The SEIS seismograph of the InSight automatic station recorded three new earthquakes in August and September 2021. Scientists say that they have become one of the most powerful and longest in the life of the device, and it is more than 1,000 salts (Martian days).
NASA has already identified the place where the “summer” earthquakes occurred. It is noted that one of the August aftershocks occurred at a surprisingly long distance from the station. The root cause and location of the third earthquake are still unclear.
To date, the InSight station has been operating on Mars for 1,005 Martian days, which is 300 sol longer than originally planned. On September 18, 2021, on its thousandth salt, the radar recorded one of the most powerful and long-lasting earthquakes lasting an hour and a half. According to preliminary estimates, its value was 4.2. This is the third major seismic event detected by the station in a month – on August 25, a seismograph recorded two earthquakes of magnitude 4.2 and 4.1. The source of the September shocks has yet to be determined, NASA concluded.