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1.
We present the results of extensive numerical modeling of the Martian interior. Yoder et al. in 2003 reported a mean moment of inertia of Mars that was somewhat smaller than the previously used value and the Love number k2 obtained from observations of solar tides on Mars. These values of k2 and the mean moment of inertia impose a strong new constraint on the model of the planet. The models of the Martian interior are elastic, while k2 contains both elastic and inelastic components. We thoroughly examined the problem of partitioning the Love number k2 into elastic and inelastic components. The information necessary to construct models of the planet (observation data, choice of a chemical model, and the cosmogonic aspect of the problem) are discussed in the introduction. The model of the planet comprises four submodels—a model of the outer porous layer, a model of the consolidated crust, a model of the silicate mantle, and a core model. We estimated the possible content of hydrogen in the core of Mars. The following parameters were varied while constructing the models: the ferric number of the mantle (Fe#) and the sulfur and hydrogen content in the core. We used experimental data concerning the pressure and temperature dependence of elastic properties of minerals and the information about the behavior of Fe(γ-Fe ), FeS, FeH, and their mixtures at high P and T. The model density, pressure, temperature, and compressional and shear velocities are given as functions of the planetary radius. The trial model M13 has the following parameters: Fe#=0.20; 14 wt % of sulfur in the core; 50 mol % of hydrogen in the core; the core mass is 20.9 wt %; the core radius is 1699 km; the pressure at the mantle-core boundary is 20.4 GPa; the crust thickness is 50 km; Fe is 25.6 wt %; the Fe/Si weight ratio is 1.58, and there is no perovskite layer. The model gives a radius of the Martian core within 1600–1820 km while ≥30 mol % of hydrogen is incorporated into the core. When the inelasticity of the Martian interior is taken into account, the Love number k2 increases by several thousandths; therefore, the model radius of the planetary core increases as well. The prognostic value of the Chandler period of Mars is 199.5 days, including one day due to inelasticity. Finally, we calculated parameters of the equilibrium figure of Mars for the M13 model: J 2 0 = 1.82 × 10?3, J 4 0 = ?7.79 × 10?6, e c-m D = 1/242.3 (the dynamical flattening of the core-mantle boundary).  相似文献   

2.
Theoretical physical models of the Martia interior are presented in the light of new and revised data and constraints. These models include thermal evolution, densities, and seismic wave velocities. The interior of Mars appears to be Earth-like in many respects. Although thermal models indicate that Mars has passed its peak of evolution it may still have an asthenosphere and may be moderately active tectonically. Mars has an Fe-FeS core with a radius of and may be moderately active tectonically. Mars has an Fe-FeS core with a radius of 1500–2000 km. The mantle is enriched in FeO with an olivine composition of about Fo75. Theoretically determined seismic wave velocities are relatively well constrained in the mantle with upper-mantle Pn velocities ranging from 7.64 to 7.80 km/sec. However, there are wide variations in VP in the core dependent on composition. The shadow zone due to the core is larger than the Earth's.  相似文献   

