Scientists find anomalously warm region inside Mars mantle

Researchers at the University of Arizona and Brown University used tidal tomography to detect a heat anomaly in the southern hemisphere mantle of Mars that is 200–400 °C warmer than the rest of the mantle. Data from 16 years of Mars Global Surveyor, Mars Odyssey and Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter tracking suggest possible partial melting beneath the surface.

• Southern mantle anomaly is 200–400 °C warmer than surrounding mantle
• Analysis used 16 years of data from three Mars orbiters
• Possible partial melting is stalled by the crust before reaching the surface
• Origin of the anomaly, primordial or impact-related, remains unresolved