Unveiling Mars' Hidden Secrets: Exploring the Red Planet's Mysterious Core

Analysis of seismic data from the InSight mission and simulations of liquid metal alloys have revealed that Mars's liquid iron core is smaller and denser than previously thought. The core is surrounded by a 150-km thick layer of molten silicate, indicating a higher density and a composition of 9-15% light elements such as sulfur, carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen. These findings provide new insights into the size and composition of Mars's core, resolving a long-standing mystery. The research also suggests that the Martian core formed early in the planet's history when light elements could accumulate in the core.