Nicosia: A team of researchers led by Cypriot Planetary Scientist Dr. Constantinos Charalambous has unveiled new insights into the detailed structure of Mars’ mantle, marking a significant advancement in planetary science.
According to Cyprus News Agency, Dr. Charalambous, a UK Space Agency Fellow in Mars Exploration Science and first author of the study published in Science Magazine, collaborated with international seismologists and planetary scientists. His team at Imperial College London was instrumental in developing the short-period sensors onboard SEIS, the Seismic Experiment for Interior Structure, which facilitated these ground-breaking measurements.
Dr. Charalambous explained that NASA’s InSight mission allowed them to detect seismic echoes from meteorite impacts on Mars, revealing a complex, ancient mosaic within the planet’s mantle. This discovery provides a “fossil record” of Mars’ formation, preserved in its grainy mantle, which offers new perspectives on the origins of rocky worlds. Mars presents the first direct evidence of fine-scale mantle heterogeneity, offering fresh insights into planetary formation processes.
Dr. Charalambous also highlighted that in 2019, NASA recognized his contributions to the InSight mission by naming two Mars rocks in the Cypriot dialect, ‘moutti’ and ‘zavos’, inspired by their shapes. This marked the first instance of Cypriot names on Mars.
The research involved probing Mars’ interior using InSight’s seismometers, analyzing distant marsquakes and meteorite impacts to trace seismic wave paths through the mantle. The findings revealed a heterogeneous mantle structure with ancient, kilometer-scale remnants from Mars’ early formative stages, suggesting a geologically static mantle that preserved these features over billions of years. This contrasts with Earth’s dynamic interior, reshaped by tectonic activity.
Dr. Charalambous emphasized that Mars serves as a time capsule, preserving a record of its violent formation and evolution, unlike Earth, where tectonic activity erases early geological signatures. These findings not only unlock details of Mars’ thermal history but also offer a framework for understanding the geological activity and potential habitability of other rocky planets.
He further remarked on the significance of these findings for Earth, noting that Mars provides a reference point for understanding geological processes in the absence of tectonics, which could illuminate Earth’s geological activity and evolution.
Reflecting on his role in the NASA InSight team, Dr. Charalambous expressed hope that this research will pave the way for future missions to Mars and beyond, contributing to a deeper understanding of planetary interiors. He is also involved in the NASA Farside Seismic Suite project, which aims to explore the Moon’s far side, furthering our knowledge of lunar and terrestrial history.