Open AccessReply [to “Comment on ‘Impact demagnetization by phase transition on Mars’” by P. Surdas Mohit]
Author(s) -
Rochette Pierre,
Hood Lon,
Fillion Gérard,
Ballou Rafik,
Ouladdiaf Bachir
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
eos, transactions american geophysical union
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.316
H-Index - 86
eISSN - 2324-9250
pISSN - 0096-3941
DOI - 10.1029/2004eo220007
Subject(s) - mars exploration program , altitude (triangle) , geology , demagnetizing field , orbit (dynamics) , field (mathematics) , point (geometry) , character (mathematics) , magnetic field , physics , paleontology , geodesy , geometry , astrobiology , magnetization , mathematics , quantum mechanics , pure mathematics , engineering , aerospace engineering
We welcome the comment of P.S. Mohit on our recent Eos article as a useful contribution to the understanding of the complex question of impact demagnetization of Mars. We disagree that the map shown in our Figure 1 was deceptive. It is a simple plot of the magnetic field magnitude at the MGS mapping orbit altitude (360–400 km). Adding additional contours down to 10 nT, for example, does not change the basic character of the map. Our point was that magnetic fields are significantly weaker within several radii of the Hellas and Argyre basins than they are in the adjacent southern highlands. Specifically, fields near the basins are typically of the order of 20 nT or less, while fields in the adjacent highlands are in the range of 40–200 nT.