Lithological Interpretation of Martian Crustal Seismic Velocities from InSight

Abstract

Analysis of data from the seismometer SEIS [1] on NASA’s InSight mission [2] has provided a wealth of information on the crustal structure of Mars, both beneath the lander [3-11] and for other locations on the planet [12-16]. Here, we collect all P- and S-wave velocity information for kilometer-scale crustal layers available and compare it with parameters predicted by rock physics models to guide the interpretation in terms of crustal lithology. A similar approach has previously only been attempted for crustal SV-wave velocities below the lander [17,18] and P- and SV-wave velocities in the shallowest 200 meters of the subsurface beneath InSight [19].