NASA’s Mars Probe makes the first-ever map of the underground red planet by listening to the wind

Researchers have created the first-ever map of an underground rover by listening to the sound of wind reverberating through layers of soil and rock near Mars’ equator.

The team used instruments aboard NASA’s InSight probe, which landed at Elysium Planitia in 2018 to study the weak “swamps” that ripple across the planet. InSight data previously enabled scientists to get a rough idea of ​​the size and composition of Mars’ core, as well as the nature of its mantle and the thickness of its crust.

New technology developed and identified on Earth now for the first time has enabled a team led by Swiss geophysicists to use the probe’s instruments to peek directly into the planet’s dry surface and discover what lies within the first 660 feet (200 meters) of its crust.

“We used technology developed here on Earth to describe places at risk of earthquakes and study the subsurface structure,” Cedric Schmelzbach, a geophysicist at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETH), and corresponding author of the new research paper told Space.com.

“This technology relies on surrounding vibrations,” Schmelsbach said. “On Earth, you have the oceans, the winds, which make the Earth vibrate all the time, and the vibration you measure at a particular point has an imprint on the Earth’s interior.”

RELATED: NASA’s Mars Insight Probe ‘Hears’ Martian Winds, It’s Cosmic First

Basically, noise at the surface makes the ground vibrate. These tiny vibrations spread deep underground and can be picked up by sensitive instruments.

Schmelsbach said Mars is much quieter than Earth. There is no ocean on this planet, and the atmosphere of Mars is much thinner, which leads to weaker and more weak winds. Moreover, while geologists on Earth can use countless stations, they only have one on Mars – the InSight lander.

However, listening to the interaction of the winds of the Red Planet with the earth beneath the craters and plains revealed the subterranean structure in amazing detail.

“The decision gets rougher the deeper we go,” Schmelsbach said. “Near the surface we can dissolve layers of one meter in length [three feet] thick. But at greater depths it is actually a few tens of metres [10 meters = 33 feet]. “

The map offers a fascinating glimpse into the past billions of Mars evolution. It reveals an unexpected layer of deep sediments as well as thick deposits of solidified lava, all covered by a 10-foot (3 m) thick blanket of sandstone.

Full view of an artist’s concept of the shallow surface beneath NASA’s Insight rover on Mars. (Photo credit: ETH Zurich / Géraldine Zenhäusern)

The astonishing sedimentary layer, whose origin remains a mystery, lies 100 to 230 feet (30 to 70 meters) below the surface of Mars, sandwiched between two solidified layers of ancient lava.

“We are still working on how to explain this and how to date this layer,” he said. “But it does tell us that perhaps the geological history at that site is more complex than we originally thought, and that there may have been more processes in the past at that place.”

The researchers compared the two layers of lava hugging these sediments with previous studies of the geology of nearby craters. This data enabled them to place the origins of those layers at two important periods in the geological history of Mars, about 1.7 billion and 3.6 billion years ago.

On top of the newer lava layer, just below the regolith, is a collection of rocky material about 50 feet (15 m) thick that likely moved up from the surface of Mars due to a previous meteorite impact and then rained back onto the planet. surface.

In the future, scientists want to see if they can expand their method a bit and look deeper, within the first few miles of Mars’ crust.

“We have kind of a blind spot there right now,” Schmelsbach said.

Previous studies of the planet’s core, mantle, and crust based on InSight data have revealed surprising differences between Mars and Earth. The two planets are often considered twins in the solar system, with up to a certain point in common their evolutionary paths.

Both planets have developed abundant oceans of water and rich atmospheres. But then, Mars lost its protective magnetic field, allowing the abrasive solar wind, and the stream of charged particles emanating from the Sun, to gradually strip Earth of its atmosphere, and Mars evolved into the hostile world it is today. Scientists hope that the geology of the two planets will provide some clues to their different paths.

The study was published in Nature Communications on Tuesday (November 23).

Follow Teresa Pultarova on Twitter @TerezaPultarova. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook.

What Are The Main Benefits Of Comparing Car Insurance Quotes Online

LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / June 24, 2020, / Compare-autoinsurance.Org has launched a new blog post that presents the main benefits of comparing multiple car insurance quotes. For more info and free online quotes, please visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/the-advantages-of-comparing-prices-with-car-insurance-quotes-online/ The modern society has numerous technological advantages. One important advantage is the speed at which information is sent and received. With the help of the internet, the shopping habits of many persons have drastically changed. The car insurance industry hasn't remained untouched by these changes. On the internet, drivers can compare insurance prices and find out which sellers have the best offers. View photos The advantages of comparing online car insurance quotes are the following: Online quotes can be obtained from anywhere and at any time. Unlike physical insurance agencies, websites don't have a specific schedule and they are available at any time. Drivers that have busy working schedules, can compare quotes from anywhere and at any time, even at midnight. Multiple choices. Almost all insurance providers, no matter if they are well-known brands or just local insurers, have an online presence. Online quotes will allow policyholders the chance to discover multiple insurance companies and check their prices. Drivers are no longer required to get quotes from just a few known insurance companies. Also, local and regional insurers can provide lower insurance rates for the same services. Accurate insurance estimates. Online quotes can only be accurate if the customers provide accurate and real info about their car models and driving history. Lying about past driving incidents can make the price estimates to be lower, but when dealing with an insurance company lying to them is useless. Usually, insurance companies will do research about a potential customer before granting him coverage. Online quotes can be sorted easily. Although drivers are recommended to not choose a policy just based on its price, drivers can easily sort quotes by insurance price. Using brokerage websites will allow drivers to get quotes from multiple insurers, thus making the comparison faster and easier. For additional info, money-saving tips, and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ Compare-autoinsurance.Org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc. "Online quotes can easily help drivers obtain better car insurance deals. All they have to do is to complete an online form with accurate and real info, then compare prices", said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. CONTACT: Company Name: Internet Marketing CompanyPerson for contact Name: Gurgu CPhone Number: (818) 359-3898Email: [email protected]: https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ SOURCE: Compare-autoinsurance.Org View source version on accesswire.Com:https://www.Accesswire.Com/595055/What-Are-The-Main-Benefits-Of-Comparing-Car-Insurance-Quotes-Online View photos