Interior of Mars - Revision history

RichardWSmith: /* Overview of Layers */ fixed typo.

2025-07-29T17:44:20Z

Overview of Layers: fixed typo.

RichardWSmith: /* Overview of Layers */ Convection needed for a dynamo

2025-07-29T17:43:41Z

Overview of Layers: Convection needed for a dynamo

RichardWSmith: /* Overview of Layers */ Added Ref.

2025-07-29T17:42:02Z

Overview of Layers: Added Ref.

Michel Lamontagne: added reference to earth core density

2021-08-02T13:27:09Z

added reference to earth core density

Michel Lamontagne at 13:24, 2 August 2021

2021-08-02T13:24:36Z

Michel Lamontagne at 13:21, 2 August 2021

2021-08-02T13:21:41Z

Michel Lamontagne at 13:19, 2 August 2021

2021-08-02T13:19:08Z

Michel Lamontagne at 13:13, 2 August 2021

2021-08-02T13:13:16Z

RichardWSmith: Created page.

2021-08-01T05:36:03Z

Created page.

New page

Until the [[InSight Mission]] we only had guesses of what the interior of Mars was like. However, with InSight, we are beginning to get limited data of the interior of Mars. Our information will greatly increase, when we have several seismographs on Mars since we will then have more than one 'view' of Martian earthquakes.

== Overview of Layers ==
Mars probably has a 24 to 72 km thick crust. This crust is very light, and seems to be highly fractured. The crust of Mars is likely highly enriched with radioactive metals, which results in less heating lower down.<ref>https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/714311</ref> <ref>https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/876661</ref>

It has a very deep lithosphere which is close to 500 km thick. Like, Earth, as you go deeper the mantle becomes less rigid, and softer. The mantle has only one layer rather than Earth's two layers.

The core of Mars is liquid, and larger than expected. ~1830 km. The core is less dense, likely it has more sulphur, oxygen and even hydrogen than Earth's core. These other elements, make the Marian core conduct more poorly which is consistent with Mars' extremely weak magnetic field. <ref>https://science.sciencemag.org/content/373/6553/443</ref>

== References ==

@@ Line 6: / Line 6: @@
 It has a very deep lithosphere which is close to 500 km thick.  Like Earth, as you go deeper the mantle becomes less rigid and softer.  The mantle has only one layer, rather than Earth's two layers.
-The core of Mars is liquid, and larger than expected at ~1830 km.<ref>https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/nasas-insight-reveals-the-deep-interior-of-mars/</ref>  The core is less dense, at 5.7-6.3 g/cm3, than Earth's at 9.9-12.2 g/cm3 .  Likely it has more [[sulfur]], [[oxygen]] and even [[hydrogen]] than Earth's core.  These other elements make the Marian core less conductive than Earth's, which is consistent with Mars' extremely weak [[Magnetosphere|magnetic field]]. <ref>https://science.sciencemag.org/content/373/6553/443</ref>. If the Martian core was liquid, but not conducting, this would also explain no magnetic field.
+The core of Mars is liquid, and larger than expected at ~1830 km.<ref>https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/nasas-insight-reveals-the-deep-interior-of-mars/</ref>  The core is less dense, at 5.7-6.3 g/cm3, than Earth's at 9.9-12.2 g/cm3 .  Likely it has more [[sulfur]], [[oxygen]] and even [[hydrogen]] than Earth's core.  These other elements make the Marian core less conductive than Earth's, which is consistent with Mars' extremely weak [[Magnetosphere|magnetic field]]. <ref>https://science.sciencemag.org/content/373/6553/443</ref>. If the Martian core was liquid, but not convecting, this would also explain no magnetic field.
 ==References==
 <references />

