Mars's southern interior runs hundreds of degrees hotter than its north

Gravity measurements reveal that Mars's southern interior is 200 to 400 degrees Celsius warmer than the northern half and may be partially molten. This temperature imbalance could explain long-standing puzzles about Martian magnetism, seismic behavior, and ancient water history.

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The research team combined gravitational data from three orbiting spacecraft—Mars Global Surveyor, Mars Odyssey, and Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter—to map the planet's interior in three dimensions. By tracking tiny velocity shifts caused by the Sun's changing pull as Mars follows its elliptical orbit, they applied tidal tomography to reveal that the southern mantle runs 200 to 400 degrees Celsius hotter than its northern counterpart and may be partially molten.

This thermal divide could tie together several long-standing Martian puzzles. The southern hemisphere's iron-rich minerals carry unusual magnetic signatures, and NASA's