Evidence for Weak Seismic Attenuation in Mars’ Deep Mantle

Evidence for Weak Seismic Attenuation in Mars’ Deep Mantle | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Physical Sciences - Article Evidence for Weak Seismic Attenuation in Mars’ Deep Mantle Jiaqi Li, Junlin Hua, Thomas Ferrand, Laurent Pou, Quancheng Huang, and 7 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-5925346/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Review Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract The present-day distribution of surface and subsurface water on Mars reflects a complex history of exchange between the planet’s surface and interior since the formation of the red planet. Constraining the water content of the deep mantle is essential for estimating the planet’s total water budget and understanding its long-term geologic and hydrologic evolution. Yet, the abundance of water at depth remains poorly constrained. Here we analyze seismic data from global tectonic marsquakes and meteorite impacts recorded by the InSight mission, and identify evidence for weak attenuation in Mars’ deep mantle (500–1500 km), in contrast to Earth. This low attenuation likely reflects fundamental differences in mantle properties, including water content, grain size, oxygen fugacity, and temperatures, between the two planets. Isolating the role of water from other parameters is key to quantifying Mars’ deep water reservoir and provides new constraints on the volatile inventory and interior evolution of the red planet. Earth and environmental sciences/Planetary science/Seismology Earth and environmental sciences/Solid Earth sciences/Seismology Full Text Additional Declarations There is NO Competing Interest. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Review Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-5925346","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Physical Sciences - Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":425717963,"identity":"52f8f9e6-3536-4c17-8b44-3fc72be4049d","order_by":0,"name":"Jiaqi 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Constraining the water content of the deep mantle is essential for estimating the planet\u0026rsquo;s total water budget and understanding its long-term geologic and hydrologic evolution. Yet, the abundance of water at depth remains poorly constrained. Here we analyze seismic data from global tectonic marsquakes and meteorite impacts recorded by the InSight mission, and identify evidence for weak attenuation in Mars\u0026rsquo; deep mantle (500\u0026ndash;1500 km), in contrast to Earth. This low attenuation likely reflects fundamental differences in mantle properties, including water content, grain size, oxygen fugacity, and temperatures, between the two planets. 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