Volcanic physics of nakhlite meteorites constrains density and thickness of the martian crust

Abstract The density and thickness of the Martian crust remain poorly constrained because gravity–topography inversions are inherently non-unique, only a single seismic anchor point is available at the InSight landing site, and no robust bound exists on the minimum permissible crustal density. Here we show that petrological observations, phase-equilibrium modeling and volcanic physics applied to two nakhlite meteorites, NWA 5790 and Qued Mya 005, constrain Martian crustal density and thickness through the buoyancy condition required for magma eruption. The minimum crustal density is 2852–2859 kg m − 3 , corresponding to an average crustal thickness of 51.9–56.3 km and a minimum thickness of about 27 km at the eruption sites. Our results further identify Elysium Planum and North Tharsis Planum as source regions of young Amazonian volcanism and as priority targets for future landed missions, and they provide an independent perspective for constraining the crustal structure of terrestrial planets.