3.
A. Rivoldini  T. Van Hoolst 《Icarus》2011,213(2):451-472
Knowledge of the interior structure of Mars is of fundamental importance to the understanding of its past and present state as well as its future evolution. The most prominent interior structure properties are the state of the core, solid or liquid, its radius, and its composition in terms of light elements, the thickness of the mantle, its composition, the presence of a lower mantle, and the density of the crust. In the absence of seismic sounding only geodesy data allow reliably constraining the deep interior of Mars. Those data are the mass, moment of inertia, and tides. They are related to Mars’ composition, to its internal mass distribution, and to its deformational response to principally the tidal forcing of the Sun. Here we use the most recent estimates of the moment of inertia and tidal Love number k2 in order to infer knowledge about the interior structure of the Mars.We have built precise models of the interior structure of Mars that are parameterized by the crust density and thickness, the volume fractions of upper mantle mineral phases, the bulk mantle iron concentration, and the size and the sulfur concentration of the core. From the bulk mantle iron concentration and from the volume fractions of the upper mantle mineral phases, the depth dependent mineralogy is deduced by using experimentally determined phase diagrams. The thermoelastic properties at each depth inside the mantle are calculated by using equations of state. Since it is difficult to determine the temperature inside the mantle of Mars we here use two end-member temperature profiles that have been deduced from studies dedicated to the thermal evolution of Mars. We calculate the pressure and temperature dependent thermoelastic properties of the core constituents by using equations state and recent data about reference thermoelastic properties of liquid iron, liquid iron-sulfur, and solid iron. To determine the size of a possible inner core we use recent data on the melting temperature of iron-sulfur.Within our model assumptions the geodesy data imply that Mars has no solid inner core and that the liquid core contains a large fraction of sulfur. The absence of a solid inner is in agreement with the absence of a global magnetic field. We estimate the radius of the core to be 1794 ± 65 km and its core sulfur concentration to be 16 ± 2 wt%. We also show that it is possible for Mars to have a thin layer of perovskite at the bottom of the mantle if it has a hot mantle temperature. Moreover a chondritic Fe/Si ratio is shown to be consistent with the geodesy data, although significantly different value are also possible. Our results demonstrate that geodesy data alone, even if a mantle temperature is assumed, can almost not constrain the mineralogy of the mantle and the crust. In order to obtain stronger constraints on the mantle mineralogy bulk properties, like a fixed Fe/Si ratio, have to be assumed.  相似文献   

4.
A key parameter for understanding the geodynamics of a terrestrial planet is the size of its core. Numerical evaluation of 28 different interior structure models of Mercury, Venus, Earth, the Moon, and Mars suggests that there is an almost linear relationship between the core radius and the extent of the seismic P-wave core shadow. A scaling law is derived from a simple mantle density and velocity model that permits the interpretation of respective seismic measurements on terrestrial planetary bodies.  相似文献   

5.
Mars     
Mars is the fourth planet out from the sun. It is a terrestrial planet with a density suggesting a composition roughly similar to that of the Earth. Its orbital period is 687 days, its orbital eccentricity is 0.093 and its rotational period is about 24 hours. Mars has two small moons of asteroidal shapes and sizes (about 11 and 6 km mean radius), the bigger of which, Phobos, orbits with decreasing semimajor orbit axis. The decrease of the orbit is caused by the dissipation of tidal energy in the Martian mantle. The other satellite, Deimos, orbits close to the synchronous position where the rotation period of a planet equals the orbital period of its satellite and has hardly evolved with time. Mars has a tenous atmosphere composed mostly of CO with strong winds and with large scale aeolian transport of surface material during dust storms and in sublimation-condensation cycles between the polar caps. The planet has a small magnetic field, probably not generated by dynamo action in the core but possibly due to remnant magnetization of crustal rock acquired earlier from a stronger magnetic field generated by a now dead core dynamo. A dynamo powered by thermal power alone would have ceased a few billions of years ago as the core cooled to an extent that it became stably stratified. Mars' topography and its gravity field are dominated by the Tharsis bulge, a huge dome of volcanic origin. Tharsis was the major center of volcanic activity, a second center is Elysium about 100° in longitude away. The Tharsis bulge is a major contributor to the non-hydrostaticity of the planet's figure. The moment of inertia factor together with the mass and the radius presently is the most useful constraint for geophysical models of the Martian interior. It has recently been determined by Doppler range measurements to the Mars Pathfinder Lander to be (Folkner et al. 1997). In addition, models of the interior structure use the chemistry of the SNC meteorites which are widely believed to have originated on Mars. According to the models, Mars is a differentiated planet with a 100 to 200 km thick basaltic crust, a metallic core with a radius of approximately half the planetary radius, and a silicate mantle. Mantle dynamics is essential in forming the elements of the surface tectonics. Models of mantle convection find that the pressure-induced phase transformations of -olivine to -spinel, -spinel to -spinel, and -spinel to perovskite play major roles in the evolution of mantle flow fields and mantle temperature. It is not very likely that the -spinel to perovskite transition is present in Mars today, but a few 100 km thick layer of perovskite may have been present in the lower mantle immediately above the core-mantle boundary early in the Martian history when mantle temperatures were hotter than today. The phase transitions act to reduce the number of upwellings to a few major plumes which is consistent with the bipolar distribution of volcanic centers of Mars. The phase transitions also cause a partial layering of the lower mantle which keeps the lower mantle and the core from extensive cooling over the past aeons. A relatively hot, fluid core is the most widely accepted explanation for the present lack of a self-generated magnetic field. Growth of an inner core which requires sub-liquidus temperatures in the core would have provided an efficient mechanism to power a dynamo up to the present day. Received 10 May 1997  相似文献   

