Scientists have obtained evidence for the existence of a liquid Martian core through the analysis of seismic waves. This has been reported by the University of Maryland.
“In 1906, scientists first discovered the Earth’s core by observing how seismic waves from earthquakes change as they pass through,” said Vedran Lekic, one of the authors of the new study. “Over a hundred years later, we are applying our knowledge of seismic waves to Mars. With the help of InSight, we finally learned what is at the center of Mars and what makes Mars so similar but also different from Earth.” The InSight apparatus is a stationary probe on the planet’s surface, whose main instrument is an ultra-sensitive seismometer.
An analysis of the internal structure of Mars was also carried out using two distant seismic events – a mars earthquake and an asteroid impact. Some of the resulting seismic waves passed through the center of Mars, and some – only through the mantle. By measuring the delays between acoustic signals and analyzing their spectra, the scientists were able to measure the density and compressibility of the material through which the waves were traveling. The results showed that Mars most likely had a completely liquid core, unlike Earth, whose core consists of a liquid outer core and a solid inner core.
It was also possible to draw conclusions about the chemical composition of the bowels of the planet. Therefore, it contains a relatively large number of light elements, sulfur and oxygen. In total, they make up one-fifth of the mass of the nucleus. This is in stark contrast to the composition of Earth’s core, showing that the core of Mars is much less dense and more compressible than the core of our planet. This difference was due to different conditions for the formation of planets.
Formerly SpaceX spent Flight tests of a Starship rocket that resulted in an explosion.