Fig. 2: Inversion results of Mars’s seismic data with or without a BML.
From: Geophysical evidence for an enriched molten silicate layer above Mars’s core
a, Seismic profiles for P-wave (red) and S-wave (blue) velocities for 50 models chosen among the best 1,000 models without a BML. b, Same as a but for a mantle that contains a BML. c,d, Zoom-in of the areas delineated by the dashed rectangles in a and b, respectively. The maximum or minimum depth ranges of three distinct seismic regions and interfaces are marked by vertical arrows: the CMB range, the range for the interface between the mushy layer and the fully molten BML, and the fully/essentially molten BML region. e, Histograms for real and apparent core radii for the best 1,000 models. The core radius is considerably smaller when a BML is present but the apparent core radii (that is, the radius of liquid iron alloy plus the thickness of the fully molten silicate layer) are similar in both cases. f, Histograms of Mars’s core density for the best 1,000 models. The smaller core size in the heterogeneous-mantle case leads to a denser core compared with the homogeneous-mantle case. Panels a–d contain a smaller number of models compared with e and f to allow for a clear visualization of the seismic structures.
