Variations of the magnetic field near Mars caused by magnetic crustal anomalies

The possible avenues for photoelectron transport were determined during southern hemisphere winter at Mars by using a mapping analysis of the theoretical magnetic field. Magnetic field line tracing was performed by superposing two magnetic field models: (1) magnetic field derived from a three-dimensional (3D) self-consistent quasi-neutral hybrid model which does not contain the Martian crustal magnetic anomalies and (2) a 3D map of the magnetic field associated with the magnetic anomalies based on Mars Global Surveyor magnetic field measurements. It was found that magnetic field lines connected to the nightside of the planet are mainly channeled within the optical shadow of the magnetotail whereas magnetic field lines connected to the dayside of the planet are observed to form the remainder of the magnetosphere. The simulation suggests that the crustal anomalies create “a magnetic shield” by decreasing the region near Mars which is magnetically connected to the Martian magnetosphere. The rotation of Mars causes periodic changes in magnetic connectivity, but not to qualitative changes in the overall magnetic field draping around Mars.     

Local inversion of magnetic anomalies: Implication for Mars’ crustal evolution

Martian magnetic anomalies have been revealed by the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) mission in the south hemisphere of Mars. The present study models anomalies located in the ancient Terra Sirenum area between latitudes 26°S and 40°S and longitudes 185°E and 210°E using forward and inverse approaches. While the high-altitude measurements reveal the presence of two main magnetic anomalies, three are detected by low-altitude data. They are modeled as uncorrelated dipolar sources. Forward models predict large magnetizations between 30 and 60 A/m. A generalized non-linear inversion is used to determine the characteristics of the dipoles, based on different subsets of data. Low-altitude measurements inversion leads to more reliable results than those obtained by the inversion of high-altitude measurements only. Inversion of both low- and high-altitude data together provides with three dipoles that explain more than 57% of the signal, within this 10⁶ km² area. All dipoles have large magnetizations. Serpentinization of the early martian crust can explain such remanent magnetizations. Two resulting dipoles are 56 km deep, which suggests a locally thick martian crust. The last one is shallower (31 km). This indicates different origins and/or magnetization processes. Paleomagnetic poles are calculated and located around the Tharsis bulge. It suggests that Tharsis formed at high latitudes and moved toward its present location by polar reorientation.     

Morphology of the magnetic field near Mars and the role of the magnetic crustal anomalies: Dayside region

We have studied the morphology of magnetic flux tubes near Mars and have found that the magnetic field lines near Mars forms a wing-like flux tube structure downstream of the bow shock. These magnetic flux tubes are concentrated close to the plane, which contains the center of Mars, the interplanetary magnetic field, and the Mars-Sun line. Regions near Mars on dayside were found to be magnetically connected to the region downstream of the bow shock in the sunlight. The study suggests that the photoelectrons that were observed on the nightside far from Mars are associated with magnetic field lines which are, or which were, magnetically connected to the Martian dayside region.     

Mineralogy of the sources for magnetic anomalies on Mars

Abstract— Recent discovery of intense magnetic anomalies on Mars, which are due to remanent magnetization, requires some explanation for the possible minerals responsible for the anomalous signature. Thermoremanent magnetization (TRM) in single domain (SD) and multidomain (MD) sized magnetite, hematite, and pyrrhotite, all potential minerals, are considered. The intensity of TRM (in 0.05 mT) is in descending order: SD‐sized magnetite, SD‐sized pyrrhotite, MD‐sized hematite, MD‐sized pyrrhotite, MD‐sized magnetite, SD‐sized hematite. The TRM intensity is <4% of the saturation isothermal remanence (SIRM) for all but the MD hematite, which may have >50% of the SIRM. Each of these minerals and estimated concentrations of magnetic remanence carriers (assumed to be titanomagnetite) in the Shergotty‐Nakhla‐Chassigny martian meteorites are used in a thin sheet approximation model to reveal the concentration of each mineral required for the generation of an observed magnetic anomaly (1500 nT at 100 km altitude) assuming TRM acquisition in a 0.05 mT magnetic field.     

