The destructive surface of Mars is composed of craters, canyons and mysterious formations, suggesting a complex geological past. Scientists have recently studied an attractive function that could shed light on the elusive history of the planet.
A mountain inhabiting the edge of the Jesero crater on Mars may actually be a simplistic volcano, according to a new study. This peak, called Jezero Mons, can be used to the geological history of the Red Planet and The potential of ancient Martian lifethe researchers said.
These findings are published in journals Communication to the Earth and the Environment In May, long-standing suspicion that Jezero Mons is a volcano was verified. Using data from three Martian orbits, along with NASA’s perseverance wanderers, the researchers discovered similarities between the mountain and the explosive volcano that were previously found on Mars and Earth.
“The Jezero Crater is one of the websites studied on Mars. If we identify volcanoes here now, imagine how many more will be on Mars,” explain James Wray, professor of celestial geology and remote sensing at Georgia Tech, was in a university statement. “Volcanoes may be more on Mars than we think.”
Wray’s intuition is that Jezero Mons has been a volcano since he first watched it in 2007. “I have been looking at low resolution photos of the area and noticed a peak on the edge of the crater,” he recalled in the statement. “To me, it looks like a volcano, but it’s hard to get other images.” At that time, scientists only recently discovered the Jezero crater. Once the scientists confirm This may be an old lake bedimaging efforts focused on its water history opposite Jezero Mons.
Then, shortly after NASA’s Perseverance Rover Log in The case took a break at the Jezero Crater in 2021. This wanderer collected samples from the surface of Mars To help find past lives, please study the Earth’s climate and geology and pave the way for mankind to explore the Red Planet. Not long after, Perseverance data showed that the crater floor was not deposited, as expected from the areas with previous blood. Actually it is Made Volcanic rocks.
Wray wonders if this igneous rock might have come from Jezero Mons. He worked with lead author Sara Cuevas-Quiñones, a graduate student at Brown University who was working with Wray at the time, trying to answer the question as part of the then-Summer Undergraduate Research Program.
Wray, Cuevas-Quiñones and colleagues used a combination of data from Mars Odyssey Orbiter, Mars reconnaissance orbit, Exomers Trace Gas Orbiter, and lasting rovers “uncomprehensible”, Wray said. These data-rich data allow researchers to gain a deeper understanding of the characteristics of Jezero Mons and compare them with other known volcanoes.
They found that the peak was similar in size and shape to Martian volcanoes such as Zephyria and Apollinarus Tholi, as well as Sidley Mountain in Antarctica. More importantly, the researchers determined that the surface of jezero Mons lacked affecting the crater and did not retain heat well – two signs that it could be covered with volcanic ash. Parts of the northwest side of the peak also resemble the edges of past lava flows that appear to reach the crater floor, which could explain why Perseverance found igneous rocks there.
While this does not explicitly prove that Jezero Mons is a volcano, so far, it is some of the strongest evidence. These findings mark an interesting development in finding life in the Jezero crater. A volcano near this ancient lake may have produced hydrothermal activity, an energy source that can sustain past lives.
Now, researchers are waiting for the return of the perseverance sample. The date of the radioisotope can determine the exact age of the igneous rocks collected by the wanderer, which can then be used to more accurately estimate the age of the Jezero crater, the researchers said. This will provide valuable insights into the geological history of the Red Planet.
Currently, NASA and its international partners do not have solid plans to collect rocks and dust back to Earth, but the agency is Comment The goal of the two Mars Sample Return (MSR) mission strategies is to confirm the program in 2026. But President Donald Trump’s 2026 budget proposal Threat to derail the program. If Congress passes, the budget will termination The MSR’s mission is the reason that it is “over budget” and can achieve its goals through humans’ mission to Mars.
Wray hopes he can get the discovery of perseverance in one way or another. “If these samples return to Earth, we can work with them on incredibly groundbreaking science.”
