Researchers propose seismic model to map Moon ice to 800m
Scientists from Maryland, Berkeley Lab, and Hawaii have proposed a new way to find water ice buried deep under the moon's surface.
By studying how seismic waves move through lunar soil, their model can simulate the Moon's subsurface to depths of roughly 800 meters, something older methods could not do.
This breakthrough could make future moon missions much more self-sufficient.
Missions could confirm Moon ice resources
Unlike previous technology that only scans the top layer, this method checks for deeper ice by seeing if seismic waves speed up or echo differently when hitting frozen spots.
If confirmed by upcoming missions like China's Chang'e-7 in 2026 and NASA's Artemis in 2028, this could mean astronauts get drinking water, oxygen, and fuel right from the moon, significantly reducing the amount of material astronauts would need to carry from Earth.