Heavy ion escape from Mars, influence from solar wind conditions and crustal magnetic fields

We have used more than 4 years of Mars Express ion data to estimate the escape of heavy ions ( and ) from Mars. To take the limited field of view of the instrument into account, the data has been binned into spatial bins and angular bins to create average distribution functions for different positions in the near Mars space. The net escape flux for the studied low solar activity period, between May 2007 and May 2011, is 2.0 ± 0.2 × 10²⁴ s⁻¹. The escape has been calculated independently for four different quadrants in the Y_MSO − Z_MSO plane, south, dusk, north and dawn. Escape is highest from the northern and dusk quadrants, 0.6 ± 0.1 × 10²⁴ s⁻¹, and smallest from the south and dawn quadrants, 0.4 ± 0.1 × 10²⁴ s⁻¹. The flux ratio of molecular ( and ) to O⁺ ions is 0.9 ± 0.1, averaged over all quadrants. The flux difference between the north and south quadrants is statistically significant, and is presumed to be due to the presence of significant crustal magnetic fields in the southern hemisphere, reducing the outflow. The difference between the dawn and dusk quadrants is likely due to the magnetic tension associated with the nominal Parker angle spiral, which should lead to higher average magnetic tension on the dusk side. The escape increases during periods of high solar wind flux and during times when co-rotating interaction regions (CIR) affect Mars. In the latter case the increase is a factor 2.4-2.9 as compared to average conditions.     

The crustal dichotomy of Mars

The crustal dichotomy of Mars describes the topographic division between the young plains in the northern hemisphere and the old terrain in the southern hemisphere. The highland-lowland boundary separates the younger plains from the older, high-standing terrain and consists of three geologically-distinct regions: the Tharsis Province, the chaotic terrain, and the fretted terrain (which includes gradational boundary types)-all are characterised by tensional tectonics. This paper presents new geological evidence that shows the topographic division at the fretted terrain formed in the late Noachian-early Hesperian time period: the same time period in which the Tharsis Province and chaotic terrain formed, and fracturing of a southern-hemisphere-type surface beneath the northern plains occurred. These are inherent features of the crustal dichotomy, indicating it must have also formed during the late Noachian-early Hesperian time period. An analogy is made between the northern lowlands and sedimentary basins on Earth: both are basin like and are surrounded by provinces that have been subjected to pronounced tensional tectonics. This paper uses the White and McKenzie model (1989a) to propose that a lithospheric-stretching event on Mars, in the late Noachian-early Hesperian time period, produced the crustal dichotomy; the Tharsis Province formed by uplift (over a sub-surface hotspot) and gave rise to lithospheric stretching, and the northern lowlands formed by subsidence (over normal asthenospheric temperatures). Detachment faults, operating from the Tharsis Province and around northern lowlands, allowed structural equilibrium and large lithospheric extensions to be attained during this period: they also defined the geometry of the lowlands. The proposal is supported with calculations used to estimate the amount of subsidence that can be achieved in this way.     

Magnetic zones of Mars: Deformation‐controlled origin of magnetic anomalies

Abstract— Intense magnetic anomalies over Martian surface suggest preservation of large volumes of very old crust (>3 Gyr) that formed in the presence of a global magnetic field. The global distribution of the magnetic intensities observed above the Martian crust suggests a division into three zones. Zone 1 is where the magnetic signature is negligible or of relatively low intensity at Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) satellite mapping altitude (400 km). Zone 2 is the region of intermediate crustal magnetic amplitudes and zone 3 is where the highest magnetic intensities are measured. Crater demagnetization near zone 3 reveals the presence of rocks with both high magnetic intensity and coercivity. Magnetic analyses of terrestrial rocks show that compositional banding in orogenic zones significantly enhances both magnetic coercivity and thermal remanent magnetization (TRM) efficiency. Such enhancement offers a novel explanation for the anomalously large intensities inferred of magnetic sources on Mars. We propose that both large magnetic coercivity and intensity near the South Pole is indicative of the presence of a large degree of deformation. Associated compositional zoning creates conditions for large scale magnetic anisotropy allowing magnetic minerals to acquire magnetization more efficiently, thereby causing the distinct magnetic signatures in zone 3, expressed by intense magnetic anomalies. We use a simple model to verify the magnetic enhancement. We hypothesize that magnetically enhanced zone would reside over the down welling plume at the time of magnetization acquisition.     

