Martian Gravity Field at Short Wavelength: Results From Mars Express Radio Science Experiment MaRS

During the first two years of the Mars Express mission, the radio science experiment MaRS has returned high quality gravity data above selected targets such as the Tharsis volcanoes. The resulting acceleration residuals are used as an independent test of the quality of the existing global gravity solutions at short wavelength. A good agreement between MEX gravity data and MGS-derived gravity solutions is demonstrated in the Tharsis area down to a wavelength of 300 km. Furthermore, the combined analysis of adjacent gravity profiles allows the investigation of the density of the crust, the value of which is still controversial.