Volcanic activity in the upper mantle causes 'marsquakes'

Researchers from the Australian National University and the Chinese Academy of Sciences found 47 previously

undetected tremors in the area of faults known as Cerberus Fossae on Mars.Scientists suggest that the cause of these "marsquakes" was the activity of magma in the Martian mantle.

The furrows of Cerberus are a seismically active region onthe red planet, which is a system of faults in the Elysian Highlands. Scientists believe that the age of this territory is less than 20 million years.

The researchers used the data obtainedseismograph of NASA's InSight lander in 2018. Scientists have developed a unique algorithm based on the matched filter method and Benford's law. Analysis of the data obtained for 350 sols (Martian days) showed traces of previously unnoticed "marsquakes".

Seismologists note that the discovered seismic events were relatively small, caused mild shaking of the Martian surface, and would hardly have been felt if they had occurred on Earth.However, the recurring events in the same zone at different times of the day show that seismic activity on Mars is greater than previously thought.

Cerberus furrows. Image: NASA, JPL-Caltech, University of Arizona

The findings, according to the researchers, indicate that magma in the Martian mantle is still active, and it is this magma that causes theThe study refutes previous notions that seismic activity on Mars is caused by tectonic forces.

Convection (the movement of flows) in planetary mantles, the researchers note, contributes to heat exchange at the core-mantle interface, which, among other things, leads toto the formation of a magnetic field.

"Seismic activity on Mars indirectlyhelps us understand whether convection is occurring inside the planet. And, if this convection occurs, which seems to be confirmed by our findings, then there must be another reason that prevents the formation of a magnetic field, ”says Hrvoe Tkalcic, a geophysicist from the Australian National University Research School of Earth Sciences, one of the authors of the study.

The existence of life on Earth is possible onlythanks to the magnetic field of our planet, which protects us from cosmic radiation, scientists say. Understanding the nature of the magnetic field of Mars, its development and at what point it disappeared is critical to Martian missions and plans to colonize the planet.

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