A HiRise image of Hephaestus Fossaeshows a collapsed Martian lava chamber. The image shows a volcanic area that has collapsed into a pit.
About Martian lava tubes
- Collapsed lava tubes on Mars are about 80 times larger than Earth’s.
- They have diameters of 130 to 1,300 feet (40 to 400 m).
- Lunar lava tubes are even larger, with collapse sites 300 to 700 times the size of Earth’s.
About Martian lava flows
- Many Martian lavas are highly fluid and flow easily, like motor oil or maple syrup.
- If a flow emerges from a volcanic vent, it may spread as a wide sheet covering a large area until it cools and hardens.
- If the eruption continues, younger lava may erode a channel across the cooler, harder lava sheet.
Yes, there is lava on Mars.
Volcanic features
- Volcanic features cover large portions of the Martian surface.
- These features include:
- Extensive lava flows
- Vast lava plains
- The largest known volcanoes in the Solar System
Alba Mons
- Alba Mons is an active volcano on Mars that has been continuously spewing lava for the last 500 million years.
Molten lava
- Researchers found that molten lava, also known as magma, still exists underground.
- They say that vulcanism still plays an active role in shaping the Martian surface.
Evidence of volcanic activity
- Previous research suggested the Red Planet may still have flared with smaller volcanic eruptions as recently as 2.5 million years ago.
- Scientists have found evidence that Mars may still be volcanically active, with signs of an eruption within the past 50,000 years or so
Some lava-like flows on Mars are caused by mud. These landforms are often found in areas where ancient liquids have scoured channels into the surface.
Lava flow conditions
- Lava flows on Mars do not require exotic compositions or exceptionally high eruption rates.
- However, they do require long eruption times.
- This requires the existence of long-lived subsurface conduits capable of transporting magma to the surface.
Lava tube formation
- Lava tubes form when lava flows over-crust to form subsurface flowing rivers of lava.
- As they drain, an open conduit is left behind.
Ancient lava flows
- NASA found an older layer of lava flows dating back to about 3.6 billion years.
- These flows were found during the Hesperian period, which experienced a high rate of volcanic activity.
- The two layers of lava flows had a layer of sedimentary rock wedged in between, which was about 30 to 40 meters thick.
Some say that lava tubes on Mars could be large enough for humans to live in. They could provide shelter from: Radiation, Micrometeorites, Extreme temperature fluctuations, Winds, Dust storms.
Lava tubes could also provide a stable environment with temperatures that don’t vary from day to night.
Some say that lava tubes on Mars could be the safest place for explorers to live. For example, living in a Hellas lava tube could expose people to about 61.64 μSv/day of radiation. That’s still high, but closer to what you could expect if you got your teeth X-rayed several times a day.
Lava tubes on Mars could be large enough to fit city center-sized groups of astronauts
Some say that Mars has no active volcanoes. However, others say that Mars may still be volcanically active.
No active volcanoes
- Mars has lost much of the heat it stored when it formed.
- The outer crust of Mars is too thick to allow molten rock to reach the surface.
- Mars has cooled and become much less active.
- Most volcanism on Mars occurred between 3 and 4 billion years ago.
- Smaller eruptions may have continued as recently as 3 million years ago.
May still be volcanically active
- A study found evidence that Mars may still be volcanically active.
- There are signs of an eruption within the past 50,000 years or so.
- In November 2020, astronomers reported evidence for volcanic activity on Mars as recently as 53,000 years ago.
- Hot magma still exists beneath the surface.
Some channels on Mars were carved by lava.
Lava channels
- Lava channels can resemble stream channels.
- Lava channels can help scientists understand the history of a region on Mars.
- A channel on the southwest flank of Mars’ Ascraeus Mons volcano was the basis of research by Bleacher and his colleagues.
- A NASA image from the 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows a channel carved by lava.
Other channels on Mars
- Outflow channels are long, sinuous incisions that can be thousands of kilometers long and hundreds of kilometers wide.
- Valley networks are another type of channel on Mars.
- Gullies are another type of channel on Mars.
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