6.
Thermal evolutions of the terrestrial planets   总被引:1,自引:0,他引:1  
The thermal evolution of the Moon, Mercury, Mars, Venus and hypothetical minor planets is calculated theoretically, taking into account conduction, solid-state convection, and differentiation. An assortment of geological, geochemical, and geophysical data is used to constrain both the present day temperatures and thermal histories of the planets' interiors. Such data imply that the planets were heated during or shortly after formation and that all the terrestrial planets started their differentiations early in their history. Initial temperatures and core formation play the most important roles in the early differentiation. The size of the planet is the primary factor in determining its present day thermal state. A planetary body with radius less than 1000 km is unlikely to reach melting given heat source concentrations similar to terrestrial values and in the absence of intensive early heating such as short half-life radioactive heating and inductive heating.Studies of individual planets are constrained by varying amounts of data. Most data exist for the Earth and Moon. The Moon is a differentiated body with a crust, a thick solid mantle and an interior region which may be partially molten. It is presently cooling rapidly and is relatively inactive tectonically.Mercury most likely has a large core. Thermal calculations indicate it may have a 500 km thick solid lithosphere, and the core may be partially molten if it contains some heat sources. If this is not the case, the planet's interior temperatures are everywhere below the melting curve for iron. The thermal evolution is dominated by core separation and the high conductivity of iron which makes up the bulk of Mercury.Mars, intermediate in size among the terrestrial planets, is assumed to have differentiated an Fe–FeS core. Differentiation and formation of an early crust is evident from Mariner and Viking observations. Theoretical models suggest that melting and differentiation of the mantle silicates has occurred at least up until 1 billion years ago. Present day temperature profiles indicate a relatively thick (250 km) lithosphere with a possible asthenosphere below. The core is molten.Venus is characterized as a planet similar to the Earth in many respects. Core formation probably occurred during the first billion years after the formation. Present day temperatures indicate a partially molten upper mantle overlain by a 100 km thick lithosphere and a molten Fe–Ni core. If temperature models are good indicators, we can expect that today, Venus has tectonic processes similar to the Earth's.Paper dedicated to Professor Hannes Alfvén on the occasion of his 70th birthday, 30 May 1978.  相似文献   

7.
Abstract— We present an approach to assess the nature of materials involved in the accretion of Mars by the planet's nitrogen (δ15N) and oxygen (Δ17O) isotopic compositions as derived from data on martian meteorites. δ15N for Mars has been derived from nitrogen and xenon systematics, while Δ17O has been taken from the literature data. These signatures indicate that Mars has most probably accreted from enstatite and ordinary chondritic materials in a ratio of 74:26 and may not have a significant contribution from the carbonaceous (CI, CM, or CV) chondrites. This is consistent with the chromium isotopic (?53Cr) signatures of martian meteorites and the bulk planet Fe/Si ratio for Mars as suggested by the moment of inertia factor (I/MR2) obtained from the Mars Pathfinder data. Further, a simple homogeneous accretion from the above two types of materials is found to be consistent with the planet's moment of inertia factor and the bulk composition of the mantle. But, it requires a core with 6.7 wt% Si, which is consistent with the new results from the high pressure and temperature melting experiments and chemical data on the opaque minerals in enstatite chondrites.  相似文献   

