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How SEIS measures ground motion
SEIS—the Seismic Experiment for Interior Structure—was lowered from the lander onto the surface, rather than left on the lander’s deck. A dome-shaped wind and thermal shield covered it. NASA describes the instrument as waiting to sense seismic waves from marsquakes and thumps from meteorite impacts.
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The instrument combined six sensors in two groups of three. Their different frequency ranges and orientations let them register motion in multiple directions:
- Very-broad-band sensors measured lower-frequency oscillations.
- Short-period sensors measured higher-frequency vibration, up to 50 cycles per second, according to NASA/JPL’s InSight Landing Press Kit.
When the ground moves, those sensors record the motion as a signal. That recording is evidence to analyze, not automatic proof that an earthquake occurred: other sources can also shake the instrument or complicate its readings.
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How scientists tell a marsquake signal from noise
Wind and atmospheric activity can move the surface or introduce vibrations that reach SEIS. The shield reduced the instrument’s exposure, but NASA reported that wind could still obscure some marsquakes. Researchers considered environmental measurements and the characteristics of the recorded signal when interpreting a possible event.
The connection between the lander and the seismometer presented another challenge. Temperature swings caused the cable to expand and contract, producing popping sounds and spikes in the data. In March 2021, the lander began placing soil over the cable to help insulate it from wind and temperature variation.
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What seismic waves reveal about Mars
Once scientists identify a usable seismic signal, they can study how its waves travel through the planet. Waves change as they pass through different materials and encounter boundaries between layers. Those changes help researchers infer properties of Mars’s crust, mantle and core.
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What InSight detected—and what the counts mean
NASA reported that SEIS recorded its first likely marsquake signal on April 6, 2019, the mission’s 128th Martian day, or sol. NASA announced the signal on April 23 and said scientists were still examining its cause. The cautious wording reflects the difficulty of separating faint seismic signals from non-seismic sources such as wind.
NASA’s InSight Science Highlights page reports that SEIS measured over 1,300 seismic events. More than 50 had signals clear enough for the team to derive information about their location. Those figures distinguish the broader set of recorded events from the smaller number with sufficiently clear signals for location analysis; they do not mean every recorded event was confirmed as a marsquake.
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Sources
- NASA Science: InSight Science Instruments
- NASA/JPL: InSight Landing Press Kit | Science
- NASA Science: NASA’s InSight Detects First Likely “Quake” on Mars
- NASA/JPL: NASA’s InSight Detects Two Sizable Quakes on Mars
- NASA Science: InSight Science Highlights
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