NASA has released a new gravity map of Mars, illuminating the interiors of the Red Planet.
The said map was made via three of the agency's spacecrafts and is said to provide the most detailed information of Mars to date.
"Gravity maps allow us to see inside a planet, just as a doctor uses an X-ray to see inside a patient," says Antonio Genova from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Genova further explains that the new gravity map may help future Mars missions because it is able to show the gravitational anomalies existing in the planet. With this, mission controllers will have a better idea on how to adapt and insert spacecraft into Mars' orbit.
Genova, who is the lead author of a paper on the new map published in the journal Icarus, also says that the better resolution of the gravity map will help experts comprehend the mysterious formations in the different areas of Mars.
Observations Made
The clear picture of the new map suggests new ways on how some materials were created along the boundary that separates the smooth northern regions and the cratered southern areas.
Experts were able to establish the presence of a liquid outer core of molten rock in Mars by studying the tidal movements in the crust and mantle due to the gravitational pull of the sun and Red Planet's two moons.
From 11 years of observing Mars' gravity, experts were able to ascertain the huge amounts of carbon dioxide that freeze out of the atmosphere and onto the polar ice cap of the planet during winter. They were also able to note the movement of that mass in the North and South Pole when the climate changes.
The Makings Of A Gravity Map Of Mars
To create the new gravity map of Mars, experts obtained data using Doppler and studied information collected by three NASA spacecrafts namely Mars Global Surveyor, Mars Odyssey and Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.
Mars is no different from other planets such that it is also heavily lumpy. This causes variations in the gravitational pull felt by the spacecraft around the orbit. The differences in gravity modify the direction of the spacecraft, changing the signals being sent back to the Deep Space Network. Such small changes were then used to create the new gravity map of the Red Planet.
To come up with a gravity field, experts turned to 16 years' worth of data collected persistently from the orbit of Mars. The movements caused by uneven gravity were considered very little, yet different forces, such as those generated by the force of sunlight from the spacecraft's solar panels, are also said to have an impact. With this, scientists needed to carefully consider these factors to come up with accurate findings. It took them two years of analysis and computer modelling to eliminate the movements not rooted from gravity.
Anomalies Pave The Way For Better Understanding
The new gravity map was able to showcase the different gravity anomalies including a small distance of approximately 62 miles across. Researchers also identified the thickness of the Mars' crust with a resolution of nearly 75 miles. The new high-resolution map helped experts interpret the manner in which the regions changed over the course of the planet's history.
One example of the new map's power is the change of understanding about the lower gravity area between Acidalia Planitia and Tempe Terra. In the past, experts believed the area contains a network of buried channels that brought water from the south to the north of Mars when it was wetter than the present situation. The map was able to reveal that this low gravity anomaly is absolutely bigger and pursues the line between the high and low lands.
Gravity Data
The gravity data contained in the map may help experts enhance the current interior model of Mars as it was able to provide more accurate measurements of the Martian tides.
In the past, experts used to measure tides in Mars via two spacecrafts only. Now, a third one is set to continue monitoring the mass of the planet, giving hope that experts will be able to better understand the ins and outs of the Red Planet.
