Huge active column of magma under Mars- What the new finding of experts indicates- Watch video

Scientists in the US have found strong evidence that a giant active magma plume, some 4,000km in diameter, is likely in the mantle beneath the northern plains of Mars, pushing up the crust of the neighboring planet and carrying hot magma towards its surface.

The discovery overturns the hitherto prevailing view of stagnant geodynamic evolution of Mars over the past three billion years, showing that the “red” planet is more active than previously thought.

The deceptively quiet Martian surface seems to hide a much more restless interior.

The massive magma column, located in the Elysium Planitia region near the Martian equator (the only one on the planet where major volcanic eruptions have taken place in the last 200 million years), may explain the observed volcanic and seismic activity on Mars.

The planet was originally considered a geologically inactive world due to the absence of colliding tectonic plates and obvious signs of modern tectonic activity and volcanic eruptions.

But recently NASA’s InSight robotic geological laboratory, which has been on Mars since 2018, detected low but continuous seismic activity.

The earthquakes likely originate almost entirely from the Cerberus Fossae region, which is full of surface fissures that stretch for more than 1,000 kilometers and is also the site of the most recent known Martian volcanic eruption some 53,000 years ago.

The researchers, led by Dr. Adrian Brocket of the University of Arizona’s Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, who made the relevant publication in the astronomy journal “Nature Astronomy”, analyzed the topography, gravity and geology of the wider Elysium Planitia region, where they are both InSight and Cerberus Fossae.

Using geophysical models, they found evidence that the entire region “sits” on top of a huge mantle column containing hot magmatic material. The center of the column is located directly below the Cerberus Fossae region.

“We thought that InSight had landed in one of the most geologically boring regions of Mars, on a nice flat surface. Instead, our study shows that InSight landed right on top of an active magma column,” said Brocket, with other words in an area that is anything but indifferent.

As on Earth, the existence of such an active plume causes ongoing local geologic activity, including earthquakes like those detected by InSight, while also causing the crust beneath Cerberus Fossae to slowly open. If these findings are confirmed, then Mars is the third body in our solar system, after Earth and Venus, that has active magma columns today.

“We have strong evidence of active magma columns on Earth and Venus, but this was not expected on a small and supposedly cold world like Mars.

This planet was highly active three to four billion years ago, and the prevailing view is that it is essentially dead today,” said University of Arizona associate professor of planetary science Jeff Andrews-Hannah.

“Volcanic activity of tremendous intensity and duration in the early history of the planet produced the highest volcanoes in our solar system and covered most of the northern hemisphere with volcanic deposits. The comparatively little activity in the recent history of Mars has until now been attributed to passive processes of a slowly cooling planet” rather than a currently active magma column, according to Brocket.

On Earth, volcanic eruptions and earthquakes are related to plate tectonics or magmatic columns. “We know that Mars doesn’t have plate tectonics, so we looked to see if the Cerberus Fossae region might have formed as a result of a magma column,” and that seems to be the case, Brocket said.

In general, the wider Elysium Planitia area appears to have been uplifted by at least a kilometer and a half, apparently due to downward pressure from the rising magma.

According to the researchers’ estimates, “the magma column has affected an area of ​​Mars roughly the size of the United States.” “We are confident that the future will hold more surprises,” added Andrews-Hannah.

RES-EMP

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