Moonquakes detect buried ice, seismic waves speed 2-3x faster

Seismic waves from moonquakes could reveal hidden water ice beneath the lunar surface, according to a study published in Science Advances on July 31, 2026. The research, led by scientists from the University of Maryland, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and the University of Hawaii, suggests that vibrations traveling through the ground can indicate the presence and amount of ice, which is crucial for future lunar missions.

NASA's Artemis program plans crewed missions to the moon's south polar region in 2028, where permanently shadowed craters may hold water ice. This ice could provide drinking water, oxygen, and rocket fuel for astronauts, reducing the need to transport supplies from Earth. Nicholas Schmerr, an associate professor at UMD and study co-author, said, "It's crucial to identify any materials on the moon that an astronaut can make use of while they're up there."

The study matters because current satellite instruments only detect ice in the topsoil, but much of it may be buried deeper. Seismic measurements can probe below the surface, as ice makes soil stiffer, causing waves to travel two to three times faster than through dry soil. Ice-rich areas also reflect seismic energy, creating echoes that seismometers can detect. Schmerr explained, "We can use seismic waves to not just see whether ice is present but also roughly how much of it there is."

The researchers tested this using three methods. Lead author Harrison Lisabeth, a rock physicist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, froze crushed volcanic rock resembling lunar dust and used X-rays to observe ice formation. Matthew Siegler of the University of Hawaii modeled temperatures at the south pole to identify craters cold enough to preserve ice for billions of years. Schmerr ran computer simulations of moonquakes through icy deposits. All approaches showed distinct seismic changes from ice.

Beyond supporting missions, lunar ice could hold clues about the early solar system. Schmerr noted that the moon's ancient rocks, about four billion years old, may preserve ice that reveals how water was delivered and how Earth's oceans formed. The research was funded by the U.S. Department of Energy and NASA.

China's Chang'e-7 mission, expected to land near Shackleton Crater in late 2026, will carry a seismometer near suspected ice deposits. In 2028, NASA's Artemis astronauts may deploy the Lunar Environmental Monitoring Station, an instrument Schmerr helped develop. Schmerr said, "Our findings are laying the groundwork for an observation we'll get in the next couple of years."