8.
In the frame of a comparison between Earth, Venus, and Mars, a vision on future geodesy missions to Mars is discussed with particular focus on furthering our understanding of the interior, rotation, and orientation of this terrestrial planet. We explain how radioscience instruments can be used to observe the rotation and orientation and therewith to study the deep interior of Mars and its global atmosphere dynamics. Transponders in X-band and Ka-band are proposed with radio links between a lander or a rover and an orbiter around Mars and/or directly to the Earth. The radio budget links are studied in the frame of possible mission constraints and simulations are performed, which show that important information on the interior of Mars can be obtained from the radioscience data. From the observation of Mars’ orientation in space and of tidal effects on a spacecraft orbiting around Mars we show that it is possible for instance to constrain the dimension and composition of the core, the percentage of light element within the core, and to determine the presence of a pressure-induced mineral-phase transition at the bottom of the mantle.  相似文献   

9.
This review provides explanations of how geodesy, rotation and gravity can be addressed using radioscience data of an orbiter around a planet or of the lander on its surface.The planet Mars is the center of the discussion.The information one can get from orbitography and radioscience in general concerns the global static gravitational field, the time variation of the gravitational field induced by mass exchange between the atmosphere and the ice caps, the time variation of the gravitational field induced by the tides, the secular changes in the spacecraft's orbit induced by the little moons of Mars named Phobos and Deimos, the gravity induced by particular targets, the Martian ephemerides, and Mars' rotation and orientation.The paper addresses as well the determination of the geophysical parameters of Mars and, in particular, the state of Mars' core and its size, which is important for understanding the planet's evolution.Indeed, the state and dimension of the core determined from the moment of inertia and nutation depend in turn on the percentage of light elements in the core as well as on the core temperature, which is related to heat transport in the mantle.For example, the radius of the core has implications for possible mantle convection scenarios and, in particular, for the presence of a perovskite phase transition at the bottom of the mantle.This is also important for our understanding of the large volcanic province Tharsis on the surface of Mars.  相似文献   

10.
A theoretical thermal evolution model of Mars is constructed, utilizing as constraints the available geophysical and geological data, including those provided by the Viking missions. The calculation includes conduction and subsolidus mantle convection. Calculated models indicate that Martian evolution can be roughly characterized by four different stages. (1) Core formation and crust differentiation: this stage starts from the planet formation to about 1 by thereafter. During this period, Martian core is separated and the initial crust is differentiated. (2) Heating, expansion, and mantle differentiation: this stage begins after the core separation and extends to about 3 by. First, mantle temperatures rise and reach partial melting. Between 2 and 3 by, extensive melting, differentiation, and outgassing occur. Planetary radius increases and extensional features observed at the surface are most likely generated at this stage. (3) Mature phase: after 3 by, the planet reaches maturity. Between 3 and 4 by slow and sustained evolution continues. Lithosphere thickens and partial melt zone deepens. (4) Cooling period: this stage represents the last phase of Martian history. The planet is cooling slowly. The partial melting zone shrinks and volcanic activity tapers off. At present, Martian lithosphere is about 200 km thick and the mantle is convecting slowly. The models suggest that the core is molten, and the calculated surface heat flux is 35 erg cm?2 sec?1.  相似文献   

11.
Lithospheric strength can be used to estimate the heat flow at the time when a given region was deformed, allowing us to constrain the thermal evolution of a planetary body. In this sense, the high (>300 km) effective elastic thickness of the lithosphere deduced from the very limited deflection caused by the north polar cap of Mars indicates a low surface heat flow for this region at the present time, a finding difficult to reconcile with thermal history models. This has started a debate on the current heat flow of Mars and the implications for the thermal evolution of the planet. Here we perform refined estimates of paleo-heat flow for 22 martian regions of different periods and geological context, derived from the effective elastic thickness of the lithosphere or from faulting depth beneath large thrust faults, by considering regional radioactive element abundances and realistic thermal conductivities for the crust and mantle lithosphere. For the calculations based on the effective elastic thickness of the lithosphere we also consider the respective contributions of crust and mantle lithosphere to the total lithospheric strength. The obtained surface heat flows are in general lower than the equivalent radioactive heat production of Mars at the corresponding times, suggesting a limited contribution from secular cooling to the heat flow during the majority of the history of Mars. This is contrary to the predictions from the majority of thermal history models, but is consistent with evidence suggesting a currently fluid core, limited secular contraction for Mars, and recent extensive volcanism. Moreover, the interior of Mars could even have been heating up during part of the thermal history of the planet.  相似文献   

