Mars southern hemisphere thermal anomaly discovery

Researchers have identified a massive thermal anomaly in the interior of Mars, suggesting the planet is composed of two distinct halves. By utilizing archival data from NASA’s Mars Global Surveyor, Mars Odyssey, and Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, an international team led by the University of Arizona and Caltech applied ‘tidal tomography’ to reconstruct the planet’s internal structure.

The study reveals that the mantle beneath the southern hemisphere is between 200 and 400 degrees Celsius warmer than the northern hemisphere, indicating that parts of the southern mantle may be partially molten. This thermal asymmetry may explain the geological dichotomy between the northern lowlands and the rugged southern highlands.

Scientists suggest this finding provides geodynamic evidence regarding Mars’s magnetic heritage, volcanic activity, and historical habitability. The heat source responsible for this disparity could be linked to a massive meteorite impact or geological structures that trapped heat over time. The discovery also offers potential context for seismic wave movements previously detected by the InSight lander.