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Nature 453, 1191-1192 (26 June 2008) | doi:10.1038/4531191a; Published online 25 June 2008

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Planetary science: Forming the martian great divide

Walter S. Kiefer1

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Early in its history, Mars suffered a convulsion that left a lasting geological and topographical scar. The latest work adds to evidence that the cause was external — a massive impact.

Mars is a divided planet. Its southern highlands cover about two-thirds of the planet and are on average about 4 kilometres higher than the northern plains, a difference that is known as the hemispheric dichotomy1 (Fig. 1

  1. Walter S. Kiefer is at the Lunar and Planetary Institute, 3600 Bay Area Boulevard, Houston, Texas 77058, USA.
    Email: kiefer@lpi.usra.edu

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