Scientists have discovered a seismic secret at the core of Mars

Scientists have figured out what is going on with Mars' core.

Using seismic data from quakes obtained using Nasa's InSight lander and published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, scientists have worked out that the planet's centre is a liquid iron alloy, with large amounts of sulphur and oxygen mixed in.

Unlike the Earth's core, which seems to be a liquid outer core, a solid inner core, and then an even denser innermost inner core, Mars' core seems to be squishy liquid all the way through. Mars also has a high proportion of lighter elements mixed in through the inner core.

The way quakes travel through and reflect off certain materials allows scientists to generate maps of planets like Mars.

By monitoring these quakes, including one huge one in 2021 and a meteorite impact, Jessica Irving of Bristol University in the UK was able to break down what the Martian core is made of.

Sign up to our new free Indy100 weekly newsletter

"This was a huge effort, involving state-of-the-art seismological techniques which have been honed on Earth, in conjunction with new results from mineral physicists and the insights from team members who simulate how planetary interiors change over time," Irving said.

"But the work paid off, and we now know much more about what's happening inside the Martian core."

Pretty cool stuff.

Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.