Mars’ Rotation Is Speeding Up at an Unprecedented Rate, and Scientists Finally Know Why
The Daily Galaxy • • science
Key Points:
- Mars’ rotation is gradually speeding up by about 70 microseconds per year, a trend confirmed by data from NASA’s InSight lander and earlier Viking missions.
- Researchers attribute this change to a massive plume of lighter material rising beneath the Tharsis volcanic region, creating melt pockets that could penetrate the crust.
- The upward movement of lighter material causes heavier material to shift closer to Mars’ rotation axis, increasing the planet’s spin rate, similar to a figure skater pulling in their arms.
- This discovery challenges the view of Mars as a geologically inactive planet, suggesting it retains more internal heat and dynamic processes deep underground than previously believed.
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