Scientists have developed a new method that could help detect hidden water ice beneath the Moonโs surface by studying how seismic waves travel through frozen lunar soil.
The research was carried out by geologists from the University of Maryland, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and the University of Hawaii. Their findings were published in Science Advances.
Water ice may be buried inside the Moonโs permanently shadowed polar craters, especially near the south pole. These areas are extremely cold and receive little or no sunlight, allowing ice and other volatile materials to remain preserved for billions of years.
Detecting this ice is important for future lunar exploration. NASAโs Artemis program aims to send astronauts to the Moonโs south polar region, where local resources could support long-term missions.
If lunar ice can be found and used, it could provide drinking water for astronauts. It could also be split into oxygen for breathing and hydrogen for rocket fuel, reducing the amount of supplies that must be transported from Earth.
However, the exact amount and location of lunar ice remain uncertain. Orbital spacecraft can detect signs of surface or near-surface ice, but deeper deposits may remain hidden beyond the reach of instruments operating from above.
The new study suggests that seismic waves could provide a better way to search below the surface. These waves, similar to those recorded during earthquakes, travel differently through dry soil and frozen soil.
Ice makes soil stiffer, allowing vibrations to move two to three times faster than they do through dry material. Ice-rich areas may also reflect seismic energy, producing signals similar to echoes.
To test the idea, the researchers used three approaches. First, they studied crushed volcanic rock from Arizona that closely resembles lunar soil. The material was frozen, and X-ray imaging was used to observe how ice formed inside tiny spaces between the grains.
Second, the team created temperature models of the Moonโs south polar region to identify craters cold enough to preserve ice for billions of years.
Third, they simulated small moonquakes traveling through buried ice deposits. Across the laboratory tests, thermal modeling, and computer simulations, the presence of ice produced clear seismic signatures.
These findings suggest that seismometers placed on the Moon could help detect not only whether ice is present, but also estimate how much may be buried underground.
Lunar ice is valuable not only for exploration but also for science. Because the Moon preserves ancient materials, ice trapped in permanently shadowed regions may hold clues about how water reached the inner solar system and how Earthโs oceans may have formed.
Future missions could soon test the prediction. Chinaโs Changโe-7 mission is expected to carry a seismometer near Shackleton Crater, while NASAโs Artemis astronauts may later deploy seismic instruments designed for lunar exploration.
If these instruments detect the predicted seismic signals, scientists may gain a powerful new tool for mapping hidden ice on the Moon.
The study provides an important first step toward locating buried lunar water resources and understanding the ancient history preserved in the Moonโs coldest regions.
Journal Reference:
Lisabeth, H. P., Schmerr, N., & Siegler, M. (2026). The seismic signature of lunar ice. Science Advances. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adz7220