Recent research reveals that the formidable marsquakes which inundate the red planet are not exclusively initiated below its surface. Employing advanced artificial intelligence to scrutinize seismic data, a novel study elucidates the astonishing intensity and depth at which these quakes resonate within Mars’ interior. This discovery significantly enriches our comprehension of the planet’s viscous core, while simultaneously informing our understanding of planetary formation among terrestrial bodies such as Earth, Mars, and Venus.

The findings further indicate that an unexpectedly high frequency of meteoroid impacts occurs on Mars, thereby necessitating a paradigm shift in our perceptions of the planet’s subsurface characteristics. “Our observations reveal that several recorded marsquakes are attributable to meteoroid impacts rather than tectonic activity,” states planetary scientist Valentin Bickel from the University of Bern.

This revelation has profound implications for recalibrating estimations regarding the frequency of marsquakes and enhances our understanding of Martian surface dynamics at large.

Despite Mars being the second most comprehensively studied planetary body in our solar system, significant knowledge gaps remain concerning its geological dynamics and evolutionary history. The Mars InSight lander, operational from 2018 to 2022, recorded over 1,300 quakes, challenging the prevailing notion that Mars was nearly geologically inert.

Bickel and colleagues adeptly utilized a machine learning algorithm to identify newly formed impact craters during InSight’s operational phase. By cross-referencing the seismic data with 123 craters identified through high-resolution imaging, they established correlations between 49 seismic events and specific impacts.

Recent analyses indicate that the rate of substantial impacts is 1.6 to 2.5 times greater than earlier estimates, underscoring Mars’ susceptibility to bombardment due to its thin atmosphere.

Furthermore, the research offers insights into how seismic waves generated by impacts traverse deeper than previously presumed, penetrated into the planet’s mantle, thereby suggesting a reconsideration of Mars’ internal structural model. These findings not only relocate the origins of numerous seismic events but also challenge established assumptions regarding seismic wave propagation within the Martian crust.

These two pivotal studies have been published in Geophysical Research Letters, accessible here and here.