Chinese scientists, working with international partners, have for the first time confirmed the presence of a solid inner core within Mars. This is reported by
Global Times, a partner of TV BRICS.
The study identifies a solid core with a radius of about 600 kilometres, equivalent to one-fifth of the planet’s total radius.
By examining marsquake signals, the research team detected seismic phases that revealed a layered core structure consisting of an outer liquid core and a deeper solid inner core.
The discovery is comparable to the confirmation of Earth’s inner core, which was first inferred in 1936 and only fully verified in the 1980s. In the case of Mars, direct data became available much later: marsquakes were recorded for the first time in 2018, and more than 1,000 events have since been detected. Despite challenges such as weak signals and noise, researchers were able to extract clear seismic evidence of a solid inner core.
The study also revealed that Mars’ inner core is likely composed of crystalline iron-nickel alloy enriched with light elements, including 12–16 per cent sulphur, 6.7–9 per cent oxygen, and up to 3.8 per cent carbon. This structure provides vital clues to the planet’s magnetic history, from its once-active magnetic field to its current absence, and allows direct comparison with the evolution of Earth and other terrestrial planets.
This marks the first time that a solid inner core has been confirmed in a planet beyond Earth, representing a major step in the exploration of planetary interiors, the source claims.
Photo: Nzoka John /
iStock
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