The Moon’s interior has been cooling for billions of years. As it cools, it contracts. This creates thrust faults on the surface. These look like cliffs called lobate scarps. Moonquakes often occur near them. The surface records this shrinkage.
This matters because it reveals internal evolution. The Moon isn’t static. Change continues today.
It also helps compare rocky bodies. Mercury shows similar features. Planetary aging leaves clues.
The Moon has shrunk by about 50 meters in radius over time.
[NASA, nasa.gov]