It has the potential to answer fundamental questions about the solar system, as well as the status of Mars’ core, mantle and formation of the magnetic field, which is currently missing.
According to experts at the Australian National University (ANU), volcanic activity beneath the Martian surface could be responsible for triggering recurring Marsquakes, similar to earthquakes, at a specific location on the Red Planet.
Researchers from ANU and the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing have found 47 previously undiscovered Marsquakes under the crust of Mars in Cerberus Fossae, a seismic activity region on Mars that is less than 20 million years old, according to a new study published in Nature Communications.
ALSO SEE: This solar flare struck differently! Check out these amazing photos from NASA
ReportedlyAccording to the study authors, these newly recorded Marsquakes are caused by magma activity in the Martian mantle, the inner layer of Mars sandwiched between the crust and core.
Dear Mr. Elon Musk, I would like to invite you to visit the island of Lanzarote: one of the most amazing Mars analogues and a UNESCO Global Geopark. We’re doing interesting studies on this volcanic site, and I’m confident we can develop exciting ideas for planetary exploration. pic.twitter.com/gUWK8SvpBv
— Jesus Martínez Frías (@J_MartinezFrias) Apr 3, 2022
In the above image, the streaked swirly layers are thin layers of volcanic airfall tephra, with Mars at the bottom and Earth at the top. In this next image, Mars is on the left and Earth on the right, showing the strange fracturing and erosion patterns commonly found in ignimbrites. pic.twitter.com/YyiSjuLPI4
— Prof. dr. Briony Horgan (@ironywithab) Apr 1, 2022
We report 47 new marsquakes, most likely volcanic, at all times of sols. Their repetitive nature indicates that Mars’ mantle is mobile and more active than expected 🙃 🍀Free entry: https://t.co/iyDtNUB4cE
@anuearthscience @ourANU @SEDI_AGU @AGUSeismology @NatureComms pic.twitter.com/rRuWWbQHem— Prof. dr. Hrvoje Tkalčić (@HrvojeTkalcic) March 30, 2022
The findings show that magma in the Martian mantle is still active, causing the Martian volcanic quakes, contrary to the previous scientific view that these events are driven by Martian tectonic forces.
The repetitive nature of these earthquakes, as well as the fact that they were all detected in the same part of the planet, suggest Mars is more prone to earthquakes than scientists previously thought, according to geophysicist and co-author Professor Hrvoje Tkali of the ANU Research School of Earth Sciences.
ALSO SEE: Stay vigilant! This giant geomagnetic storm could disrupt the internet
Since its arrival on Mars in 2018, NASA’s InSight lander has been collecting data on Marsquakes, weather on Mars and the planet’s interior, and the researchers used data from a seismometer attached to it. The researchers were able to apply their methodology to NASA data and locate 47 previously undiscovered Marsquakes using a unique algorithm.
“The Marsquakes indirectly help us understand if there is convection in the planet’s interior,” he added. “If this convection is happening, which appears to be based on the observations, then there must be some other process at work that prevents a magnetic field from building up on Mars.”
Cover Image: Unsplash