(NASA/JPL-Caltech)
The InSight probe registered a record-breaking powerful marsquake whose magnitude was estimated at 5.
The source of the tremors and its nature have yet to be determined by scientists..
The SEIS (Seismic Experiment for Interior Structure) became the first fully operational seismograph to explore another planet.
It was delivered to Mars by the InSight lander, which landed it next to it on the Utopia Plain at the end of 2018.
The device recorded the first marsquake in the spring of 2019, and at the moment the number of recorded seismic events has exceeded a thousand.
By analyzing the collected data, planetary scientists test models of the internal structure of Mars and look for the reasons for its current tectonic activity.
Until recently, the maximum magnitude of a marsquake detected by SEIS was 4.2, a similar event occurred on August 25, 2021.
However, on May 4, 2022, this record was broken - SEIS detected a seismic event with a magnitude of 5, which is close to the calculated upper limit that was predicted for the InSight science program.
On Earth, such tremors are considered moderate earthquakes, which do not lead to severe destruction.
Scientists working with SEIS need to complete their analysis of the available data before they can determine the source of the shocks and their nature.
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