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An altitude‐normalized magnetic map of Mars and its interpretation
Author(s) -
Purucker M.,
Ravat D.,
Frey H.,
Voorhies C.,
Sabaka T.,
Acuña M.
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/2000gl000072
Subject(s) - mars exploration program , magnetization , geology , martian , magnetic anomaly , geophysics , altitude (triangle) , remanence , tectonics , magnetic field , physics , geometry , astrobiology , seismology , mathematics , quantum mechanics
Techniques developed for the reduction and analysis of terrestrial satellite magnetic field data are used to better understand the magnetic field observations made by Mars Global Surveyor. A global distribution of radial ( B r ) magnetic field observations and associated uncertainties is inverted for an equivalent source magnetization distribution and then used to generate an altitude‐normalized map of B r at 200 km. The observations are well‐represented by a potential function of crustal origin, consistent with a remanent origin for the Martian magnetic features. The correlation between the 40546 B r observations and B r calculated from the magnetization solution at observation locations is 0.978. For a magnetization distribution confined to a 50 km layer, calculated magnetizations range from ‐22 to +17 A/m. We see correlations with tectonics that were only hinted at in earlier maps. Magnetic features appear to be truncated against Valles Marineris and Ganges Chasma, suggestive of a major change in crustal properties associated with faulting.