Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Conversation
The Conversation
Hrvoje Tkalčić, Professor, Head of Geophysics, Director of Warramunga Array, Australian National University

Why is one half of Mars so different to the other? ‘Marsquakes’ may have just revealed the answer

A map showing the 'Martian dichotomy': the southern highlands are in yellows and oranges, the northern lowlands in blues and greens. NASA / JPL / USGS

Mars is home to perhaps the greatest mystery of the Solar System: the so-called Martian dichotomy, which has baffled scientists since it was discovered in the 1970s.

The southern highlands of Mars (which cover about two-thirds of the planet’s surface) rise as much as five or six kilometres higher than the northern lowlands. Nowhere else in the Solar System do we see such a large, sharp contrast at this scale.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.