East-west trending magnetic anomalies in the Southern Hemisphere of Mars: Modeling analysis and interpretation

Maps of the vector components of the martian crustal magnetic field over the strongly magnetized Terra Cimmeria/Sirenum region are constructed using Mars Global Surveyor magnetometer data. Although pronounced east-west trending anomalies are present on the radial and north field component maps at the mapping altitude (∼360-380 km), these trends are much less prominent at the lower aerobraking altitude (∼90-150 km). Comparisons with similar maps produced using artificial data at the aerobraking altitude indicate that elongated sources in this region may have maximum lengths along the martian surface of ∼500 km and maximum aspect ratios of ∼2. Iterative forward modeling of several relatively isolated anomalies in the mapped region yields paleomagnetic pole positions consistent with those estimated in previous studies of other anomalies using mapping phase and science phasing orbit data. On this basis, it is inferred that sources in the studied region are most probably magnetized primarily in northward or southward directions. Using this additional constraint, iterative forward modeling is then applied to determine a magnetization distribution that is consistent with data at both the aerobraking altitude and the mapping altitude. The model magnetization distribution, which includes 41 discrete sources, again indicates no highly elongated sources. An examination of surface geology in the region as well as a consideration of the global distribution of anomalies suggests that magmatic intrusions (e.g., subsurface dike swarms), cooling in the presence of water, are the most likely sources of the magnetic anomalies.     

Influence of magnetic clouds on cosmic ray intensity variation

The data from a high counting rate neutron monitor has been analysed to study the nature of galactic cosmic-ray transient modulation associated with three classes of magnetic clouds, i.e., clouds associated with shock, stream interface and cold magnetic enhancement.It is found that the decreases in cosmic-ray intensity which are associated with clouds preceded by a shock, are very high (Forbush-type) and these decreases start earlier than the arrival of the cloud at the Earth. From the study of the time profile of these decreases it is found that the onset time of a Forbush-type decrease produced by a shock-associated cloud starts nearly at the time of arrival of the shock front at the Earth and the recovery is almost complete within a week.The decreases in cosmic-ray intensity associated with clouds followed by a stream interface are smaller in magnitude and larger in duration. The depression starts on the day of the arrival of the cloud.The decreases associated with the third category of clouds, i.e., clouds associated with cold magnetic enhancement (a region in which plasma temperature is anomalously low and the magnetic field strength is enhanced) are of still smaller amplitude and duration. The decrease in this case starts on the day the cloud arrives at the Earth.It seems that the Forbush decrease modulating region consists of a shock front followed by a plasma sheath in which the field intensity is high and turbulent. The amplitude of decrease is related to the field magnitude and the speed of the cloud. Both shocked plasma and the magnetic cloud are influential in determining the time profile of these decreases. In our view it is not the magnetic field strength or the topology alone which is responsible for the cosmic-ray depression. The most likely additional effect is the increased degree of turbulence.     

Manganese oxides as high-pε redox buffers on Mars

The x-ray photoelectron spectrum of Mn(VI) is closely similar to that of uv-irradiated MnO₂, previously reported to simulate the Viking gas exchange reaction. β-MnO₂ is the thermodynamically stable form of manganese on the surface of Mars, and MnO₂ abundances estimated from shergottite, nakhlite, and chassignite iron/manganese ratios are sufficient to account for the oxidant buffer capacity observed by Viking.     

