Viewing a single comment thread. View all comments

DrFlukey t1_iu2wp01 wrote

This is a dumb question but wouldn’t it have some type of magnetic field if there was still active magma and tectonic plate movement ?

38

JamesCardwell92 t1_iu31wle wrote

Might be geologically active internally but not have the right metals in the core to generate magnetic field.

31

Oshino_Meme t1_iu3nkh1 wrote

It’s got enough iron it’s just not got a dynamo going currently, you need to generate convection currents to get a nice stable field going

24

drbart t1_iu3dzhv wrote

So .. maybe there was never a magnetic field? Do we need a different theory about how Mars lost most of its atmosphere?

5

gravitydriven t1_iu3zn8t wrote

No, hot spot volcanism is due to a singular active plume within the mantle. Why/if there is a singular active plume of hotter material I can't really guess at. But to get a magnetic field (usually, usually) you would need some kind of consistent motion in a liquid iron (outer) core. I say usually bc there are planets with induced magnetic fields e.g. Mercury, some moons of Jupiter

8

JDepinet t1_iu42sh5 wrote

The core needs to have a solid inner and molten outer to form a magnetic field.

It could easily have a totally solid core, and still have a mostly molten mantle and volcsnism.

4

jojofroyo t1_iu4fyfq wrote

Magnetic field (planetary; at least ours) come from spinning metal cores of planet. Not just magma.

2

roofgram t1_iu4kl8j wrote

Yep it’s no different than an electromagnet.

1

Dragonheardt1 t1_iu4tf60 wrote

And it does, and always had. Far weaker than our’s, but it does exist, same with the atmosphere.

0