Beijing, China, September 23, 2025
In a groundbreaking study that could revolutionize our understanding of lunar geological activity, Chinese scientists, using high-resolution satellite imagery, have discovered 50 new lunar landslides that have formed on the lunar surface since 2009. These findings challenge the long-held view that the moon is geologically “dead” and provide critical data for future lunar base site selection and resource exploration. The discovery of new landslides by Chinese scientists not only demonstrates continued geological activity within the lunar interior but also provides new insights into our understanding of lunar evolution.
The research, published in the prestigious journal National Science Review, reveals that these landslides were not caused by asteroid impacts but rather by “endogenous moonquakes” within the lunar interior. This significant discovery demonstrates that the stability of the lunar surface is not absolute, and that seismic risks must be considered when selecting sites for future lunar settlements.
News Highlights:
* New Discovery: Scientists identified 50 new landslide sites by comparing satellite imagery from NASA and China’s Chang’e mission.
* Main Cause: Research indicates that the primary cause of these landslides is “endogenous moonquakes” within the lunar interior, rather than external impacts.
* Geological Activity: This discovery proves that the Moon is not geologically “dead,” but rather that energetic activity still exists within it, linked to the cooling of the lunar core.
* Future Impact: This research has important implications for future human bases on the Moon, as it is important to avoid areas with active moonquakes.
* Research Method: Scientists used multi-temporal image analysis to identify new surface changes by comparing images of the same area from different periods.
New Discovery by Chinese Scientists Reveals Continued Geological Activity on the Moon
For a long time, the scientific community generally believed that the Moon was a “dead” planet, where geological activity had ceased. However, groundbreaking research recently published in the National Science Review has completely overturned this conventional wisdom. Through meticulous analysis of thousands of high-resolution satellite images, Chinese scientists have confirmed for the first time the continuous occurrence of new types of landslides on the Moon since 2009. While these landslides are small in scale, their formation mechanisms suggest continued geological activity within the Moon. The research team, primarily from Chinese research institutions including Sun Yat-sen University, conducted a comparative analysis across time and space using imagery acquired by NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) and China’s Chang’e missions. They focused on steeply sloped and geologically unstable areas on the lunar surface, such as the walls of young impact craters, wrinkle ridges formed by fault activity, and areas of recent volcanic activity. By comparing earlier and more recent images of the same locations, the scientists discovered at least 50 new landslide traces—bright streaks and displaced regolith—strong evidence of recent, large-scale movement.
Critically, the researchers ruled out asteroid impacts as the primary cause of these landslides. They found that less than 30% of the new landslides were associated with newly formed impact craters. Instead, the vast majority were closely linked to “intrinsic moonquakes” originating within the lunar interior. This finding strongly suggests that the lunar interior is not completely solidified and that the cooling and contraction of its core continues. The resulting stresses trigger moonquakes, which in turn lead to surface landslides. The discovery of new landslides on the moon by Chinese scientists has profound implications for future lunar exploration and development. If the moon is not as stable as previously thought, the geological risks of establishing permanent research stations or human settlements on the moon must be reassessed. In particular, areas with active geological activity, such as the new landslide zone concentrated in the eastern Mare Imbrium basin, may need to be avoided as sites for long-term bases.
In summary, this groundbreaking research by Chinese scientists not only opens new directions for lunar geological research but also provides crucial safety references for future lunar exploration missions by all countries. It reminds us that even the moon, so close at hand, remains fraught with unknowns and challenges.
