Mars Volcano Fissures Reveal Fresh Hints of Dormant Activity
European orbiter data reveals hydrogen chloride gas seeping from fissures on Alba Mons, suggesting Mars retains internal heat and dormant volcanic activity.
New evidence gathered by an international research team points to potential ongoing volcanism on Mars, suggesting the planet may not be entirely geologically dead. Researchers analyzing data from the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) identified hydrogen chloride gas escaping from fresh fissures along the Alba Mons region. The research, led by Alexander Trokhimovskiy, indicates that hot magma beneath the surface could be driving the release of these magmatic gases.
The TGO first detected hydrogen chloride gas in the Martian atmosphere back in 2021. While seasonal variations of this gas are typically tied to dust and water cycles, researchers noticed spikes occurring in early summer directly above volcanic fissures on the flanks of the Alba Mons volcano, an anomaly that broke normal seasonal patterns.
Detecting Vents and Underground Heat
To investigate further, the team utilized infrared spectrometers from the TGO's Atmospheric Chemistry Suite alongside the CaSSIS camera to closely examine the Alba Mons region. The imaging revealed fresh, narrow fissures hundreds of meters long paired with surface color changes, resembling fumaroles found on Earth.
“Our findings suggest that Mars has retained enough internal heat to support volcanic activity until recently, and possibly still does,” said Daniel Mège, professor at the Space Research Centre of the Polish Academy of Sciences and co-lead author of the study published in Science Advances.
During the freezing winter months, temperatures drop down to -120°C (-184 degrees Fahrenheit), causing ice to block the fissures. As winter frosts sublimate in early summer, the trapped chloride is channeled out, leaving behind discoloration from deposits.
“The Trace Gas Orbiter was able to find the smoking gun. It was like looking for a needle in a haystack. It's truly amazing that it spotted a handful of molecules from a perhaps intermittent source, while moving continuously along its orbit to monitor the whole Martian atmosphere,” added Mège.
Researchers note that these hydrothermal systems could potentially provide energy and ingredients for microorganisms, making regions like the Alba Mons fissures key areas of interest in the search for past or present life.