Volcanic eruptions are common on Mars. The planet is home to thousands of ancient eruptions. However, the Earth’s neighbor has no active volcanoes today. Past studies suggested that the Red Planet has lost the heat that was stored inside it when it was formed. NASA scientists have now claimed to found evidence that the planet saw thousands of super-eruptions in the past. The biggest volcanic eruptions occurred on the planet more than 500 million years ago. The super-eruptions occurred in Arabia Terra. It is a region in the northern part of Mars. The planet’s outer crust is thick that it doesn’t allow the molten rock to erupt and reach the surface.
NASA findings said that some volcanoes on Mars are extremely powerful. They can even release oceans of toxic gases and dust to fill the planet’s environment. This could result in preventing sunlight from reaching the planet’s surface. This ultimately affected the planet’s climate and led to changes. This is the main reason why the Martian atmosphere is cold. The study said that Red Planet’s climate changed drastically due to such eruptions. The findings were observed during a study of topography and mineral composition. Scientists said that Arabia Terra was once home to violent volcanic explosions.
These violent explosions tore through the Martian surface. They expelled large quantities of water vapor, carbon dioxide, and sulfur dioxide into the atmosphere. The molten rock and gas covered the surface. Scientists said that modelers are working to understand the actual impact of such violent volcanoes on Mars. Notably, Mars has shown promising signs of hosting Earth-like life. It is believed that the planet was once habitable. Several missions have been launched by NASA and other world agencies to find signs of life. While NASA has launched several robotic missions to Mars, it is yet to land a crew on the planet. China is the second country after the US to operate a rover on the planet’s surface. The agency is planning to launch a crewed mission by 2030.
