A next-generation exploration-experiment-model integrated framework for Martian Heat Flow measurement

초록

The surface heat flow of Mars is aprimary geophysical indicator representing the rate of internal energy loss from the planet. Measurement of heat flow provides critical constraints on the persistence of mantle convection, the cooling rate of the lithosphere, and thermal evolution. To date, the InSight mission's Heat Flow and Physical Properties Package (HP3) has been the only attempt to directly measure Martian heat flow. However, the probe failed to reach its target depth due to unexpected geotechnical factors. Although the importance of preliminary simulation experiments and geotechnical modeling has been recognized, subsequent research on new integrated exploration strategies has not been systematically pursued. We propose the Korean Heat Flow Probe (KHFP) as a next-generation exploration framework that integrates in-situ measurement, laboratory experiments, and numerical modeling. The KHFP project begins with a comparative evaluation of hammering-based and drilling-based penetration mechanisms to determine the optimal design for Martian regolith conditions. The ultimate goal is to achieve stable penetration to a depth of up to 5 m and to measure both temperature gradients and thermal conductivity simultaneously. The framework further combines numerical geodynamic modeling and inversion techniques to correct for diurnal and seasonal thermal variations and to reconstruct the planet-scale thermal structure of Mars. The core technologies of KHFP build upon Korea's extensive experience in marine and polar heat-flow exploration and an advanced experimental infrastructure for extreme-environment thermophysical measurements. The system should be verified progressively through field tests in terrestrial analog sites, establishing a closed-loop feedback among exploration, experiment, and modeling. Through the feedback loop among exploration, experimentation, and modeling within the KHFP framework, we aim to resolve the thermal evolution of the Martian interior at high resolution and, furthermore, to propose a cross-planetary heat flow exploration paradigm that can be extended to the Moon and asteroids.

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