12.
Conventional evolutionary models for Mars adopt a dry mantle solidus. Taking into account the condensation conditions in the preplanetary nebula in the accretion zone of Mars, it can be concluded that large amounts of water or hydrated silicates have condensed in those regions. Therefore, water influences significantly the melting behaviour and the viscosity of the silicatic material. A model for the calculation of the thermal history of a planet is constructed. On this basis, and use of water — saturated solidus — it is possible to derive that the core is not liquid, as given in models employing a dry mantle solidus, but solid to a large extent, which prevents the operation of a large-scale dynamo and explains in that way the lack of a magnetic field. With these assumptions one can construct a possible evolutionary scheme that covers early crust differentiation, a hot thermal past and the missing magnetic field at present.  相似文献   

13.
Abstract— Until recently, the SNC meteorites represented the only source of information about the chemistry and petrology of the Martian surface and mantle. The Mars Exploration Rovers have now analyzed rocks on the Martian surface, giving additional insight into the petrology and geochemistry of the planet. The Adirondack basalts, analyzed by the MER Spirit in Gusev crater, are olivine‐phyric basaltic rocks which have been suggested to represent liquids, and might therefore provide new insights into the chemistry of the Martian mantle. Experiments have been conducted on a synthetic Humphrey composition at upper mantle and crustal conditions to investigate whether this composition might represent a primary mantle‐derived melt. The Humphrey composition is multiply saturated at 12.5 kbar and 1375 °C with olivine and pigeonite; a primary anhydrous melt derived from a “chondritic” mantle would be expected to be saturated in orthopyroxene, not pigeonite. In addition, the olivine and pigeonite present at the multiple saturation are too ferroan to have been from a Martian mantle as is understood now. Therefore, it seems likely that the Humphrey composition does not represent a primary anhydrous melt from the Martian mantle, but was affected by mineral/melt fractionations at lower (crustal) pressures.  相似文献   

14.
Abstract— Radiometric age dating of the shergottite meteorites and cratering studies of lava flows in Tharsis and Elysium both demonstrate that volcanic activity has occurred on Mars in the geologically recent past. This implies that adiabatic decompression melting and upwelling convective flow in the mantle remains important on Mars at present. I present a series of numerical simulations of mantle convection and magma generation on Mars. These models test the effects of the total radioactive heating budget and of the partitioning of radioactivity between crust and mantle on the production of magma. In these models, melting is restricted to the heads of hot mantle plumes that rise from the core‐mantle boundary, consistent with the spatially localized distribution of recent volcanism on Mars. For magma production to occur on present‐day Mars, the minimum average radioactive heating rate in the martian mantle is 1.6 times 10?12 W/kg, which corresponds to 39% of the Wanke and Dreibus (1994) radioactivity abundance. If the mantle heating rate is lower than this, the mean mantle temperature is low, and the mantle plumes experience large amounts of cooling as they rise from the base of the mantle to the surface and are, thus, unable to melt. Models with mantle radioactive heating rates of 1.8 to 2.1 times 10 ?12 W/kg can satisfy both the present‐day volcanic resurfacing rate on Mars and the typical melt fraction observed in the shergottites. This corresponds to 43–50% of the Wanke and Dreibus radioactivity remaining in the mantle, which is geochemically reasonable for a 50 km thick crust formed by about 10% partial melting. Plausible changes to either the assumed solidus temperature or to the assumed core‐mantle boundary temperature would require a larger amount of mantle radioactivity to permit present‐day magmatism. These heating rates are slightly higher than inferred for the nakhlite source region and significantly higher than inferred from depleted shergottites such as QUE 94201. The geophysical estimate of mantle radioactivity inferred here is a global average value, while values inferred from the martian meteorites are for particular points in the martian mantle. Evidently, the martian mantle has several isotopically distinct compositions, possibly including a radioactively enriched source that has not yet been sampled by the martian meteorites. The minimum mantle heating rate corresponds to a minimum thermal Rayleigh number of 2 times 106, implying that mantle convection remains moderately vigorous on present‐day Mars. The basic convective pattern on Mars appears to have been stable for most of martian history, which has prevented the mantle flow from destroying the isotopic heterogeneity.  相似文献   

