Scientists analyse marsquake to conclude that red planet has liquid core

Earth's neighbour Mars has always been among the prime candidates when it came to search for extraterrestrial life. In order for life to thrive on a particular planet's surface, it also needs to have some favourable conditions under the surface. Movement of Earth's interior creates a protective magnetic field that protects life from harmful cosmic radiations.

Now, data obtained by NASA's InSight lander has revealed that Mars has a completely liquid core. Additionally, it is rich in Sulphur and Oxygen, the data has revealed. To reach their conclusions, scientists have analysed seismic waves caused by 'Marsquakes' that passed through the lanet's core. The international research team included seismologists from University of Maryland (UMD).

The findings have been published on April 24, 2023, in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, according to a report in SciTechDaily.

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"In 1906, scientists first discovered the Earth’s core by observing how seismic waves from earthquakes were affected by traveling through it,” said UMD Associate Professor of Geology Vedran Lekic, second author of the paper, as quoted in the report.

“More than a hundred years later, we’re applying our knowledge of seismic waves to Mars. With InSight, we’re finally discovering what’s at the center of Mars and what makes Mars so similar yet distinct from Earth.”

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In their study, the team of researchers studied two distant seismic events on Mars. They detected waves that travelled through the planet's core.

By using the data obtained by the measurements and more, scientists were able to measure density and compressibility of the material these seismic waves passed through.

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