The Seismic Moment and Seismic Efficiency of Small Impacts on Mars
Since landing in late 2018, the InSight lander has been recording seismic signals on the surface of Mars. Despite nominal prelanding estimates of one to three meteorite impacts detected per Earth year, none have yet been identified seismically. To inform revised detectability estimates, we simulated...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Journal Article |
| Language: | English |
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AMER GEOPHYSICAL UNION
2020
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| Online Access: | http://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/DE180100584 http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/90198 |
| _version_ | 1848765351586693120 |
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| author | Wójcicka, N. Collins, G.S. Bastow, I.D. Teanby, N.A. Miljkovic, Katarina Rajšić, Andrea Daubar, I. Lognonné, P. |
| author_facet | Wójcicka, N. Collins, G.S. Bastow, I.D. Teanby, N.A. Miljkovic, Katarina Rajšić, Andrea Daubar, I. Lognonné, P. |
| author_sort | Wójcicka, N. |
| building | Curtin Institutional Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | Since landing in late 2018, the InSight lander has been recording seismic signals on the surface of Mars. Despite nominal prelanding estimates of one to three meteorite impacts detected per Earth year, none have yet been identified seismically. To inform revised detectability estimates, we simulated numerically a suite of small impacts onto Martian regolith and characterized their seismic source properties. For the impactor size and velocity range most relevant for InSight, crater diameters are 1–30 m. We found that in this range scalar seismic moment is 106–1010 Nm and increases almost linearly with impact momentum. The ratio of horizontal to vertical seismic moment tensor components is ∼1, implying an almost isotropic P wave source, for vertical impacts. Seismic efficiencies are ∼10−6, dependent on the target crushing strength and impact velocity. Our predictions of relatively low seismic efficiency and seismic moment suggest that meteorite impact detectability on Mars is lower than previously assumed. Detection chances are best for impacts forming craters of diameter >10 m. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-14T11:33:52Z |
| format | Journal Article |
| id | curtin-20.500.11937-90198 |
| institution | Curtin University Malaysia |
| institution_category | Local University |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-14T11:33:52Z |
| publishDate | 2020 |
| publisher | AMER GEOPHYSICAL UNION |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | curtin-20.500.11937-901982023-02-22T00:55:52Z The Seismic Moment and Seismic Efficiency of Small Impacts on Mars Wójcicka, N. Collins, G.S. Bastow, I.D. Teanby, N.A. Miljkovic, Katarina Rajšić, Andrea Daubar, I. Lognonné, P. Science & Technology Physical Sciences Geochemistry & Geophysics impacts Mars seismic moment InSight seismic efficiency METEORITE IMPACTS CRATER FORMATION STRENGTH SIMULATIONS RADIATION POROSITY Since landing in late 2018, the InSight lander has been recording seismic signals on the surface of Mars. Despite nominal prelanding estimates of one to three meteorite impacts detected per Earth year, none have yet been identified seismically. To inform revised detectability estimates, we simulated numerically a suite of small impacts onto Martian regolith and characterized their seismic source properties. For the impactor size and velocity range most relevant for InSight, crater diameters are 1–30 m. We found that in this range scalar seismic moment is 106–1010 Nm and increases almost linearly with impact momentum. The ratio of horizontal to vertical seismic moment tensor components is ∼1, implying an almost isotropic P wave source, for vertical impacts. Seismic efficiencies are ∼10−6, dependent on the target crushing strength and impact velocity. Our predictions of relatively low seismic efficiency and seismic moment suggest that meteorite impact detectability on Mars is lower than previously assumed. Detection chances are best for impacts forming craters of diameter >10 m. 2020 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/90198 10.1029/2020JE006540 English http://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/DE180100584 http://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/DP180100661 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ AMER GEOPHYSICAL UNION fulltext |
| spellingShingle | Science & Technology Physical Sciences Geochemistry & Geophysics impacts Mars seismic moment InSight seismic efficiency METEORITE IMPACTS CRATER FORMATION STRENGTH SIMULATIONS RADIATION POROSITY Wójcicka, N. Collins, G.S. Bastow, I.D. Teanby, N.A. Miljkovic, Katarina Rajšić, Andrea Daubar, I. Lognonné, P. The Seismic Moment and Seismic Efficiency of Small Impacts on Mars |
| title | The Seismic Moment and Seismic Efficiency of Small Impacts on Mars |
| title_full | The Seismic Moment and Seismic Efficiency of Small Impacts on Mars |
| title_fullStr | The Seismic Moment and Seismic Efficiency of Small Impacts on Mars |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Seismic Moment and Seismic Efficiency of Small Impacts on Mars |
| title_short | The Seismic Moment and Seismic Efficiency of Small Impacts on Mars |
| title_sort | seismic moment and seismic efficiency of small impacts on mars |
| topic | Science & Technology Physical Sciences Geochemistry & Geophysics impacts Mars seismic moment InSight seismic efficiency METEORITE IMPACTS CRATER FORMATION STRENGTH SIMULATIONS RADIATION POROSITY |
| url | http://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/DE180100584 http://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/DE180100584 http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/90198 |