ExoMars orbiter finds new clues to possible Martian volcanism
Seasonal hydrogen chloride detections and fissures near Alba Mons point to possible activity beneath Mars’ surface, but the volcanic explanation remains a hypothesis.
A study published on November 4 links seasonal hydrogen chloride detections with narrow fissures near Mars’ Alba Mons volcano, suggesting magma could still be active beneath the surface. The evidence comes from the European Space Agency’s ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter, but the proposed volcanic explanation remains an interpretation that researchers say needs more observations.
What the orbiter detected near Alba Mons
The study, by Alexander Trokhimovskiy, is titled “Enigmatic HCl detections as a potential signature of igneous activity on Mars” and appeared in Science Advances. Phys.org reported that the orbiter’s Atmospheric Chemistry Suite infrared spectrometers detected hydrogen chloride concentrated in particular locations shortly after winter frost sublimated. Its CaSSIS camera also showed narrow fissures near Alba Mons, some hundreds of metres long, associated with changes in surface colour.
Metro reported that the gas appears in seasonal bursts and largely vanishes in summer, while detections near the Alba Mons fissures were also found during that season. The combination of gas and surface features is the basis for the proposed link to activity below ground; neither observation is a direct sighting of magma or an eruption.
Why the hydrogen chloride interpretation is debated
The orbiter first reported hydrogen chloride on Mars in 2021. In its account of those earlier observations, the European Space Agency said the gas’s distribution and the absence of other gases expected from volcanism instead pointed to an interaction between the surface and atmosphere driven by the dust season. Winds can lift salts from the ground, where reactions involving atmospheric water can produce hydrogen chloride. That earlier explanation concerned the previous observations; it does not independently test the new study’s interpretation.
The broader case for a geologically active Mars is suggestive but incomplete. Phys.org noted that orbital images show some volcanoes may have been active within the past few million years and that seismometers have detected marsquakes. No new lava flows or eruptions have been observed, so those clues do not confirm present-day volcanism.
What the findings could mean for habitability
Study co-author Daniel Mège told Metro that the findings need to be checked against more observations. He said the time needed for life-forming chemistry is a major unknown, potentially ranging from hundreds of thousands to tens of millions of years. ESA planetary scientist Colin Wilson told Metro that magma could melt ice and create habitable niches. Those are possibilities, not evidence that life has been found on Mars.
Read in depth: Technology
Amazon’s new Echo Dot is on sale, while Echo Show 16 awaits December launch
The Echo Dot adds smart home hub and eero extender functions. The larger Echo Show 16 can be preordered, with The Verge reporting a December 16 launch.
South Korea fines Google and Apple over app store payment rules
The regulator imposed 63.71 billion won in fines and ordered changes to payment options for app developers, with compliance deadlines tied to the companies’ receipt of...
Sources and context
- European orbiter detects fresh hints of volcanic activity on MarsPhys.org; provided by the European Space Agency
- New evidence of volcanic activity on Mars suggests possible life on the red planetMetro
- ExoMars discovers new gas and traces water loss on MarsEuropean Space Agency
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.