Archive · 4 Sep 2025
Marsquakes Reveal Ancient Structures Hidden Deep Within the Red Planet
Imagine Mars has a secret treasure inside!
Scientists used special tools that listen for quakes on Mars.
They found strange, dense lumps deep inside the planet.
These lumps are like pieces of planets that didn't quite finish forming billions of years ago.
It's like finding fossils from when the solar system was just starting!
Because Mars doesn't have moving plates like Earth, these ancient pieces stayed hidden and haven't melted away.
This discovery tells us about what Mars is made of and what the early solar system looked like.
Scientists discovered ancient fragments of protoplanets inside Mars.
The discovery was made using Marsquake data from NASA's InSight lander.
The blobs are approximately four kilometers in size and found at various depths.
These structures have been preserved for billions of years due to the lack of tectonic activity on Mars.
The findings offer insights into the early solar system.
- Who
- Researchers studying Marsquake data.
- What
- Discovered ancient fragments of protoplanets inside Mars.
- When
- Around 4.5 billion years ago, when the solar system was forming.
- Where
- Deep within Mars' mantle.
- Why
- To understand the internal structure of Mars and the early solar system.
- Discovery
- Ancient protoplanet fragments found inside Mars
- Source of Data
- Marsquake data from NASA's InSight lander
- Blob Size
- Approximately four kilometers in size
- Blob Depth
- Various depths within Mars' mantle
- Blob Preservation
- Survived for billions of years due to lack of Martian tectonic activity
- Study Lead
- Constantinos Charalambous, Imperial College London