Moonquakes occur due to tidal forces from Earth, meteorite impacts, and thermal expansion. Deep quakes can reach magnitudes of 5. They don’t have plate tectonics, so these are different from earthquakes. Instruments from Apollo missions recorded thousands. Shallow quakes are weaker but more frequent. They can shift dust and boulders slightly. Understanding them is crucial for construction and habitation.
This matters because habitats and equipment must endure shaking. Engineering lunar bases requires seismic knowledge. Ignoring it could be catastrophic.
It also informs us about lunar interior structure. Seismic wave behavior helps map layers and core. Moonquakes are natural probes.
Some moonquakes were strong enough to rattle lunar modules on the surface.
NASA [nasa.gov]