Scientists at the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in India have discovered that the movement of tectonic plates, which cause quakes on Earth, could possibly occur on the moon as well.

Saumitra Mukherjee, a geology professor at JNU's School of Environmental Sciences, and his student Priyadarshini Singh, studied photographs of the moon's surface captured using the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera and the Narrow Angle camera aboard the Chandrayaan-1, India's first lunar probe.

The researchers found evidence that the moon also has tectonic plates under its surface. This suggests that Earth's natural satellite also experiences quakes whenever these plates collide with one another.

"Tectonic plates at surface move due to mantle layer of Earth's core and the movement of tectonic plates on moon establish that some material in liquid form is present under its surface too," Mukherjee explained.

"In this way, we can perceptually conclude that moon also have a core. Then it is also possible the structure of moon is similar to Earth."

Mukherjee added that these findings provide scientists with an opportunity to conduct a comparative study of tectonic activity on Earth and the moon.

While there isn't yet a proven method with which to predict earthquakes, Mukherjee believes that a comparison of how tectonic plates move on both Earth and the moon could help lead researchers develop a way of identifying the next tremor to occur.

Earth scientists have long analyzed the movement of plates beneath the planet's surface in order to accurately forecast earthquake occurrences.

Various scientific procedures have been developed to predict when and where a major quake could potentially happen in a general sense, but studies have not been able to provide a precise timing or location.

A recent study conducted by researchers at Anglia Ruskin University in the United Kingdom explored the possibility of using animal behavior as a means to predict when an earthquake will occur.

The JNU researchers received assistance from the Space Application Centre in Ahmedabad in conducting the study. The center is part of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) which manages the Chandrayaan-1 lunar mission.

This study is featured in the journal Frontiers in Earth Science.

Photo: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center | Flickr