---
title: "Over 10,000 Faults: Scientists Explain Why the Moon is Shrinking Rapidly"
description: "Scientists have found that due to continuous core cooling over the past 400-800 million years, the Moon's radius has decreased by 45 meters, forming over 10,000 faults on its surface."
date: 2026-10-24T16:14:42.627Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/over-10000-faults-why-moon-is-shrinking
tags: [moon, space, astronomy, science, geology, solar-system]
author: "Alexander Buran"
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Over 10,000 Faults: Scientists Explain Why the Moon is Shrinking Rapidly

![View of craters and faults on the lunar surface against the backdrop of Earth in space](https://xab.info/media/2026/10/24/bolee-10-tysyach-razlomov-pochemu-luna-szhimaetsya/bolee-10-tysyach-razlomov-pochemu-luna-szhimaetsya-1.webp)

## Key Points

- The Moon is continuously shrinking due to interior cooling over 4.5 billion years.
- Over the past 400-800 million years, the satellite's radius has decreased by about 45 meters.
- More than 10,000 young faults and cracks have been discovered on the lunar surface.
- The lunar crust consists of a single solid shell, causing faults to be distributed randomly.

The Moon continues to shrink gradually due to the continuous cooling of its interior, a process that has been underway for about 4.5 billion years. Recent scientific research published in The Planetary Science Journal has allowed scientists to assess in detail the scale of this process and how much Earth's natural satellite has reduced in size over the past hundreds of millions of years.

### Analysis of Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Images

Researchers conducted a detailed analysis of high-resolution images captured by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC). During their work, more than 10,000 young faults, cracks, and tectonic deformations were recorded on the lunar surface. Based on these data, geologists calculated that over the past 400–800 million years, the overall radius of the Moon has decreased by approximately 45 meters.

According to scientists, as the internal interior continues to cool, the formation of new faults and the growth of existing structures persist to this day. Among the identified surface deformations, researchers documented 8,900 lobate scarps—long curved structures resulting from crustal compression—and 2,000 small ridges located within the dark maria plains of the satellite.

### Characteristics of Lunar Tectonics and Crust

The tectonic activity of Earth's satellite differs fundamentally from terrestrial processes. While Earth's lithosphere is divided into approximately 15 massive tectonic plates, the lunar crust consists of a single solid shell. Consequently, cracks and faults do not concentrate along plate boundaries but are randomly distributed across the entire surface of the planetary body as a result of global global contraction.

Cartographic analysis demonstrated that the density of faults varies significantly across different regions of the Moon. In areas with a thicker crust, fewer cracks were recorded because in early history the robust rock layer better retained internal heat and delayed cooling. Instead, massive fault formation in those regions occurred later when internal cooling reached new stages.

### Significance of the Cosmic Discovery for Science

The findings are of fundamental importance for understanding the evolution of not only the Moon but also other planetary bodies in the Solar System. Studying modern tectonic processes allows scientists to model more accurately the history of internal changes in cosmic objects lacking Earth-style plate tectonics. Further observations using automated orbiters will help refine the satellite's contraction rate and predict the emergence of new geological structures.

## Fact-Check & Sources

- [Более 10 тысяч разломов: почему Луна стремительно сжимается](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/ponad-10-tisyach-rozlomiv-chomu-misyats-strimko-1792493017.html) - The primary source fully supports all presented facts regarding lunar research, the number of faults, radius reduction, and tectonic specifics.

## FAQ

### Why is the Moon shrinking in size?

The Moon is shrinking due to the gradual and continuous cooling of its interior, which has been ongoing for roughly 4.5 billion years.

### How much has the Moon's radius decreased?

According to researchers, over the past 400–800 million years, the Moon's radius has decreased by approximately 45 meters.

### How many faults were discovered on the satellite?

Scientists discovered more than 10,000 young faults on the lunar surface, including 8,900 lobate scarps and 2,000 ridges.