NASA's InSight 'Hears' Peculiar Sounds on Mars

The seismometer on the Mars InSight lander listens for marsquakes, but it also picks up the sound of wind gusts and even the noises made by the moving parts of the lander and expansion/contraction of the equipment:

On March 6, 2019, a camera on InSight's robotic arm was scanning the surface in front of the lander. Each movement of the arm produces what to SEIS is a piercing noise.

Wind gusts can also create noise. The team is always on the hunt for quakes, but they've found the twilight hours are one of the best times to do so. During the day, sunlight warms the air and creates more wind interference than at night.

Evening is also when peculiar sounds that the InSight team has nicknamed "dinks and donks" become more prevalent. The team knows they're coming from delicate parts within the seismometer expanding and contracting against one another and thinks heat loss may be the factor, similar to how a car engine "ticks" after it's turned off and begins cooling.

Actual marsquakes have also been picked up by the seismometer. Here are the "sounds" of two of them (sped up and processed so we can hear them):

soundcloud.com...
soundcloud.com...

Quakes and other seismic events on Mars can also (sort of simila to the Moon) ring on for a much longer time than on Earth. For the Moon, it is thought that's because the Moon is more monolithic/solid while the Earth is fractured and spongey, due to the weathering and water seepage through Earth's crust and mantel. So while a seismic event or impact event on the solid Moon vibrates on and on like a bell long after the actual event, seismic events on earth are quickly dampened by Earth's fractured structure. Think of how a tuning fork vibrates a long time but a cracked tuning fork does not.

Mars also has longer-lasting vibrations from seismic events that can last several minutes, as opposed to only a few seconds on Earth. I wonder what that can tell us about the structure of Mars?

Mars, with its cratered surface, is slightly more Moon-like, with seismic waves ringing for a minute or so, whereas quakes on Earth can come and go in seconds.

Here is the full article:

NASA's InSight 'Hears' Peculiar Sounds on Mars

I was hoping for animal howls, or insect buzzing...

originally posted by: Lazarus Short
I was hoping for animal howls, or insect buzzing...

Tweeter chatter can be heard by rover.

a reply to: Soylent Green Is People

I wonder if the reason the vibrations from quakes on Mars could be due to it not being as compact/dense as Earth? Or vice versa...I seriously have no idea and it may be a dumb idea, but...oh well...you don't learn if you don't as questions or pose theories, right?!

a reply to: Lazarus Short

Me too...but do you think "they" would actually let us know or see that??

originally posted by: ScrazzleBerry3
a reply to: Lazarus Short

Me too...but do you think "they" would actually let us know or see that??

I agree. Consider...We hear and see these things WAAAY after the govs had there "meet and greets" with whatever it is or isn't. We know that's the case.

So really, how much do they know, what more do they know, what's proving true...we get the basics with "live streams", "real-time"...even "date-time stamps" pics and digital info as "presentable to the public".

We know that anything's possible with digital and other forms of manipulation...keeping us the last to hear any truth.
Thanx!

Am i missing something, whats 'peculiar' about the sound of metal contracting or expanding?

Evening is also when peculiar sounds that the InSight team has nicknamed "dinks and donks" become more prevalent. The team knows they're coming from delicate parts within the seismometer expanding and contracting against one another and thinks heat loss may be the factor, similar to how a car engine "ticks" after it's turned off and begins cooling.

Sorry. Had broccoli for lunch.

originally posted by: Soylent Green Is People

Mars also has longer-lasting vibrations from seismic events that can last several minutes, as opposed to only a few seconds on Earth. I wonder what that can tell us about the structure of Mars?

Maybe if's from large amounts of underground aquifers...

originally posted by: CraftyArrow

originally posted by: Soylent Green Is People

Mars also has longer-lasting vibrations from seismic events that can last several minutes, as opposed to only a few seconds on Earth. I wonder what that can tell us about the structure of Mars?

Maybe if's from large amounts of underground aquifers...

Riddled with high-speed train tunnels.

originally posted by: CraftyArrow

originally posted by: Soylent Green Is People

Mars also has longer-lasting vibrations from seismic events that can last several minutes, as opposed to only a few seconds on Earth. I wonder what that can tell us about the structure of Mars?

Maybe if's from large amounts of underground aquifers...

I'm no seismologist, but I think aquifers would serve to dampen a vibration more than would solid ground.

a reply to: Soylent Green Is People

I would bet it depends on what your looking for.

it could also be from frozen water cracking, shifting etc...

No telling, I haven't been to Mars yet.