Unveiling Mars' Structure: New Research Reveals a Crust of Heavy Armor

Researchers from ETH Zurich, using data from a large marsquake detected by the Mars InSight mission, have determined that the Martian crust is significantly thicker than that of Earth or the Moon, with an average thickness of 42 to 56 kilometers (26 - 35 miles). The seismic observations also revealed that the density of the crust in the northern lowlands and southern highlands of Mars is similar, suggesting that the composition of the crust is the same in both regions. Additionally, the study found that 50 to 70 percent of the heat-producing elements in Mars' interior are located in the crust, providing insights into the planet's thermal history.