Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

science

Index – Tech-Science – We were first able to map the internal structure of Mars

Index - Tech-Science - We were first able to map the internal structure of Mars

Earthquakes detected by NASA’s space probe, InSight, have helped scientists decipher the red planet’s anatomy, estimate the size of its liquid metal core, the nature of its mantle, and the thickness of its crust.

The robotic geological probe InSight arrived at the Red Planet in 2018 with the aim of examining its structure. He recorded a total of seven hundred times the vibration of Mars with his instrument, with which scientists worked. The waves generated by the vibrations vary in speed and shape depending on the materials they pass inside the planet.

Mars seismometer (The small domed structure in the attached photo below) They recorded a volume of data from thirty-five earthquakes that allowed them to take a picture of the planet’s internal structure. This is the first time that the layers of another planet in the solar system have been explored. Scientists had a hard time because the probe was equipped with only one seismometer, and it was no bigger than a magnitude 4 earthquake on Mars.

Vibrations suitable for recording a successful amount of data were also between 3 and 4 intensities.

“The great significance of the discoveries is that for the first time we have been able to make real measurements of the dimensions and dimensions of the building blocks of Mars. Bruce Banerdt, Senior Fellow at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, NASA’s Planetary Research Institute, said about the discovery that, so far, we have only had comparisons with Earth, And theoretical calculations and indirect conclusions from other observations.

The core of Mars, the deepest geological layer, has been measured to be larger than previously thought, with a diameter of about 3,661 kilometers. Accordingly, the core, which consists mostly of iron and nickel, is less dense and contains a surprisingly high content of lighter elements such as sulfur, oxygen, carbon and hydrogen. According to NASA, the size and state of Mars’ core indicate that the Red Planet formed millions of years before Earth, at an age when the Sun was not fully formed.

The mantle of Mars extends between the crust and the core for a distance of about 1,561 kilometers below the surface, and its composition is also different from that of the Earth, and it is thinner than that of the Earth. From this it can be concluded that the fourth planet from the Sun was formed from materials other than the Earth. According to the research, this may also be the reason why plate-like tectonic plates do not develop on Mars.


Clouds will fly over NASA’s Insight probe on Mars in October 2019. With the small domed structure pictured, the probe has recorded hundreds of earthquakes.

Photo: NASA/JPL-Caltech

The crust of Mars, the outermost layer, is very old, and it is also very different geologically from planet Earth. The crust of our planet is cut into huge plates that move on the mantle, the rocky inner layer, this process is plate tectonics. In turn, the crust of Mars can be divided into up to three sublayers, depending on its thickness.

See also  Biden announced that the flag was back in the White House

“Since active tectonic plates do not exist on Mars, they do not resemble Earth. It also means that the crust of Mars is very old,” said seismologist Brigitte Knappmayer-Andron of the University of Cologne in a scientific journal on the internal structure of Mars published in the scientific journal Science. study Lead author.

The average crust of Mars is between 24 and 72 km, with the thinnest being the Yezidis influence basin and the thickest being the Tharsis basin. The difference between the two thicknesses is about a hundred kilometers.

Bannerdt said the new knowledge will help researchers test their current theories about the formation of Mars.

(Cover image: NASA’s Insight Marsh probe. Image: NASA)

Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

You May Also Like

Top News

In a harrowing incident that has shaken the community of Lewiston, Maine, a series of shootings on Wednesday evening resulted in a tragic loss...

Top News

President Joe Biden’s abrupt departure from a speech on the U.S. economy at the White House on Monday sent a ripple of speculation and...

Tech

A dangerous application appeared in the Apple App Store disguised as a known program. 24.hu reported the Based on TechCrunch article. Dangerous app in...

World

Chinese scientists have discovered a little-known type of ore containing a rare earth metal highly sought after for its superconducting properties. The ore, called...

Copyright © 2024 Campus Lately.