moonquake

[ moon-kweyk ]

noun

1. a seismic vibration of the moon's surface.

moonquake

/ ˈmuːnˌkweɪk /

noun

1. a light tremor of the moon, detected on the moon's surface

Word History and Origins

Origin of moonquake¹

First recorded in 1935–40; moon + (earth)quake

Example Sentences

Onodera inspected each one to confirm it had the expected seismic shape of a moonquake.

From Science Magazine

Some of the first seismic waves detected after a moonquake are scattered by this layer, and the scatter obscures later-arriving waves that could provide more information about the depths of the Moon.

From Science Daily

"It could be some space debris - such as a meteorite or an asteroid - hitting the surface. Or it could be seismic which would make it the first Moonquake recorded since the 1970s. In that case, this could lead to an explanation of what's under the Moon's surface and its geography."

From BBC

But a new look at thermal earthquake data recorded by instruments from the Apollo 17 mission has unveiled a fifth and unexpected type of moonquake—one that emanates from the Apollo 17 lunar lander base itself.

From Scientific American

Eight of the moonquake epicenters were within this distance, which strongly suggested that the quakes were created by the young faults.

From New York Times