Thermochemical Evolution of Mars and Earth

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Uwe Walzer
• Subject Area: Geophysics
• Term: from 2002 to 2008
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 5332648

We intend to study the evolution of Mars and Earth using simple dynamical models. In Walzer, Hendel and Baumgartner, the system of conservation equations for momentum, energy and mass has been solved for a compressible spherical shell with different viscosity distributions using a finite element code with an almost uniform discretization. We did not introduce any additional assumptions on lithospheric plates. We did not insert any chemical-differentiation mechanism. An important intention is to investigate the influence of the viscosity as a function of depth of Mars and Earth on the dynamical solutions with a systematic variation of the parameters. For Mars models, a variation of the core radii and a variation of the depths of the two prominent phase boundaries is necessary. For the Earth, the solutions of the Anelastic Liquid Approximation is to be compared with the results of the Extended Boussinesq Approximation. Later on, other stress strain-rate relations for the upper thermal boundary layer will be introduced. We hope to receive results on the existence or non-existence of subducting plates, since the tectonic regimes of Mars and Earth are very different.

• DFG Programme: Priority Programmes
• Subproject of: SPP 1115: Mars and the Terrestrial Planets