What critical internal change caused the shutdown of Mars's planetary magnetic field billions of years ago?
Answer
The metallic core solidifying or stopping dynamic movement
The generation of a powerful global magnetic field, like Earth's dynamo effect, relies on the churning, molten iron within the outer core. Mars, due to its smaller mass compared to Earth, cooled down significantly faster. This faster cooling led to its metallic core solidifying or ceasing dynamic movement. This loss of internal motion effectively deactivated the planetary dynamo, eliminating the protective magnetic field that otherwise shields the atmosphere from the harsh environment of space.
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