The undiscovered wonderous reasons behind quakes in Mars still leaves Scientists in awe, scientists conclude the 2022 quake on Mars was tectonic and not because of impact
In the year 2022, a large quake was detected on the planet Mars. This quake amounted to a magnitude of 4.7. The magnitude may be considered in the context of a quake on Earth. However, for the planet Mars, this was what would be considered a strong quake. This quake was detected by NASA’s Insight Lander on May 4, 2022.
Scientists have been exploring the possible reasons behind this quake since then. In recent developments, scientists have jotted down their yearlong research results. According to research reports, scientists are now concluding that the quake was caused by tectonic activity. However, the point of wonder is that Mars is devoid of plate tectonics processes.
Prior to this, scientists were of the view that the quake might have happened because of meteorite impacts. But when an impact crater came up empty, scientists started understanding the deeper reasons for what makes Mars experience quakes.
Scientist Ben Fernando of the University of Oxford in England asserted that the quakes on Mars were tectonic and not because of any impact.
He further expressed that although Mars is devoid of tectonic processes, motion within the crust leads to faults that trigger quakes.
The 2022 quake was detected in a center called Al-Qahira Vallis in the Southern Hemisphere of Mars. Most of the quakes that the Insight Lander detected till it retired were associated with the Cerberus Fossae region of Mars.
