Researchers from the University of Arizona, led by Alexander Byrne, have used tidal tomography to uncover a heat anomaly in the southern‑hemisphere mantle of Mars.
The anomaly registers temperatures roughly 200 to 400 degrees Celsius above the background mantle.
Tidal tomography measures subtle variations in the planet’s gravitational response to tidal forces, allowing scientists to infer deep temperature differences.
The warm zone spans a volume large enough to affect Mars’ thermal evolution over billions of years.
Such a temperature excess may stem from lingering radioactive heating, residual heat from formation, or focused upwelling of mantle material.
Understanding the origin of this hotspot could clarify why Mars exhibits a stark dichotomy between its northern lowlands and southern highlands.
It also offers clues about the timing and intensity of volcanic activity that shaped the Martian surface.
While the study does not confirm present‑day magma chambers, it highlights that Mars’ interior is not uniformly cooling.
Future missions equipped with seismometers or heat‑flow probes could test the predictions made by the tidal tomography model.
Until then, the anomaly remains a valuable window into the planet’s deep past.