Global Crustal Thickness Revealed by Surface Waves Orbiting Mars
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Date
2023-06-28
Publication Type
Journal Article
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yes
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Abstract
We report observations of Rayleigh waves that orbit around Mars up to three times following the S1222a marsquake. Averaging these signals, we find the largest amplitude signals at 30 and 85 s central period, propagating with distinctly different group velocities of 2.9 and 3.8 km/s, respectively. The group velocities constraining the average crustal thickness beneath the great circle path rule out the majority of previous crustal models of Mars that have a >200 kg/m(3) density contrast across the equatorial dichotomy between northern lowlands and southern highlands. We find that the thickness of the Martian crust is 42-56 km on average, and thus thicker than the crusts of the Earth and Moon. Considered with the context of thermal evolution models, a thick Martian crust suggests that the crust must contain 50%-70% of the total heat production to explain present-day local melt zones in the interior of Mars.
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published
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Journal / series
Volume
50 (12)
Pages / Article No.
Publisher
American Geophysical Union
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Date collected
Date created
Subject
Mars; crust; upper mantle; dichotomy; marsquake; surface waves
Organisational unit
03476 - Giardini, Domenico / Giardini, Domenico
09495 - Murakami, Motohiko / Murakami, Motohiko
02818 - Schweiz. Erdbebendienst (SED) / Swiss Seismological Service (SED)
Notes
Funding
ETH-06 17-2 - Exploring the shallow subsurface of Mars with seismic methods (ETHZ)