15.
T.R. McGetchin  J.R. Smith 《Icarus》1978,34(3):512-536
The density of the Martian mantle is estimated to be about 3.55 g/cm3 (Reasenberg, 1977). Model mineral assemblages for the Martian mantle (at 30 kbar) were calculated using a modified CIPW norm scheme by adding FeO to model terrestrial mantle compositions. The density of the resulting mineral assemblages vary with increasing FeO content. With pyrolite starting compositions for the terrestrial mantle, the resulting model Martian mantle with density of 3.55 g/cm3 is not garnet-lherzolite like the Earth; rather it is an assemblage properly called oxide-garnet wehrlite: oxide (periclase-wüstite) 2%; garnet 11%; olivine 73%; clinopyroxene 12%; with no orthopyroxene. Partial melting of such an assemblage wouldyield iron-rich, ultrabasic lavas, with extremely low viscosities. Specifically, model partial melts, assuming production from the quaternary eutectic (inferred to be near: op7 g42 cpx43 ox8) yields an ultrabasic (SiO2, 41 to 44%) picritic alkali-basaltic melt (norm composition ne 2.5, plag 32, or 2.4, di 20, ol 37, mt 4.4 and ilm, tr), with a computed viscosity of about 12 P at 1200°C. This model for the composition of the Martian surface lavas (derived from geophysical data and petrologic arguments) is in remarkable agreement with a recently published model by Maderazzo and Huguenin (1977) (derived from reflection spectroscopy, experimental and theoretical models for weathering in the Martian environment). The result also appears to be consistent with recent interpretations (Rasool and Le Sergeant, 1977) of Viking atmospheric chemistry results, namely that the Martian crust is potassium poor. There are a number of geological implications which follow, including (1) superfluid lavas may account for some flood and erosional features observed on Mars; (2) the XRF inorganic chemistry experiment on Vikings 1 and 2 (Baird, 1976) indeed may be measuring compositions approaching primary lavas, contrary to current interpretations which favor a rather mature (weathered) soil; (3) ultrabasic (ferrokimberlitic) ash might be a major constituent of the Martian soil, especially if cosmological models concerning the incorporation of a much volatile material within the early accreting Mars are correct—a matter of current debate; (4) a number of mineral assemblages not previously considered are possible in the Martian mantle depending principally on the activity of volatile substances, (S, O, C, H); it is possible that some very unusual magmas are produced on partial melting; and (5) some ferro-granite melts might be produced by liquid immiscibility.  相似文献   

16.
Numerical models dealing with the planetary scale differentiation of Mercury are presented with the short‐lived nuclide, 26Al, as the major heat source along with the impact‐induced heating during the accretion of planets. These two heat sources are considered to have caused differentiation of Mars, a planet with size comparable to Mercury. The chronological records and the thermal modeling of Mars indicate an early differentiation during the initial ~1 million years (Ma) of the formation of the solar system. We theorize that in case Mercury also accreted over an identical time scale, the two heat sources could have differentiated the planets. Although unlike Mars there is no chronological record of Mercury's differentiation, the proposed mechanism is worth investigation. We demonstrate distinct viable scenarios for a wide range of planetary compositions that could have produced the internal structure of Mercury as deduced by the MESSENGER mission, with a metallic iron (Fe‐Ni‐FeS) core of radius ~2000 km and a silicate mantle thickness of ~400 km. The initial compositions were derived from the enstatite and CB (Bencubbin) chondrites that were formed in the reducing environments of the early solar system. We have also considered distinct planetary accretion scenarios to understand their influence on thermal processing. The majority of our models would require impact‐induced mantle stripping of Mercury by hit and run mechanism with a protoplanet subsequent to its differentiation in order to produce the right size of mantle. However, this can be avoided if we increase the Fe‐Ni‐FeS contents to ~71% by weight. Finally, the models presented here can be used to understand the differentiation of Mercury‐like exoplanets and the planetary embryos of Venus and Earth.  相似文献   

