Figure 1: A giant volcano hiding in plain sight in one of Mars most iconic regions.The recently discovered huge volcano on Mars is located simply south of the planets equator, in Eastern Noctis Labyrinthus, west of Valles Marineris, the planets large canyon system. Recently found huge volcano is situated in the “middle of the action” on Mars.Topographic map revealing the renowned area of the Noctis volcano between the largest canyon and volcanic provinces on Mars.Credit: Background image: NASA Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA) digital elevation design. Volcanic Terrain and Glacier RemnantsIn addition to the volcano, the research study reports the discovery of a large, 5000 square kilometer (1930 square mile) area of volcanic deposits within the volcanos perimeter presenting a big number of low, lengthened and rounded, blister-like mounds. As fractures and faults ultimately developed, in particular in connection with the uplift of the more comprehensive Tharsis area on which the volcano sits, lavas began to increase through various parts of the volcano, leading to thermal disintegration and removal of large quantities of buried ice and the disastrous collapse of whole sections of the volcano.Subsequent glaciations continued their disintegration, giving many canyons within the structure their present distinctive shape. And if it has actually been active for a really long time, could the combination of continual heat and water from ice have enabled the website to harbor life?Figure 6: Possible buried glacier ice near the base of the Noctis volcano.A well-preserved volcanic lava circulation and pyroclastic deposit in the southeastern part of the Noctis volcano suggest that the volcano remained active even in relatively recent times.
Figure 1: A giant volcano hiding in plain sight in among Mars most iconic regions.The newly found giant volcano on Mars is located simply south of the planets equator, in Eastern Noctis Labyrinthus, west of Valles Marineris, the planets huge canyon system. The volcano sits on the eastern edge of a broad local topographic increase called Tharsis, home to 3 other widely known huge volcanoes: Ascraeus Mons, Pavonis Mons, and Arsia Mons. More deteriorated and less high than these giants, the freshly discovered volcano rivals the others in size, which is about 450 km (280 miles) (red dashed circle in this picture). Possible buried glacier ice is likewise reported under a relatively current volcanic deposit within the perimeter of the eroded volcano, making the location appealing for the look for life and future robotic and human exploration.Credit: Background image: NASA/USGS Mars world. Geologic interpretation and annotations by Pascal Lee and Sourabh Shubham 2024. A deeply deteriorated huge volcano, active from ancient through current times and with possible residues of glacier ice near its base, had actually been concealing near Mars equator in plain sight. Its discovery indicate an exciting new location to browse for life, and a prospective location for future robotic and human exploration.In a revolutionary statement at the 55th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference held in The Woodlands, Texas, researchers exposed the discovery of a giant volcano and possible sheet of buried glacier ice in the eastern part of Mars Tharsis volcanic province, near the worlds equator. Imaged repeatedly by orbiting spacecraft around Mars since Mariner 9 in 1971– but deeply worn down beyond easy recognition, the giant volcano had been hiding in plain sight for decades in among Mars most renowned areas, at the border in between the greatly fractured maze-like Noctis Labyrinthus (Labyrinth of the Night) and the monumental canyons of Valles Marineris (Valleys of Mariner) (Fig. 1). Insights Into Noctis VolcanoProvisionally designated “Noctis volcano” pending a main name, the structure is focused at 7 ° 35 ′ S, 93 ° 55 ′ W. It reaches +9022 meters( 29,600 feet) in elevation and covers 450 kilometers (280 miles) in width. The volcanos enormous size and complex modification history suggest that it has actually been active for a really long time. In its southeastern part lies a thin, recent volcanic deposit beneath which glacier ice is most likely still present. This combined huge volcano and possible glacier ice discovery is considerable, as it indicates an interesting new location to study Mars geologic advancement through time, look for life, and check out with robotics and people in the future (Fig. 2). Figure 2. Recently discovered huge volcano lies in the “middle of the action” on Mars.Topographic map revealing the renowned area of the Noctis volcano in between the biggest volcanic and canyon provinces on Mars.Credit: Background image: