On the thermo-mechanical structure of the Martian lithosphere: the role of the crust

Abstract

An adequate knowledge of thermal and rheological properties of crust and mantle is fundamental for deciphering and understanding the thermal state and interior evolution of a planetary body. Previously, indirect methods have been used to calculate heat flows for Mars. A commonly used indirect method is based on the relation between the thermal state of lithospheric rocks and their mechanical strength, usually related through the effective elastic thickness of the lithosphere or from the depth to the brittle–ductile transition beneath large thrust faults. The so-obtained heat flows are valid for the time when the lithosphere was loaded or faulted, and therefore when deduced from regions deformed in different ages provides information on the thermal evolution of Mars.