Recent studies utilizing artificial intelligence have unveiled that meteoroid impacts on Mars generate seismic waves reaching deeper into the planet than previously understood. This conclusion stems from research comparing data from NASA's InSight lander and impact craters identified by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO).
Published on February 3 in Geophysical Research Letters, the findings highlight the ongoing contributions of InSight, which operated from December 2018 until its retirement in 2022, detecting over 1,300 marsquakes. These seismic events, caused by both tectonic activity and meteoroid strikes, provide crucial insights into Mars' internal structure.
For the first time, researchers correlated a newly identified impact crater, measuring 21.5 meters in diameter, with seismic activity in the Cerberus Fossae region, located 1,640 kilometers from InSight. This discovery suggests that seismic waves can traverse the Martian mantle more efficiently than previously believed.
InSight team member Constantinos Charalambous remarked on the implications of this research, stating, “This finding shows a deeper, faster path through the mantle, allowing quakes to reach more distant regions of the planet.”
Machine learning played a pivotal role in identifying 123 new craters formed during InSight's operational period. By analyzing thousands of images from MRO's Context Camera, researchers were able to pinpoint craters and match them with seismic data, revealing that the impact rate on Mars is significantly higher than earlier estimates, with a revised rate of 1.6 to 2.5 times greater.
The studies also emphasize the need to update models of Mars' internal structure, as the propagation of seismic waves indicates that many marsquakes occurred farther from InSight than previously thought. This knowledge is vital for future Mars exploration and infrastructure development, as understanding potential risks from meteoroid impacts is crucial.
These findings are a product of collaboration among international institutions, including the University of Bern, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and Imperial College London, showcasing the importance of interdisciplinary approaches in planetary science.