Geoscientists have a good idea of how earthquakes happen. The Earth’s crust — which is on average 22 miles deep — is broken into continental and oceanic plates that rub against one another other due to the movement of molten rock in the Earth’s mantle. Over the decades and centuries, pressure builds at the points where the tectonic plates converge, until the plates crack and the pressure is released, sending shockwaves in all directions.
On the moon, however, things aren't quite the same. Though the lunar surface is also subject to tremors, scientists believe that their mechanisms are altogether quite different from those behind earthquakes on Earth. So, what, specifically, are moonquakes, and what causes them to occur?
What Are Moonquakes?
A moonquake is any sort of seismic tremor that occurs on the moon, shaking the surface of our only natural satellite, typically as a result of a sudden release of seismic waves.
These tremors are typically weaker than the tremors that occur on the Earth, though they do tend to last longer.
