InSight data reveal 'lumpy' Mars — sluggish mantle, dense protoplanet relics and a solid inner core

Reanalysis of NASA InSight seismic data shows Mars’ interior is 'lumpy': a sluggish mantle hosting dense, kilometer-scale relics—likely protoplanet fragments from 4.5‑billion‑year‑old impacts—and a solid inner core. These dense anomalies explain prior gravitational puzzles and reshape models of Martian thermal and impact history.

Discovered 2025-09-04T07:01:49.093734-07:00 | 2025-09-04T07:01:49.093734-07:00

Briefing

What Hype is tracking

  • InSight seismic observations identify dense, kilometer-scale mantle anomalies and a solid inner core, revising models of Mars’ internal structure and thermal evolution with direct implications for planetary science and mission science objectives.
  • The discovery explains previously puzzling gravity data and changes predicted seismic and gravity profiles used for landing-site selection, subsurface sounding and geophysical payload design; it complements ongoing surface and subsurface investigations such as Perseverance's survey of Martian rock fields.

Reported By

Times of India Universe Today Phys.org aa.com.tr South China Morning Post USA Today
Sources Tracked
12
First Seen
2025-09-04T07:01:49.093734-07:00
Latest Update
2025-09-10T20:10:50.353836-07:00
Coverage
Space

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