Produced by: Mohsin Shaikh
The Martian dichotomy, a stark contrast between Mars' southern highlands and northern lowlands, has puzzled scientists since its discovery in the 1970s by the Viking probes.
The southern highlands rise up to six kilometers higher than the flat, smooth northern lowlands, showcasing a unique geological divide in the Solar System.
Craters on the southern highlands indicate they are older than the northern lowlands, suggesting a significant event or process shaped the planet’s surface.
Scientists believe Mars’ northern lowlands may have hosted a vast ancient ocean, sparking debates about the region's role in potentially supporting life.
New research published in Geophysical Research Letters suggests the dichotomy may have been caused by internal heat transfer within Mars’ mantle.
Data from NASA's Insight lander, analyzed by Sebastiano von Fellenberg's team, revealed hotter rocks beneath the southern highlands, supporting an endogenic origin.
Evidence hints Mars once had tectonic activity, with moving plates and molten rock patterns shaping the dichotomy, now locked in place under a "stagnant lid."
The exogenic hypothesis posits the dichotomy resulted from a massive impact by a moon-sized body or multiple smaller ones, reshaping Mars’ surface.
While more marsquake data and detailed models are needed, this study marks a significant step in unraveling the Red Planet’s geologic history.
Credit: ESA/DLR/FU Berlin, CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO