Scientists discover 'noxious gas' coming out of Mars
Researchers say the gas likely seeped from subsurface magma through fresh fissures, adding evidence that Mars may still be volcanically active.
- On Wednesday, research published in Science Advances revealed that the European Space Agency orbiter detected hydrogen chloride gas spikes near volcanic fissures on Alba Mons' northern flanks.
- Long considered geologically "dead," Mars shows new evidence suggesting dormancy rather than extinction; seismometers detected "marsquakes," and orbital imagery revealed fresh fissures indicating possible volcanic activity.
- Researchers identified that hot magma beneath the surface releases gases through fissures; blocked by ice during winter at minus 120 degrees Celsius, the fissures channel chloride release as ice sublimates in early summer.
- Professor Daniel Mège of the Space Research Centre of the Polish Academy of Sciences theorizes hydrothermal systems could create "hotspots" ideal for microbial life development and shield organisms from Mars' hostile surface.
- Although active eruptions remain unobserved, Alba Mons is now a critical exploration site for studying Mars' internal heat and potential habitable environments where microbial life could potentially exist.
151 Articles
151 Articles
Mars could still be volcanically active, according to a new study that identified clues of geological processes in the depths of the Red Planet. The discovery, based on measurements of the Martian atmosphere and geological observations, suggests that under the planet's surface there could be favorable conditions for the emergence and maintenance of life.
The question of life on Mars has puzzled scientists for decades, but now they seem to be on the hot pursuit, as a new study has revealed that the Red Planet is not geologically dead, but merely dormant.
Although the scientific world has long believed that Mars is a geologically dead celestial body, new research is increasingly disproving this theory. According to the latest results of an international research team, processes taking place under the surface indicate that the red planet was active until recently, and may even be currently, Futurism wrote.
Mysterious gas leaks suggest Mars may still be volcanically alive
Mysterious gas emissions and fresh volcanic fissures suggest that Mars may not be geologically dead after all, with hot magma potentially still active deep underground. The discovery could point to hidden pockets of warmth and chemical energy capable of supporting microbial life beneath the Red Planet’s surface.
A Stinky Gas Seeping From The Bowels of Mars May Reveal The Planet Is Still Volcanically Active
Mars has undergone some monumental PR shifts over the past few centuries. Once thought to be criss-crossed with canals created by an untold alien race, it has since been reclassified as still red but overwhelmingly dead. Newer research has shown our smaller neighbor was once tantalizingly watery and habitable, and we now know it's all sorts of active, awash in green aurorae (which we may one day personally glimpse), surprisingly recent lava fl…
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