Microseismometer for ExoMars 04/2009 - 6/2009

在火星上登陆地震仪将回答一个关于火星环境的最重要的未知问题，火星的地质活动是否仍然活跃？我们可以在火星上看到许多形式的古代地质活动的证据（例如像奥林匹斯山这样的巨型火山），但火星地质活动的当前水平是一个谜。在地球和月球（还有太阳）上，地震研究已经被用来探测深层和局部的内部结构/我们的地球模型有一个深熔融的地核，地幔和地壳是基于模拟地震事件（例如地震）通过地球的传播。火星上的地震站将让我们第一次看到另一颗类地行星的内部。至少在过去的十年里，对火星的地震研究一直是火星探测的重中之重。本提案中描述的硅微地震仪为英国参与极光内ExoMars的地球物理科学提供了独特的机会。微震仪是火星原位探测的关键传感器，将提供火星地震活动性和内部结构等关键问题的数据。如果像预期的那样，火星上有大量的自然源产生大事件，该仪器将能够提供以下信息：1、源距离2、源方向的估计。震源深度的近似值。这些测量将揭示当今火星内部活动的水平和类型。例如，火星内部是否存在某种深层事件，如果存在，它们是否告诉我们有关大规模地幔对流的任何信息？一旦确定了大致的震源位置，这些数据就可以用来研究火星的内部结构，具体来说：1、测量地核/地幔边界的深度。2、测量地壳厚度3、寻找大小尺度的地下构造。除了探测火星的深层结构外，微地震仪还将用于利用尘暴、沙尘暴等小型局部源来调查局部结构，甚至ExoMars探测器本身的运动和活动，并将为ExoMars的科学结果提供地质背景。微地震仪将在其他任务（例如未来在火星或月球上的地震站）以及地球上有重要的应用。传感器和电子设备被设计为在极端温度（150K (- 12c)）和长时间（2个火星年，大约4个地球年）下工作。这导致了一种坚固的设计，非常适合适应地球上恶劣的环境，比如海底地震网络或火山监测。

Landing a seismometer on Mars will answer one the most important unknown questions about the Martian environment, is Mars still geologically active? We can see evidence for ancient geological activity on Mars in many forms (e.g. the giant volcanoes such as Olympus Mons), but the current level of Martian geological activity is a mystery. On the Earth and Moon (and also the Sun) seismic studies have been used to probe both deep and local internal structure / our models of the Earth with a deep molten core, mantle and crust are based on modelling the propagation of seismic events (e.g. Earth quakes) through the Earth. A seismic station on Mars will give us a glimpse into the interior of another terrestrial planet for the first time ever. A seismic study of Mars has been one of the highest priorities for Martian exploration for at least the last ten years. The silicon microseismometer described in this proposal represents a unique opportunity for the UK to participate in the geophysical science of ExoMars within Aurora. The microseismometer is a critical sensor for in-situ Mars exploration and will provide data on the key questions of Martian seismicity and internal structure. If, as expected, a significant number of natural sources on Mars produce large events the instrument will be able to provide information on: 1, Source distance 2, An estimate of the source direction. 3, An approximate value for the depth of the source. These measurements will reveal the level and type of internal activity on present-day Mars. For example, are there deep events of any kind within Mars, and if so, do they tell us anything about large-scale mantle convection? Once the approximate source location has been determined, the data can then be used to study the Mars' internal structure, specifically: 1, Measure the depth to the core/mantle boundary. 2, Measure the thickness of the crust 3, Look for small and large scale sub-surface structure. As well as probing the deep structure of Mars, the microseismometer will be used to investigate local structure using small local sources such as dust-devils, dust-storms and even the motion and activity of the ExoMars rover itself and will provide a geological context for the ExoMars science results. The microseismometer will have important applications for use on other missions (e.g. future seismic stations on Mars or the Moon) as well as on the Earth. The sensor and electronics are being designed to work at extreme temperatures (150K (-123C)) and for extended periods of time (2 Martian years, approximately 4 Earth years). This results in a robust design ideal for adaptation to harsh environments on the Earth, such as ocean bottom seismic networks or volcanic monitoring.