Analysis of the magnetic properties experiment data on Mars: results from Mars Pathfinder

The paper presents the results of a new analysis of the data from the Magnetic Properties Experiment onboard the Mars Pathfinder Spacecraft. The spectral data from the extended visible region of material adhering to the magnets are presented as well as the time dependence of dust accumulation to the magnets. A new model is developed to estimate the magnetic properties of the accumulated dust. It is found that the optical reflection spectra of the magnetic dust differ slightly from the reflection of ground soil/dust in the vicinity of the lander. Several possible hypotheses are given to account for this difference. Magnetic dust has been removed from the magnets at least twice during the 80 sol mission by wind gusts, and it is suggested that this happens in a manner similar to sand blasting. A lower limit for the saturation magnetisation of the most magnetic particles is found to be 5 Am²/kg.     

Influence of IMF draping direction and crustal magnetic field location on Martian ion beams

Data from the Ion Mass Analyzer (IMA) sensor of the ASPERA-3 instrument suite onboard Mars Express and data from the Magnetometer/Electron Reflectometer (MAG/ER) on Mars Global Surveyor have been analyzed to determine whether ion beam events (IBEs) are correlated with the direction of the draped interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) or the proximity of strong crustal magnetic fields to the subsolar point. We examined 150 IBEs and found that they are organized by IMF draping direction. However, no clear dependence on the subsolar longitude of the strongest magnetic anomaly is evident, making it uncertain whether crustal magnetic fields have an effect on the formation of the beams. We also examined data from the IMA sensor of the ASPERA-4 instrument suite on Venus Express and found that IBEs are observed at Venus as well, which indicates the morphology of the Martian and Venusian magnetotails are similar.     

A search for basaltic-to-intermediate glasses on Mars: Assessing martian crustal mineralogy

Multiple datasets have demonstrated that the crust of Mars is fundamentally basaltic. However, spectral libraries used to interrogate thermal infrared spectra of Martian dark regions through spectral deconvolution have heretofore lacked mafic glasses despite the importance of amorphous phases (or phases with amorphous-like spectral signatures) in Martian mineralogy. To establish the presence and importance of basaltic-to-intermediate glasses in Martian lithologies, we created five such glasses, obtained their thermal infrared spectra and included the spectra in a library used to deconvolve nine regional Thermal Emission Spectrometer spectra from Mars. We employed the nonnegative least squares (NNLS) deconvolution method, which yields deconvolved phase abundances and the uncertainties associated with those abundances. The basaltic-to-intermediate glasses do not appear in the deconvolution solutions, indicating they are not globally or regionally important phases. Because Martian igneous or impact processes are capable of basaltic-to-intermediate glass formation, the lack of such glasses in the deconvolved mineralogies suggests either the glasses did not form in detectable quantities or they (or their signatures) have been removed. The masking or replacement of basaltic-to-intermediate glasses through alteration is supported by the appearance in the deconvolution solutions of amorphous phases (e.g., silica-rich glasses, opal) or phases with amorphous-like spectral signatures (e.g., clays, zeolites) that commonly form through aqueous alteration of mafic glasses. The glasses may still be important to local-scale thermal infrared studies given the basaltic nature of Mars and the variety of local-scale lithologies detected by various missions. The regional mineralogies derived from the NNLS deconvolution analysis divide into five statistically separable groups, which provide insight into regional trends in mineralogy.     

Sequence and timing of conditions on early Mars

The geological record of early Mars displays a variety of features that indicate fundamental differences from more recent conditions. These include evidence for: (1) widespread aqueous alteration and phyllosilicate formation, (2) the existence of an active magnetic dynamo, (3) the erosion of extensive valley networks, some thousands of kilometers long, (4) a much more significant role of impact cratering, forming structures up to the scale of large basins, and (5) the construction of much of the Tharsis volcanic province. Mars also is likely to have had a much thicker atmosphere during this early period. We discuss and review the temporal relationships among these processes and conditions. Key observations from this analysis suggest the following: (1) the last large impact basins, Argyre, Isidis, and Hellas, all pre-date the end of valley network formation, potentially by several hundred million years, (2) the magnetic dynamo is likely to be ancient (pre-Hellas), since the center of Hellas and other young basins lack magnetic remanence, and (3) the period of phyllosilicate formation is not readily connected to the period of valley network formation. Concepts for the possible formation and evolution of life on Mars should address this time sequence of conditions.     

