Although the magnetic field of Mars hasn’t been in effect for billions of years, the evidence it left behind may suggest that the planet’s core is entirely liquid. Magnetic imprints still exist on Mars, but they’re centered around its southern half, raising a mystery that has left scientists scratching their heads for years. Recent research, however, has proposed a promising answer: the molten Martian core likely generated a magnetic field that only covered the Red Planet’s southern hemisphere.
A new study published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters offers an overhauled perspective on Mars’ magnetic field, which dissipated around 4 billion years ago. This theory shows how Mars, despite sharing a few similarities with Earth, has a much different history full of unexpected surprises.
