Breakthrough Discovery: Scientists Unravel 50-Year-Old Mystery of Mars’ Surface

A new study might finally explain why Mars looks so different on each side. The northern part of Mars sits about 5 to 6 kilometers lower than the southern half. This difference in elevation and crust thickness is known as the “Martian dichotomy.” Scientists first noticed this in the 1970s when NASA’s Viking orbiter captured images of the planet’s unique features.

This recent research, published in Geophysical Research Letters, suggests that the reason for this divide might be related to heat inside Mars, not from collisions with other objects in space. By analyzing marsquake data from NASA’s InSight lander, researchers gained insights into the planet’s internal structure and processes.

According to the study, Mars once had moving tectonic plates like Earth. The movement of these plates, along with molten rock below the surface, could have shaped the planet’s crust. Eventually, when the plates stopped moving, Mars formed what scientists call a “stagnant lid” over its molten interior.

The researchers believe that heat from Mars’ interior caused convection, gradually altering the crust over billions of years. They also looked at Martian meteorites for clues about the planet’s composition and thermal history, further backing up their theory.

The southern highlands are old, filled with craters and show signs of magnetism from a time when Mars had a global magnetic field. In contrast, the northern lowlands are younger, less cratered, and show no signs of magnetism.

While these findings are exciting, the authors of the study emphasize that more data from future marsquakes and further comparative studies are needed to fully support their theory.

Additionally, a separate study from Harvard’s Paleomagnetics Lab, published last November, suggested that Mars’ magnetic field may have lasted longer than we thought, potentially up to 3.9 billion years ago. This is significant since it overlaps with the time when the Martian surface likely had water, making it a more inviting place for life in the past.

These insights into Mars’ geological history and magnetic properties continue to paint a complex picture of a planet that once might have supported life.

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