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NASA's InSight finds that earthquakes triggered by meteorites on Mars go deeper than expected.

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By Surendra Uikey

 

An impact crater captured by the HiRISE camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter on March 4, 2021, was linked to a quake detected by NASA’s InSight lander, located in the seismically active Cerberus Fossae region of Mars.



Looks like Mars isn't just red; it’s also full of surprises! Scientists recently made a jaw-dropping discovery on the Red Planet, all thanks to the magic combo of artificial intelligence (AI) and seismic data from NASA’s InSight lander. In a groundbreaking study published on February 3, 2025, they uncovered a new crater—and, more impressively, the seismic waves from a meteoroid impact were able to travel deeper into Mars than anyone ever thought possible. Who knew Mars was so deep?


Here’s the kicker: these seismic waves didn't just jolt the Martian surface. They shook the planet’s mantle—yes, that mysterious layer beneath the crust that no one thought was easily accessible. This discovery has forced scientists to rewrite their seismic travel guide for Mars, revealing a "seismic highway" that allows energy to penetrate much deeper than expected. Talk about a plot twist!


So, how did this all come about? Well, after an epic collision with a space rock that created a crater 71 feet wide (about the size of a small swimming pool), the seismic waves were detected by InSight's seismometer—Mars’ very first. InSight, which was operating until 2022, had already recorded over 1,300 marsquakes (yes, Mars is rocking and rolling), but this recent impact was the one that truly shook things up. And here's where the techy magic happens: AI came into play, scanning thousands of images to identify this fresh crater. It helped pinpoint 123 potential new craters, with 49 matching the seismic data. Can AI really do it all? Apparently, yes.


The AI tools, developed at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, worked faster than a human could say "Martian mysteries" and saved scientists years of manual work. By pairing AI’s speed with images from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) and seismic data, researchers could finally connect the dots. Think of it as the ultimate space detective work—except this time, the detective is a machine.


Valentin Bickel from the University of Bern, who’s part of the InSight team, pointed out that AI has been a game-changer in planetary science. From discovering landslides to spotting dust devils, AI is enabling faster, more efficient discoveries. And the Mars mantle? Well, that’s just one of the many new frontiers being unlocked by AI’s incredible capabilities.


But this research isn’t just a cool tech story—it’s also a big step toward understanding Mars' interior. By analyzing these seismic signals, scientists are refining their models of the planet’s geological activity. Plus, even though InSight retired in 2022, it’s still providing valuable data—proving that, just like any true legend, it refuses to fade into obscurity.


In short, AI is transforming the way we explore and understand Mars, making this ancient rocky world a little less mysterious—and a lot more fascinating. So, who knows what other surprises are waiting in the Martian depths? Keep your eyes on the skies; Mars is getting its very own geological makeover, one seismic wave at a time.



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