An improved crustal magnetic field map of Mars from electron reflectometry: Highland volcano magmatic history and the end of the martian dynamo

We apply improved kinetic modeling of electron transport in the martian thermosphere to fit pitch angle distributions measured by the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Magnetometer/Electron Reflectometer (MAG/ER), together with appropriate filtering, binning, averaging and error correction techniques, to create the most reliable ER global map to date of crustal magnetic field magnitude at 185 km altitude, with twice the spatial resolution and considerably higher sensitivity to crustal fields than global maps of magnetic field components produced with MAG data alone. This map compares favorably to sparsely sampled dayside MAG data taken at similar altitudes, insofar as a direct comparison is meaningful. Using this map, we present two case studies. The first compares the magnetic signatures of two highland volcanoes, concluding that the comparatively greater thermal demagnetization at Syrtis Major compared with Tyrrhena Patera is likely due to a higher ratio of intruded to extruded magmas. The second uses the map along with topographic data to compare the magnetic signatures and crater retention ages of the demagnetized Hellas impact basin and magnetized Ladon impact basin. From this comparison, we determine that the martian global dynamo magnetic field went from substantial to very weak or nonexistent in the absolute model age time interval 4.15±0.05 to 4.07±0.05 Ga ago.     

Influence of the east-west component of the interplanetary magnetic field on the intensity of the auroral electrojet

Analysis of interplanetary data has been made to evaluate the influence of the Biny component of the IMF on the magnitude of the AL index, especially with reference to the contribution of B_y in the reconnection process between the IMF and geomagnetic fields in the dayside part of the magnetosphere. The results of the analysis showed that the effect of Biny on AL is predominantly of a different type from that expected by the current theory of reconnection, and the B_y effect of the latter type was found to be much less significant in magnitude than the theory predicts. The discrepancy may be resolved if the region where the reconnection takes place has an elongated shape.     

The cause for the north-south orientation of the crustal dichotomy and the equatorial location of Tharsis on Mars

The crustal dichotomy and the Tharsis rise are the most prominent topographic features on Mars. The dichotomy is largely an expression of different crustal thicknesses in the northern and southern hemispheres, while Tharsis is centered near the equator at the dichotomy boundary. However, the cause for the orientation of the dichotomy and the equatorial location of Tharsis remains poorly understood. Here we show that the crustal thickness variations associated with the dichotomy may have driven true polar wander, establishing the north-south orientation of the dichotomy very early in martian history. Such a reorientation that placed the dichotomy boundary near the equator would also have constrained the Tharsis region on the dichotomy boundary to have originated near the equator. We present a scenario for the early generation and subsequent reorientation of the hemispheric dichotomy, although the reorientation is independent of the formation mechanism. Our results also have implications for the sharply different remanent magnetizations between the two hemispheres.     

Estimate of the magnetic field of Mars based on the magnetic characteristics of the Yamato 000593 nakhlite