@@ Line 6: / Line 6: @@
 It has a very deep lithosphere which is close to 500 km thick.  Like Earth, as you go deeper the mantle becomes less rigid and softer.  The mantle has only one layer, rather than Earth's two layers.
-The core of Mars is liquid, and larger than expected at ~1830 km.<ref>https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/nasas-insight-reveals-the-deep-interior-of-mars/</ref>  The core is less dense, at 5.7-6.3 g/cm3, than Earth's at 9.9-12.2 g/cm3 .  Likely it has more [[sulfur]], [[oxygen]] and even [[hydrogen]] than Earth's core.  These other elements make the Marian core less conductive than Earth's, which is consistent with Mars' extremely weak [[Magnetosphere|magnetic field]]. <ref>https://science.sciencemag.org/content/373/6553/443</ref>
+The core of Mars is liquid, and larger than expected at ~1830 km.<ref>https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/nasas-insight-reveals-the-deep-interior-of-mars/</ref>  The core is less dense, at 5.7-6.3 g/cm3, than Earth's at 9.9-12.2 g/cm3 .  Likely it has more [[sulfur]], [[oxygen]] and even [[hydrogen]] than Earth's core.  These other elements make the Marian core less conductive than Earth's, which is consistent with Mars' extremely weak [[Magnetosphere|magnetic field]]. <ref>https://science.sciencemag.org/content/373/6553/443</ref>. If the Martian core was liquid, but not conducting, this would also explain no magnetic field.
 ==References==
 <references />

@@ Line 6: / Line 6: @@
 It has a very deep lithosphere which is close to 500 km thick.  Like Earth, as you go deeper the mantle becomes less rigid and softer.  The mantle has only one layer, rather than Earth's two layers.
-The core of Mars is liquid, and larger than expected at ~1830 km.  The core is less dense, at 5.7-6.3 g/cm3, than Earth's at 9.9-12.2 g/cm3 .  Likely it has more [[sulfur]], [[oxygen]] and even [[hydrogen]] than Earth's core.  These other elements make the Marian core less conductive than Earth's, which is consistent with Mars' extremely weak [[Magnetosphere|magnetic field]]. <ref>https://science.sciencemag.org/content/373/6553/443</ref>
+The core of Mars is liquid, and larger than expected at ~1830 km.<ref>https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/nasas-insight-reveals-the-deep-interior-of-mars/</ref>  The core is less dense, at 5.7-6.3 g/cm3, than Earth's at 9.9-12.2 g/cm3 .  Likely it has more [[sulfur]], [[oxygen]] and even [[hydrogen]] than Earth's core.  These other elements make the Marian core less conductive than Earth's, which is consistent with Mars' extremely weak [[Magnetosphere|magnetic field]]. <ref>https://science.sciencemag.org/content/373/6553/443</ref>
 ==References==
 <references />

@@ Line 6: / Line 6: @@
 It has a very deep lithosphere which is close to 500 km thick.  Like Earth, as you go deeper the mantle becomes less rigid and softer.  The mantle has only one layer, rather than Earth's two layers.
-The core of Mars is liquid, and larger than expected at ~1830 km.  The core is less dense, at 5-6 g/cm3 compared to Earth at 9.9-12.2 g/cm3 .  Likely it has more [[sulfur]], [[oxygen]] and even [[hydrogen]] than Earth's core.  These other elements make the Marian core les conductive than Earth's, which is consistent with Mars' extremely weak [[Magnetosphere|magnetic field]]. <ref>https://science.sciencemag.org/content/373/6553/443</ref>
+The core of Mars is liquid, and larger than expected at ~1830 km.  The core is less dense, at 5.7-6.3 g/cm3, than Earth's at 9.9-12.2 g/cm3 .  Likely it has more [[sulfur]], [[oxygen]] and even [[hydrogen]] than Earth's core.  These other elements make the Marian core less conductive than Earth's, which is consistent with Mars' extremely weak [[Magnetosphere|magnetic field]]. <ref>https://science.sciencemag.org/content/373/6553/443</ref>
 ==References==
 <references />

