Microseismometer for ExoMars 10/2008 - 3/2009

在火星上着陆地震仪将回答关于火星环境的一个最重要的未知问题，火星仍然地质活跃吗？我们可以看到许多形式的火星古代地质活动的证据（例如奥林匹斯山等巨型火山），但目前火星地质活动的水平是一个谜。在地球和月球（以及太阳）上，地震研究已被用于探测深层和局部内部结构/我们的地球模型具有深层熔融核、地幔和地壳，其基础是模拟地震事件（例如地震）通过地球的传播。火星上的地震站将使我们有史以来第一次瞥见另一个类地行星的内部。至少在过去的十年里，火星地震研究一直是火星探测的最高优先事项之一。本提案中描述的硅微地震仪为英国提供了一个独特的机会，可以参与极光内的ExoMars地球物理科学。微震仪是火星现场探测的一个关键传感器，将提供关于火星地震活动和内部结构等关键问题的数据。如果像预期的那样，火星上大量的自然源产生大型事件，该仪器将能够提供以下信息：1，源距离2，源方向的估计。3、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，火星内部是否存在任何类型的深层事件，如果是的话，它们是否告诉我们任何关于大规模地幔对流的信息？一旦确定了大致的源位置，这些数据就可以用来研究火星的内部结构，具体来说：1、测量到地核/地幔边界的深度。2、测量地壳厚度3、寻找小型和大型地下结构。除了探测火星的深层结构外，微震仪还将用于利用沙尘暴、沙尘暴甚至ExoMars漫游车本身的运动和活动等小型当地来源调查当地结构，并将为ExoMars科学结果提供地质背景。微震仪将在其他飞行任务（例如未来火星或月球上的地震台站）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（150 K（-123 C））和延长的时间（2个火星年，大约4个地球年）下工作。这导致了一个强大的设计，非常适合地球上的恶劣环境，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.