NASA scientists have uncovered a significant geological feature inside Mars using data from the now-retired InSight lander: massive lumps of rocky debris buried deep in the planet’s mantle, remnants of ancient planetary impacts more than four billion years ago.
The newly published study, based on seismic data collected from eight deep marsquakes, identifies scattered anomalies (some up to 2.5 miles across) embedded in the Martian interior.
The observations suggest that Mars’ mantle still bears physical scars from a tumultuous early history marked by numerous protoplanetary collisions.
Why It Matters
The study reveals that Mars’ interior has remained largely unchanged since its early formation, preserving features that would have been erased on a geologically active planet, such as Earth.
Unlike Earth, which has plate tectonics that recycle crustal and mantle material over time, Mars lacks this dynamic process. This means ancient formations remain intact, providing scientists with a clearer picture of the planet’s geological history.
What To Know
The InSight mission, which deployed a highly sensitive seismometer on Mars in 2018 and operated until 2022, recorded more than 1,300 marsquakes.
These seismic signals allowed researchers to measure changes in wave speeds as they traveled through the Martian crust and mantle, helping to map the Red Planet’s interior with unprecedented clarity.
The findings stem from high-frequency seismic signals captured during impacts and quakes that propagated deep into the Martian mantle, a solid rock layer that stretches nearly 960 miles below the surface.
These seismic waves were noticeably delayed as they passed through certain localized regions, indicating a change in material density and composition.
“We knew Mars was a time capsule bearing records of its early formation, but we didn’t anticipate just how clearly we’d be able to see with InSight,” said co-author Tom Pike of Imperial College London.
“When we first saw this in our quake data, we thought the slowdowns were happening in the Martian crust. But then we noticed that the farther seismic waves travel through the mantle, the more these high-frequency signals were being delayed.”
Advanced computer models helped the research team confirm that these irregularities were the result of foreign rocky material, likely delivered by ancient space collisions, now embedded deep beneath the planet’s surface.
What People Are Saying
Constantinos Charalambous, the paper’s lead author, said in a statement: “We’ve never seen the inside of a planet in such fine detail and clarity before.
“What we’re seeing is a mantle studded with ancient fragments. Their survival to this day tells us Mars’ mantle has evolved sluggishly over billions of years. On Earth, features like these may well have been largely erased.”
What’s Next
With InSight’s mission concluded in 2022, scientists will continue mining its seismic dataset for further insights. The mission’s discoveries have already redefined conventional understanding of Mars’ crust, mantle, and core.
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