Abstract— Yamato 000593, a nakhlite, was analyzed in terms of its magnetic record and magnetomineralogy. The natural remanent magnetization (NRM: 3.55–6.07 times 10^?5 Am²/kg) was thermally demagnetized at ～320 °C, and it was unstable against alternating field demagnetization. Based on analyses of thermomagnetic curves, the temperature dependence of hysteresis parameters, and microscopic observations, the magnetic minerals mainly consist of magnetite (0.68 wt% of the sample, including ～5% Fe₂TiO₄) of less than 100 μm in size, associated with minor amounts of monoclinic pyrrhotite (<0.069 wt% of the sample) and goethite. Thermal demagnetization of NRM at ～330 °C is explained due to an offset of magnetization of antipodal NRM components of magnetite, whereas it is not due to a pyrrhotite Curie point. Large magnetite grains show exsolution texture with ilmenite laths, and are cut by silicate (including goethite) veins that formed along cracks. Numerous single‐domain (SD) and pseudo‐single‐domain (PSD) magnetite grains are scattered in the mesostasis and adjacent olivine grains. Moderate coercive forces of H_C = 6.8 mT and H_RC = 31.1 mT suggest that Yamato 000593 is fundamentally able to carry a stable NRM; however, NRM was found to be unstable. Accordingly, the meteorite was possibly crystallized at 1.3 Ga under an extremely weak or absent magnetic field, or was demagnetized by impact shock at 12 Ma (ejection age) on Mars. This finding differs from the results of previous paleomagnetic studies of SNC (shergottites, nakhlites, chassignites, and orthopyroxenite) Martian meteorites. The significant dipole magnetic field resulting from the molten metallic core was probably absent during the Amazonian Epoch (after 1.8 Ga) on Mars.     

On the effect of the martian crustal magnetic field on atmospheric erosion

Without the shielding of a strong intrinsic magnetic field, the martian atmosphere directly interacts with the impacting solar wind. The neutral constituents of the atmospheric corona can be ionized, and then picked up and accelerated by the magnetic field and convection electric field in the solar wind. A significant fraction of pickup ions escape Mars’ gravitational pull and are lost to space. This non-thermal escape process of heavy species is an important mechanism responsible for atmospheric erosion. While there is a perception that the martian magnetic anomalies are significant for the ionospheric density distribution and the bow shock standoff location, little is known about the quantitative influence of the martian crustal magnetic field on the global distribution of escaping pickup ions. In this paper, we apply a newly developed Monte Carlo ion transport model to resolve the crustal field effect on the pickup oxygen ion distribution around Mars. The background magnetic and electric fields, in which test particles are followed, are calculated using an independent three-dimensional multispecies MHD model. The effects of the crustal magnetic field on particle escape are quantified by varying the crustal field orientation in the model setup and comparing the corresponding test particle simulation results. The comparison is made by turning on or off the crustal field or changing the local time of the strongest field from the dayside to the dawnside. It is found that without the protection of the crustal magnetic field, the total amount of atmospheric escape through the tail region would be enhanced by more than a factor of two. It is shown that the crustal magnetic field not only regionally deflects the solar wind around the martian atmosphere, but also has an important global effect on atmospheric erosion and thus on long-term atmospheric evolution.     

Dayside induced magnetic field in the ionosphere of Mars

The Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionospheric Sounding (MARSIS) onboard the Mars Express spacecraft has occasionally displayed surprising features. One such feature is the occurrence of a series of broadband, low-frequency echoes at equally spaced delay times after the sounder transmitter pulse. The interval between the echoes has been shown to be at the cyclotron period of electrons orbiting in the local magnetic field. The electrons are believed to be accelerated by the large voltages applied to the antenna by the sounder transmitter. Measurements of the period of these “electron cyclotron echoes” provide a simple technique for determining the magnitude of the magnetic field near the spacecraft. These measurements are particularly useful because Mars Express carries no magnetometer, so this is the only method available for measuring the magnetic field magnitude. Using this technique, results are presented showing the large scale structure of the draped field inside the magnetic pile-up boundary. The magnitude of the draped field is shown to vary from about 40 nT at a solar zenith angle of about 25°, to about 25 nT at a solar zenith angle of 90°. The results compare favorably with similar results from the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft. A fitting technique is developed to derive the vector direction and magnitude of the draped magnetic field in cases where the spacecraft passes through regions with significant variation in the crustal field. The magnetic field directions are consistent with current knowledge of the draping geometry of the magnetic field around Mars.