@@ Line 6: / Line 6: @@
 It has a very deep lithosphere which is close to 500 km thick.  Like Earth, as you go deeper the mantle becomes less rigid and softer.  The mantle has only one layer, rather than Earth's two layers.
-The core of Mars is liquid, and larger than expected at ~1830 km.  The core is less dense.  Likely it has more [[sulfur]], [[oxygen]] and even [[hydrogen]] than Earth's core.  These other elements make the Marian core les conductive than Earth's, which is consistent with Mars' extremely weak [[Magnetosphere|magnetic field]]. <ref>https://science.sciencemag.org/content/373/6553/443</ref>
+The core of Mars is liquid, and larger than expected at ~1830 km.  The core is less dense, at 5-6 g/cm3 compared to Earth at 9.9-12.2 g/cm3 .  Likely it has more [[sulfur]], [[oxygen]] and even [[hydrogen]] than Earth's core.  These other elements make the Marian core les conductive than Earth's, which is consistent with Mars' extremely weak [[Magnetosphere|magnetic field]]. <ref>https://science.sciencemag.org/content/373/6553/443</ref>
 ==References==
 <references />

@@ Line 2: / Line 2: @@
 ==Overview of Layers==
-Mars' crust is between 24 and 72 km thick.  This crust is very light and seems to be highly fractured.  The crust of Mars seems to contain half the radioactive materials on Mars, with proportionally less radioactive metals in the core than Earth, which results in less heating lower down.<ref>https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/714311</ref> <ref>https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/876661</ref>
+Mars' crust is between 24 and 72 km thick.  This crust is very light and seems to be highly fractured.  The crust of Mars seems enriched in radioactive material, with the core having proportionally less radioactive material than Earth, which results in less heating lower down.<ref>https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/714311</ref> <ref>https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/876661</ref>
 It has a very deep lithosphere which is close to 500 km thick.  Like Earth, as you go deeper the mantle becomes less rigid and softer.  The mantle has only one layer, rather than Earth's two layers.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-Until the [[InSight Mission]] we only had guesses of what the interior of Mars was like.  However, with InSight, we are beginning to get limited data of the interior of Mars.  Our information will greatly increase, when we have several seismographs on Mars since we will then have more than one 'view' of Martian earthquakes.
+Until the [[InSight Mission]] we only had guesses of what the interior of Mars was like.  However, with InSight, we are beginning to get limited data of the interior of Mars.  Our information will greatly increase when we have several seismographs on Mars, since we will then have more than one 'view' of Martian earthquakes.
-== Overview of Layers ==
+==Overview of Layers==
-Mars probably has a 24 to 72 km thick crust.  This crust is very light, and seems to be highly fractured.  The crust of Mars is likely highly enriched with radioactive metals, which results in less heating lower down.<ref>https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/714311</ref> <ref>https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/876661</ref>
+Mars probably has a 24 to 72 km thick crust.  This crust is very light and seems to be highly fractured.  The crust of Mars is likely highly enriched with radioactive metals, which results in less heating lower down.<ref>https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/714311</ref> <ref>https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/876661</ref>
-It has a very deep lithosphere which is close to 500 km thick.  Like, Earth, as you go deeper the mantle becomes less rigid, and softer.  The mantle has only one layer rather than Earth's two layers.
+It has a very deep lithosphere which is close to 500 km thick.  Like Earth, as you go deeper the mantle becomes less rigid, and softer.  The mantle has only one layer rather than Earth's two layers.
-The core of Mars is liquid, and larger than expected.  ~1830 km.  The core is less dense, likely it has more sulphur, oxygen and even hydrogen than Earth's core.  These other elements, make the Marian core conduct more poorly which is consistent with Mars' extremely weak magnetic field. <ref>https://science.sciencemag.org/content/373/6553/443</ref>
+The core of Mars is liquid, and larger than expected.  ~1830 km.  The core is less dense, likely it has more [[sulfur]], oxygen and even hydrogen than Earth's core.  These other elements make the Marian core les conductive than Earth's, which is consistent with Mars' extremely weak magnetic field. <ref>https://science.sciencemag.org/content/373/6553/443</ref>
-== References ==
+==References==