Researchers have introduced a novel approach to locating frozen water beneath the lunar surface by analyzing seismic wave behavior in moon rocks. Water is essential for long-term human presence on the Moon, and although recent data indicates ice near the poles, the exact locations of major underground reserves remain uncertain. Identifying these deposits is a key goal for upcoming robotic and human missions.
Published in Science Advances, this collaborative study from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, the University of Maryland, and the University of Hawaii, highlights seismology’s promise for detecting subsurface ice by distinguishing how frozen versus dry lunar materials transmit seismic waves.
Simulating Lunar Conditions in the Lab
The experiment utilized the Frozen Regolith Observation and Sublimation Testbed (FROST), a cryogenic vacuum chamber developed at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. This device replicates the Moon’s low-pressure, frigid environment and is connected to the Advanced Light Source facility, where X-ray microtomography scans detailed structural changes in rock samples.
In initial tests, Harrison Lisabeth and Nicholas Schmerr examined synthetic lunar soil crafted by NASA’s Johnson Space Center. This simulant closely mimics actual regolith, enabling observation of ice content impacts on internal lunar soil structure under simulated moonlike conditions.
The findings demonstrated clear distinctions in how icy versus dry regolith respond to seismic waves. Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory described these results as crucial rock physics data to better interpret lunar subsurface dynamics during seismic surveys.
“When NASA scientists want to perform geological surveys on the moon, they will need rock physics models to understand the fundamentals of how the subsurface behaves,” Lisabeth said. “But we didn’t have very good models until now because materials behave weirdly in the high vacuum and super cold environment of the moon.”
Unified Model Integrates Multiple Approaches
These lab measurements became a foundation for a comprehensive modeling strategy. Matthew Siegler contributed satellite observation-based models to forecast where significant ice reserves might be stable beneath the surface over long time periods without sublimating.
Meanwhile, Nicholas Schmerr developed seismic wave propagation simulations for various subterranean materials. These were then merged with FROST’s rock physics results to form an integrated framework.
The study released in Science Advances indicates this combined model can simulate up to roughly 800 meters underground. Findings suggest that different buried ice forms produce unique seismic wave patterns, offering actionable insights for future lunar seismic exploration.
NASA's VIPER Mission to Validate Models
Researchers intend to utilize this framework during NASA’s Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover (VIPER) mission, which will investigate the Moon's south pole with instruments designed to detect water ice.
One key tool is a drill that generates seismic waves while collecting samples. Additionally, VIPER’s navigation accelerometers double as seismic sensors, measuring how short-wavelength waves travel beneath the lunar surface.
“Our model provides testable hypotheses to design seismic experiments looking for water on the Moon,” explained Schmerr. “We plan to use it when VIPER is delivered to the moon in the near future.”
Siegler noted another advantage of the mission: while VIPER’s instruments can identify ice within about one meter of the surface, the seismic waves triggered during drilling may reveal ice deposits far deeper. This method could provide the first direct examination of the Moon’s near-surface layers with this technique.
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