Skip to Content

Magnetic Mysteries of Earth and Mars

An attempt is made to understand some of the peculiar aspects of Mars' magnetic field variations in the context of knowledge gained from rock magnetic properties and near-surface and satellite- altitude magnetic field variations on Earth. Early magnetic results from Mars were interpreted as magnetic strips similar to those on the seafloor of the Earth based on linearity and opposing polarity of magnetic features and also true polar wanderings initiated perhaps by giant impacts based on the determinations of palepoles located at mid-latitudes and equatorial latitudes. Subsequent analyses of the magnetic field has led to better understanding of the nature and origin of geologic units causing these strong and weak anomalies.