Image
courtesy of Mars Express & HRSC
Joel
Kontinen
Active
volcanoes may hint that Mars has or had life.
Mars may be
volcanically active, say scientists who have linked evidence of gases often
produced by magma with photographs of fresh fissures found on the surface of
the Red Planet. The findings could be interpreted as good news in the hunt for
life, as a continuous heat source would be needed to keep microorganisms safe
from frigid temperatures on the surface.
Scientists
have seen evidence of volcanoes on Mars in the past few million years and
seismic activity has hinted that some may still be active, but no evidence of
lava flows or current eruptions had previously been found.
Daniel Mège at the Polish Academy of Sciences and his
colleagues looked at the little data available – just 15 recorded instances of
the gas – alongside newly taken photographs of the surface. They were able to
link recent, narrow fissures in the Alba Mons region of Mars to the HCl
emissions, providing strong evidence of underground lava flow.
“We have 2
kilometres of wind between them, and in this season there are a lot of dust
devils. So, the atmosphere is turbulent. It’s an enormous mess,” says Mège.
Nicolas Thomas at the University of Bern,
Switzerland, another team member, stresses that until the area is investigated
up-close, there will always be doubt about the source of the gas. But, he
argues, this finding makes the case for further surface exploration of Mars.
“Suspicion
is one thing, proof is better, right?” says Thomas. “I’m a terrible sceptic.
Until you put something down there and you actually sniff the stuff coming out
of the ground, you haven’t got unambiguous proof.”
But Mars is
not a place where we could find life. It has not been created for life.
Source:
Matthew Sparkes 2026 Evidence of active volcanoes on Mars may boost chances of finding life | New Scientist 5 November
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