Orbiter Detects Signs of Possible Volcanic Activity on Mars
Futurism reports: While many scientists have long held that Mars is "geologically dead" inside, new research is adding to the growing body of evidence to the contrary. As detailed in a new paper published in the journal Science Advances, an international team of researchers examined data collected by the European and Russian ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter in 2021, which found that Mars is slowly…
Recent research has uncovered evidence that Mars may still harbor volcanic activity, challenging the prevailing belief that the planet is geologically dead. According to a study published in the journal Science Advances, an international team of scientists analyzed data collected by the European and Russian ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter in 2021.
They discovered signs of hydrogen chloride gas being released from deep beneath the Martian surface, indicating that the planet may be slowly belching magma after all. Intriguingly, the researchers found new fissures along a massive volcano, suggesting ongoing geological activity. These fissures, measuring thousands of feet in length, are believed to be the result of seeping gases leaving mineral deposits, similar to volcanic gas vents on Earth.
Furthermore, the team noted discolorations along these fissures, which they believe indicate the presence of gases escaping from the planet's interior. Coauthor Daniel Měge, a professor from the Polish Academy of Sciences, argues that if hydrothermal systems are active beneath the surface, they could provide the necessary ingredients and energy for microorganisms to thrive, shielding them from the harsh environment above.
Such conditions could potentially hold the key to finding evidence of past life on Mars, given the planet's warmer and thicker atmosphere, and abundant liquid water in its distant past.
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