Abstract
We use seismic data recorded by the NASA InSight mission to constrain
the radial seismic attenuation structure of the Martian mantle. Several
of the recorded signals cover 3 octaves, between 0.125 and
2~Hz, allowing us to directly measure the spectral decay
of seismic energy. Inversion of differential body wave travel times and
measured body wave spectra for seismic wave speeds and quality factors
QS and QP, respectively, shows that most body waves (P, PP, S, SS)
propagate through the upper mantle (100–500 km depth), whereas
constraints below 500 km depth stem from by S waves that are reflected
at the bottom of the solid mantle. Within the uncertainties of the data,
our results indicate little variation in attenuation with depth with
mantle QP and QS values in excess of 2000 and 7000, respectively. Above
80~km depth, the observation of very high-frequency
seismic energy from impacts requires QS ~ 10000.