Study: Scientists Discover Temperature Difference in Mars' Depths

A new study conducted in the United States has revealed new findings about the internal structure of Mars. An international research team led by the University of Arizona and the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) in the U.S. has identified a previously unknown significant temperature difference in the planet's depths.

Researchers examined decades of gravitational data obtained from the Mars Global Surveyor, Mars Odyssey, and Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter missions. Analyses revealed that the mantle beneath Mars' southern hemisphere is 200 to 400 degrees Celsius warmer than the northern hemisphere. It is assessed that this region may be partially molten.

'THE INTERNAL STRUCTURE OF PLANETS IS NOT ALWAYS PERFECTLY SYMMETRICAL 

The lead author of the study, Dr. Alexander Berne, stated that thanks to gravitational data, three-dimensional internal structure maps of planets can be created, adding, "Scientists often assume that the internal structures of planets have a spherical symmetry, but we see that this is not always true. Understanding the internal dynamics of planets allows us to illuminate their formation and evolution processes," he said.

'MAY SHED LIGHT ON MARS' PAST WATER HISTORY'

Researchers reported that the obtained data could help explain the intense magnetic field differences in the south of Mars and the seismic wave movements detected by NASA's 'InSight' vehicle.

Amirhossein Bagheri, a co-author of the study and a researcher at Caltech, noted that this temperature imbalance between the north and south contains critical clues about Mars' past hydrological structure and the evolution of liquid water thought to have existed on the surface at one time. Scientists stated that the temperature difference in question may have been caused by a large meteorite impact or the trapping of heat by thick geological structures.