Study: Lava tubes on moon and mars are 1,000 times larger than those on earth

Besides, the tunnels are thought to be more stable on Moon or Mars because of lower gravity. Comparatively due to high gravity, such tubes on Earth could collapse. The scientists also measured the size of collapsed tubes on the Moon and the red planet. They did it with the help of images and other data taken from visiting probes. To understand the relationship between collapsed and stable caves, they compared that data with information about caved-in tubes on Earth.

The team found that the tunnels on other worlds would grow much bigger before crumbling due to atmospheric and other conditions. "Tubes as wide as these can be longer than 40 kilometres, making the Moon an extraordinary target for subsurface exploration and potential settlement in the wide protected and stable environments of lava tubes," reported Independent quoting Riccardo Pozzobon, one of the researchers on the paper.

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