17.
《Planetary and Space Science》1999,47(3-4):397-409
The efficiency of a seismic network in providing information on the rate of seismicity, and on the inner structure of Mars, is estimated through a statistical analysis which takes into account the possible existence of a liquid core, the expected low rate of seismicity of Mars when compared to the Earths, and the attenuating properties of the mantle. The tests are performed for two frequency ranges (0.1–1.0 Hz and 0.5–2.5 Hz), for three instrumental noise amplitude densities ranging from 5 to 500×10−10 m s−2 Hz−1/2, and for three network configurations consisting of 4, 12 and 16 stations. Travel time tables are computed for P, S, PcP, ScS, and PKP phases using a simplified three layer model. Present-day estimates of liquid core radius induce a 25° wide shadow zone beginning at epicentral distances larger than 110°. Consequently, the best detection efficiency which can be expected from any network is of the order of 60% for mantle body waves. The detection efficiency is primarily controlled by the instrumental noise level. Since the amplitude of mantle body waves rapidly decreases with epicentral distance, high noise level instruments can only detect local events. Therefore, the detection score attained by 4 highly sensitive stations can be up to 30 and 7 times better than the score attained by 12 high noise level sensors, for mantle P and S waves, respectively. If crustal scattering is negligible, the record of mantle P waves on a network consisting of four low noise level instruments would permit to sample Mars mantle down to the core-mantle boundary. Conversely, the deepest penetration of rays recorded by a network of 12 high noise level sensors would hardly reach 300 km. In fact, strong crustal scattering might be the most important difficulty to be encountered in a seismic exploration of Mars. A possibility to deal with this problem would be to associate each of the four low noise instruments with three medium noise level sensors. This network strategy might permit to sample P and S mantle waves travelling down to 400–600 km, even if a lot of seismic energy is lost through crustal scattering.  相似文献   

18.
Mars is continuously subjected to surface loading induced by seasonal mass changes in the atmosphere and ice caps due to the CO2 sublimation and condensation process. It results in surface deformations and in time variations of gravity. Large wavelength annual and semi-annual variations of gravity (particularly zonal coefficients ΔJn) have been determined using present day geodetic satellite measurements. However loading deformations have been poorly studied for a planet like Mars. In this paper, we compute these deformations and their effect on spacecraft orbiting around Mars. Loading deformations of terrestrial planet are typically investigated assuming a spherical planet, radially symmetric. The mean radial structure of Mars is not well known. In particular the radius of the liquid or solid core remains not precisely determined. One may then wonder what is the effect of these uncertainties on loading deformations. Moreover, Mars presents a strong topography and probably large lateral variations of crustal thickness (relative to the Earth). The paper answer the questions of what is the effect of such lateral heterogeneities on surface deformations, and is the classical way to calculate loading deformation well adapted for a planet like Mars. In order to answer these questions we have investigated theoretically loading deformations of Mars-like planets. We first investigated classical load Love numbers. We show that for degrees inferior to 10, the load Love numbers mainly depend on the radius of the core and on its state, and that for degree greater than 10, they depend on the mean radius of mantle-crust interface. Using a General Circulation Model (GCM) of atmosphere and ice caps dynamics we show that loading vertical displacements have a 4-5 cm magnitude and present a North-South pattern with periodic transitions. Finally we investigated the effect of lateral variations of the crustal thickness on these loading deformations. We show that thickness heterogeneities perturb the deformations and the time variation of gravity at about 0.5%. However this perturbation on ΔJn is only about 1‰ due to main direct attraction of surface fluid layers. We conclude that lateral variations of crustal thickness are today negligible. However, observation of load Love numbers would bring information on the radial internal structure of the planet, particularly on the core radius. ΔJn study would permit to infer the load Love number , particularly for degree 2 and 3, knowing surface fluid layer dynamics. However load Love numbers are quite small (about 0.05), and despite the present good agreement between GCM and ΔJn observations, will only be estimated in the near future when a slightly better precision in observation and modeling will make it possible to infer these numbers. The investigation of load Love number , which are larger than numbers, would be particularly interesting. It would permit to study degree 1 contribution of atmosphere and ice caps dynamics, which is the most important component of surface fluid dynamics on Mars. Surface displacement measurements would be necessary on a few places near the pole regions, which may be possible in the future, with a project involving precise positioning of a lander on the surface of Mars.  相似文献   

