Scientists Reveal What's Inside Mars: It's Chunky, With a History of Violence

The interior of Mars is as chunky as a delicious macadamia cookie.

A new analysis of the acoustic waves that ripple through and bounce around the red planet's guts reveals that the ancient, early crust of Mars is sequestered in its mantle. It takes the form of huge chunks of drifting rock, preserved geological fossils from the time of the planet's formation.

These chunks indicate a violent history that is startlingly similar to that suspected for Earth, involving a giant collision with a massive object while the planet was still young and forming.

Related: In an Incredible First, Scientists Have Discovered What's at The Core of Mars

Mars fascinates us because it is at once both like and unlike our own planet. The crust of Mars is, unlike the tectonic plates of Earth, one single