Beneath the quiet and dusty face of Mars lies its violent past
A new study shows that this red planet, dotted with volcanoes at the beginning of its journey, may shed light on the mysteries hidden in the early years of Earth’s formation, Science Alert reports.
Scientists from the University of Hong Kong have focused on studying the early stages of Mars’ life, when its surface was actively shaped by volcanic activity. This period of rumbling on Mars is likely comparable to what was happening on Earth before the formation of tectonic plates around 3 billion years ago.
During the study, planetary scientist Joseph Michalski and his colleagues examined traces of volcanic activity in the Eridania region, located in the southern hemisphere of Mars. They analyzed data obtained through remote sensing from several orbital spacecraft.
Despite the similarity in the early history of Mars and Earth, it is believed that modern Mars consists of a single plate, unlike Earth, whose crust is divided into plates floating on the mantle. This study helps to understand the processes that led to the formation of Mars’ modern landscape and may reveal much about the early stages of our planet’s development.
