result is moonquakes: shallow earthquakes that can rattle the ground with real force in localized areas.
The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, NASA's long-running camera in lunar orbit, has detected thousands of these thrust faults distributed across the Moon's surface. Many of them appear young in geological terms, suggesting they are still active or could become active as the Moon continues to cool. The South Pole region, where NASA plans to land the Artemis III mission, shows particular concentration of these faults. Tom Watters, the lead author of the study, noted that shallow moonquakes in the South Pole area could be triggered either by slippage along existing faults or by the formation of entirely new ones. The implications are direct: astronauts working in that region could experience ground shaking strong enough to destabilize equipment, damage structures, or endanger personnel.
The Artemis III mission represents a historic return to the Moon—the first crewed landing in more than fifty years, and the first to bring a woman to the lunar surface. The mission targets the South Pole specifically because the region contains water ice and other resources that could sustain long-term human presence. But those same resources sit in an active seismic zone. NASA's planners must now weigh the scientific and strategic value of the South Pole against the geological hazards that come with it.
Renee Weber, a coauthor of the study at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, emphasized that understanding lunar seismic risk requires more than just studying the South Pole. The global distribution of young thrust faults means that seismic hazards could emerge anywhere on the Moon where humans plan to work. She called for expanded seismic monitoring networks across the lunar surface to build a complete picture of where and how often moonquakes occur. Watters went further, warning that the location and design of any permanent lunar outposts must account for the ongoing contraction of the Moon and the faults it creates. The challenge is not whether the Moon will continue to shake—it will—but whether NASA can gather enough data to predict where the shaking will be strongest and build accordingly.
Citas Notables
Shallow moonquakes in the South Pole region could be triggered by slippage along existing faults or formation of new thrust faults— Tom Watters, lead author, Smithsonian Institution
The location and stability of permanent lunar outposts must account for ongoing Moon contraction and the faults it creates— Tom Watters, Smithsonian Institution
We need new seismic data not just at the South Pole but globally to better understand the seismic hazard for future human activities on the Moon— Renee Weber, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center
La Conversación del Hearth Otra perspectiva de la historia
So the Moon is literally getting smaller. How does that cause earthquakes?
As the interior cools, the whole body contracts. That compression has to go somewhere, so the crust buckles and breaks along fault lines. When those faults slip, you get a moonquake.
And this is happening right where NASA wants to land people?
Exactly. The South Pole has thousands of these faults, many of them young and potentially still active. It's the most resource-rich place on the Moon, but also one of the most geologically restless.
How strong are these moonquakes?
The study mentions an N9-level event—a shallow moonquake capable of producing strong ground shaking in the South Pole region. That's significant enough to be a real hazard for equipment and structures.
Can NASA predict when they'll happen?
Not yet. That's why the researchers are calling for much more seismic monitoring. Right now we have limited data. To build permanent outposts safely, we need to know the full picture of where and how often the ground shakes.
Does this delay Artemis III?
The research doesn't say the mission is cancelled or postponed. But it does mean NASA has to factor seismic risk into where they land, how they build, and what safety margins they design in.