19.
The relation between gravity anomalies, topography and volcanism can yield important insights about the internal dynamics of planets. From the power spectra of gravity and topography on Earth, Venus and Mars we infer that gravity anomalies have likely predominantly sources below the lithosphere up to about spherical harmonic degree l=30 for Earth, 40 for Venus and 5 for Mars. To interpret the low-degree part of the gravity spectrum in terms of possible sublithospheric density anomalies we derive radial mantle viscosity profiles consistent with mineral physics. For these viscosity profiles we then compute gravity and topography kernels, which indicate how much gravity anomaly and how much topography is caused by a density anomaly at a given depth. With these kernels, we firstly compute an expected gravity-topography ratio. Good agreement with the observed ratio indicates that for Venus, in contrast to Earth and Mars, long-wavelength topography is largely dynamically supported from the sublithospheric mantle. Secondly, we combine an empirical power spectrum of density anomalies inferred from seismic tomography in Earth’s mantle with gravity kernels to model the gravity power spectrum. We find a good match between modeled and observed gravity power spectrum for all three planets, except for 2?l?4 on Venus. Density anomalies in the Venusian mantle for these low degrees thus appear to be very small. We combine gravity kernels and the gravity field to derive radially averaged density anomaly models for the Martian and Venusian mantles. Gravity kernels for l?5 are very small on Venus below ≈800 km depth. Thus our inferences on Venusian mantle density are basically restricted to the upper 800 km. On Mars, gravity anomalies for 2?l?5 may originate from density anomalies anywhere within its mantle. For Mars as for Earth, inferred density anomalies are dominated by l=2 structure, but we cannot infer whether there are features in the lowermost mantle of Mars that correspond to Earth’s Large Low Shear Velocity Provinces (LLSVPs). We find that volcanism on Mars tends to occur primarily in regions above inferred low mantle density, but our model cannot distinguish whether or not there is a Martian analog for the finding that Earth’s Large Igneous Provinces mainly originate above the margins of LLSVPs.  相似文献   

20.
Abstract— The age, structure, composition, and petrogenesis of the martian lithosphere have been constrained by spacecraft imagery and remote sensing. How well do martian meteorites conform to expectations derived from this geologic context? Both data sets indicate a thick, extensive igneous crust formed very early in the planet's history. The composition of the ancient crust is predominantly basaltic, possibly andesitic in part, with sediments derived from volcanic rocks. Later plume eruptions produced igneous centers like Tharsis, the composition of which cannot be determined because of spectral obscuration by dust. Martian meteorites (except Allan Hills 84001) are inferred to have come from volcanic flows in Tharsis or Elysium, and thus are not petrologically representative of most of the martian surface. Remote‐sensing measurements cannot verify the fractional crystallization and assimilation that have been documented in meteorites, but subsurface magmatic processes are consistent with orbital imagery indicating thick crust and large, complex magma chambers beneath Tharsis volcanoes. Meteorite ejection ages are difficult to reconcile with plausible impact histories for Mars, and oversampling of young terrains suggests either that only coherent igneous rocks can survive the ejection process or that older surfaces cannot transmit the required shock waves. The mean density and moment of inertia calculated from spacecraft data are roughly consistent with the proportions and compositions of mantle and core estimated from martian meteorites. Thermal models predicting the absence of crustal recycling, and the chronology of the planetary magnetic field agree with conclusions from radiogenic isotopes and paleomagnetism in martian meteorites. However, lack of vigorous mantle convection, as inferred from meteorite geochemistry, seems inconsistent with their derivation from the Tharsis or Elysium plumes. Geological and meteoritic data provide conflicting information on the planet's volatile inventory and degassing history, but are apparently being reconciled in favor of a periodically wet Mars. Spacecraft measurements suggesting that rocks have been chemically weathered and have interacted with recycled saline groundwater are confirmed by weathering products and stable isotope fractionations in martian meteorites.  相似文献   

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