Evaluating the Use of Seasonal Surface Displacements and Time-Variable Gravity to Constrain the Interior of Mars

Abstract

The mass transport of volatiles on Mars represents a seasonally changing load on the surface of the planet. Like on Earth, as mass is redistributed across the planet, the surface responds in a complex manner becoming displaced downwards or upwards. The magnitude and extent of displacement depend on the properties of the load and mechanical properties of the planetary interior. Based on new estimates of the height variation of the seasonal polar caps (SPCs), we predict local surface displacements of up to tens of millimeters with a strong degree 1 signal throughout the Martian year. The long-wavelength portion of the displacement is potentially observable, with a magnitude of a few millimeters, located away from the SPC where one could realistically measure it with a landed or orbital mission. We also model the direct contribution of this process to observable time variable gravity, where we find the zonal coefficients to be in line with previous measurements, although with a smaller magnitude. Future measurements of this displacement could be used to help elucidate the composition of the interior of Mars using this process as a probe into the Martian interior. Furthermore, more refined measurements of time-variable gravity would be a powerful tool in constraining the pole-to-pole volatile cycle present on Mars.