A big volcano has been found on Mars, according to new research. It’s not just its size that’s interesting, but scientists think it might also have icy glaciers inside. These glaciers could be important for exploring Mars more and building settlements there.
We’ve known about volcanic activity on Mars since 1971 when the Mariner 9 spacecraft started taking pictures. In less than a year, it found 20 volcanoes on Mars. While these volcanoes are usually considered part of Mars’ ancient history, a few years ago, scientists discovered a large lake of liquid water under the ice near Mars’ south pole. They think this water might be connected to volcanic activity underground. Recently, scientists also found evidence of magma moving through Mars’ mantle.
Researchers revealed new information about Mars’ volcanic past at the 55th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference. They found a huge volcano on Mars that is 9,022 meters (29,600 feet) tall and 450 kilometers (280 miles) wide. They’ve named it “Noctis volcano” because it’s near the Noctis Labyrinthus region and the Valles Marineris canyons. This area also has three other big Martian volcanoes: Ascraeus Mon, Pavonis Mons, and Arsia Mons.
The researchers found the volcano while studying data from several Mars missions, including Mariner 9, Mars Odyssey, and Mars Express.
“We were looking at the geology of an area where we found the remains of a glacier last year, and we realized we were actually inside a huge volcano,” said Pascal Lee, a planetary scientist with the SETI Institute and the Mars Institute, who led the study. In simple terms, the volcano was so big that it wasn’t easy to see.
The researchers say the volcano has been active for a long time based on how it has eroded. They don’t know yet if it might erupt again. However, they think there could be a large sheet of icy glacier hidden under the volcanic ash, which could be important for future Mars exploration.
“This part of Mars has many different minerals that formed over a long time,” explained Sourabh Shubham, a graduate student at the University of Maryland. “People thought there might be a volcano here because of these minerals. So, finding a big volcano here isn’t too surprising. In a way, this volcano is the evidence we’ve been looking for.”
To make sure what they found was really a volcano, the researchers looked at a central peak with slopes going outwards for about 225 kilometers (140 miles). There’s also a crater in the middle, and the areas around the volcano have lots of lava and ash from past eruptions.
They also found something that suggests there’s ice under the volcano: a 5,000-square-kilometer (1,930-square-mile) area of bumps inside the volcano. These bumps were probably made by steam when hot volcanic stuff hit ice or water.
The researchers are really excited about the area because it has both fire and ice.
“It’s a very exciting place for a few reasons,” said Lee. “It’s an old volcano that’s been eroded a lot, so we can explore different parts of it to learn about Mars’ history. It’s also had heat and water interacting for a long time, which makes it a great place to look for signs of life. Plus, there’s probably ice near the surface, which makes it a good spot for robots or people to explore.”
