New York (Web Desk): Scientists have identified more than 10,000 relatively young fault lines and cracks on the Moon’s surface, revealing important details about its shrinking process.
A study published on October 14, 2026, in The Planetary Science Journal presents the most detailed estimate yet of the Moon’s reduction in size.
According to the research, the Moon’s radius has decreased by approximately 45 metres over the past 400 million to 800 million years. If its shrinking rate is assumed to have remained constant, its radius would be decreasing by around 6 to 11 centimetres every million years.
The research team, led by Thomas R. Watters of the Center for Earth and Planetary Studies at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, analysed images and observations captured by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) camera operated by NASA.
Researchers mapped thousands of geological features known as lobate scarps and small mare ridges. These formations develop as a result of stress and contraction forces acting on the lunar surface.
The study found that these features are spread across extensive areas of the Moon, including highland regions and flat plains. This indicates that structures associated with lunar contraction are widespread rather than confined to a particular region.