火星に固体の内核を初めて発見(Chinese, International Scientists Reveal Solid Inner Core in Mars)

2025-09-05 中国科学院(CAS)

中国科学技術大学の孫道遠氏と毛竹氏らの研究チームは、初めて火星内部に約600 kmの固体内核が存在することを発見しました。研究において、NASAのInSight着陸機が記録した火星震(marsquake)データの中から、比較的高い信号対雑音比を持つ23の事例を選び、アレイ解析手法を用いて火星コアを通過する主要な地震波(位相)を抽出・解析。この成果は、地震波情報から得られる火星の深部構造に関する貴重な知見を提供し、惑星の磁場進化の歴史を理解するうえでも重要な突破口となります。火星のような地球に似た天体の内部構造の解明は難易度が高く、地球の固体内核が地震を通じて確認された1936年から約半世紀かかったことと比べても、本研究の迅速な成果は画期的です。

<関連情報>

火星における600kmの固体内核の地震学的検出 Seismic detection of a 600-km solid inner core in Mars

Huixing Bi,Daoyuan Sun,Ningyu Sun,Zhu Mao,Mingwei Dai & Douglas Hemingway
Nature  Published:03 September 2025
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-025-09361-9

火星に固体の内核を初めて発見(Chinese, International Scientists Reveal Solid Inner Core in Mars)

Abstract

For rocky planets, the presence of a solid inner core has notable implications on the composition and thermal evolution of the core and on the magnetic history of the planet1,2,3. On Mars, geophysical observations have confirmed that the core is at least partially liquid4,5,6,7, but it is unknown whether any part of the core is solid. Here we present an analysis of seismic data acquired by the InSight mission, demonstrating that Mars has a solid inner core. We identify two seismic phases, the deep core-transiting phase, PKKP, and the inner core boundary reflecting phase, PKiKP, indicative of the inner core. Our inversions constrain the radius of the Martian inner core to about 613 ± 67 km, with a compressional velocity jump of around 30% across the inner core boundary, supported by additional inner-core-related seismic phases. These properties imply a concentration of distinct light elements in the inner core, segregated from the outer core through core crystallization. This finding provides an anchor point for understanding the thermal and chemical state of Mars. Moreover, the relationship between inner core formation and the Martian magnetic field evolution could provide insights into dynamo generation across planetary bodies.

1702地球物理及び地球化学
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