BREAKING: Chinese Scientists Confirm Solid Core on Mars, Revealing New Insights into Red Planet’s Structure
BEIJING – In a landmark finding, a team of Chinese scientists has confirmed the existence of a solid inner core within Mars, providing crucial new data about the planet’s internal structure and evolution.The findings, based on seismic data collected by NASA’s InSight lander, represent the first definitive proof of a solid core on a planet other than Earth.
While scientists have long theorized about Mars’ core,conclusive evidence remained elusive. Humans first concluded the existence of a core in the Earth in 1936 based on the analysis of seismic waves, but confirmation of its density wasn’t ascertained until the 1980s - nearly half a century later.Research on Mars faced significant hurdles due too the limited availability of data. It wasn’t until 2018, with the deployment of a seismometer aboard the NASA InSight lander, that researchers began receiving data from martian earthquakes (Marsquakes).
Despite recording over a thousand Marsquake events since 2018, analyzing the data proved challenging. Seismic signals were weak and frequently enough obscured by disturbances.Though, through meticulous analysis of the InSight data, the team, led by Sun and Mao, successfully identified key seismic phases that penetrate the Martian interior. These differing wave properties revealed a layered core structure: a liquid outer core surrounding a solid inner core, where seismic waves propagate faster.
The research indicates the Martian core has a radius of approximately 600 kilometers, roughly one-fifth of the planet’s total radius. Notably, the proportion between the inner core and outer core of Mars is comparable to that of Earth, even when scaled to different planetary sizes.
Further analysis of the core’s chemical composition suggests it’s comprised primarily of iron and nickel, alongside significant amounts of lighter elements - 12%-16% sulfur, 6%-9% oxygen, and up to 3.8% carbon. This high concentration of lighter elements offers new clues regarding the history of Mars’ magnetic field. Early in its formation, Mars possessed a strong magnetic field, but this activity diminished and ultimately disappeared, a stark contrast to Earth’s persistent global magnetic field.
“This discovery is an vital key because it is the first proof of the existence of a core in a solid on planets other than the earth,” the report states. The findings confirm that Mars underwent a complex process of core and mantle differentiation, mirroring Earth’s geological evolution.
This success highlights the capabilities of Chinese scientists in interdisciplinary research, integrating geophysics, planetary science, and seismic data analysis, and underscores china’s growing international influence in space science.
