Mars Global Surveyor Magnetic Field Experiment
Demagnetization of the Martian Crust by Giant Impacts
The giant impacts that took place less than 500 million years after the formation of Mars and throughout the Solar System caused the destruction of the magnetized crust of the planet. The animation (5.1 MB mpeg) shows regions of positive (red) and negative (blue) radial magnetization on Mars prior to and after the impact of a large asteroid or similar body. Note the disappearance of magnetic regions after cooling [below the Curie point] of the crust affected by the impact. This was due to the absence at this time of a global magnetic field of internal origin.
- NASA Official: Ron Oliversen
- Email: Ronald.J.Oliversen@nasa.gov
- Curator: Patricia Lawton, ADNET Systems, Inc.
- Email: Patricia.J.Lawton@nasa.gov
- Last Modified: 17 January 2017
