Volcanic activity on Mars (could support life?) - Printable Version

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Volcanic activity on Mars (could support life?) - Kyng - 05-07-2021

https://www.sciencealert.com/volcanoes-on-mars-could-be-active-raising-the-chances-of-recent-habitability

Evidence seems to be mounting for a geologically and volcanically active Mars.

A new, close study of volcanic features on the surface of the red planet has found that a lava deposit on the Elysium Planitia appears to be very recent indeed - as in, within the last 50,000 years.

On geological timescales, that's shockingly short. And it could mean that Mars was potentially habitable just as recently, with parts of it similar to regions of volcanic activity in glacial areas such as Iceland, where various forms of extremophile bacteria thrive.

"This may be the youngest volcanic deposit yet documented on Mars. If we were to compress Mars geologic history into a single day, this would have occurred in the very last second," said astronomer David Horvath of the Planetary Science Institute and the University of Arizona.

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Wow, I have to admit, I didn't know there was any recent volcanic activity at all on Mars: I thought it had all died out millions of years ago . However, if there are lava deposits from the last 50,000 years, then I guess there's a good chance the volcanic system that produced it is still active - and the heat from this could theoretically support life.

(Or, even if it doesn't, then it might be useful for building a Martian base one day!)

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