Magnetic discovery on Mars
The rocks on Mars contain the magnetic imprint left by large-scale surface movements millions of years ago, according to a team of US and French researchers.
BBC Science Correspondent Sue Nelson: "Mars has more in common with Earth than ever before" |
This describes how the planet's crust is divided into interlocking sections, or plates, that float on top of a partially molten mantle. Heat from the Earth's core drives a convection system within the mantle, causing the plates on the surface to move.
Barcode pattern
The plates separate, collide, and squeeze past each other. This explains a wide variety of events such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and mountain ranges.
The theory of plate tectonics on Earth was confirmed by the presence on the Atlantic sea floor of a series of magnetic stripes......Read on......http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/331535.stm
Posted by Jay Roberts at 03:27 AM | Permalink