NASA Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA) digital elevation design. Geologic analysis & & annotations by Pascal Lee and Sourabh Shubham 2024.” We were taking a look at the geology of an area where we had actually found the remains of a glacier last year when we recognized we were inside a big and deeply worn down volcano,” stated Dr. Pascal Lee, planetary scientist with the SETI Institute and the Mars Institute based at NASA Ames Research Center, and the lead author of the study.Several clues, taken together, hand out the volcanic nature of the jumble of layered mesas and canyons in this eastern part of Noctis Labyrinthus. The central top location is marked by a number of elevated mesas forming an arc, reaching a local high and sloping downhill far from the summit area. The mild outer slopes extend out to 225 kilometers (140 miles) away in different directions. When host to a lava lake– can be seen near the center of the structure, a caldera remnant– the remains of a collapsed volcanic crater. Lava streams, pyroclastic deposits (made of volcanic particle materials such as ash, cinders, pumice, and tephra), and hydrated mineral deposits take place in numerous locations within the structures boundary (Figs. 3, 4, and 5). Figure 3: Topographic map of the Noctis volcano.The Noctis volcano does not provide the traditional cone shape of a typical volcano since a long history of deep fracturing and erosion has actually customized it. Upon close assessment, key functions a sign of a volcano are recognizable. Within the “inner zone” defining the greatest elevation remains of the volcano, an arc of high mesas marks the main summit location, culminating at +9022 m (29,600 feet). Preserved portions of the volcanos flanks extend downhill in various instructions to the outer edge of the “external zone,” 225 km (140 miles) far from the top area. When host to a lava lake– can be seen near the center of the structure, a caldera remnant– the remains of a collapsed volcanic crater. Lava streams, pyroclastic deposits (made of volcanic particle products such as ash, cinders, pumice and tephra) and hydrothermal mineral deposits happen in several locations within the boundary of the volcanic structure. The map also shows the rootless cone field and possible extent of shallow buried glacier ice reported in this study, in relation to the “relict glacier” found in 2023. Noctis Landing, a candidate landing site for future robotic and human exploration, is likewise shown.Credit: Background images: NASA Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) Context Camera (CTX) mosaic and Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA) digital elevation design. Geologic interpretation & & annotations by Pascal Lee & & Sourabh Shubham 2024.” This location of Mars is known to have a wide array of hydrated minerals covering a long stretch of Martian history. A volcanic setting for these minerals had long been thought. So, it might not be too surprising to find a volcano here,” discussed Sourabh Shubham, a college student at the University of Marylands Department of Geology and the studys co-author. “In some sense, this big volcano is a long-sought smoking gun.” Figure 4: Detailed Mars information analysis revealed the Noctis volcano.Detailed analysis of the altimetry of the area utilizing NASAs Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA) information, in combination with high resolution imaging information from NASAs Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) and Context Imager (CTX), and from the European Space Agencys Mars Express (MEX) High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC) allowed the discovery of the Noctis volcano. In addition to the volcanos top, caldera residue, and external and inner zones, the topographic map on the right shows the “relict glacier” discovered in 2023 and Noctis Landing, a prospect landing website for future robotic and human exploration.Credit: Left: Mars Express HRSC color mosaic © ESA/DLR/FU Berlin CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO; Right: Background image: like Left; NASA MGS MOLA digital elevation model. Geologic analysis and annotations by Pascal Lee and Sourabh Shubham 2024. Volcanic Terrain and Glacier RemnantsIn addition to the volcano, the research study reports the discovery of a big, 5000 square kilometer (1930 square mile) location of volcanic deposits within the volcanos boundary presenting a great deal of low, rounded and elongated, blister-like mounds. This “blistered terrain” is translated to be a field of “rootless cones,” mounds produced by explosive steam venting or steam swelling when a thin blanket of hot volcanic products comes to rest on top of a water or ice-rich surface area (Figs. 3 and 6). Just a year back, Lee, Shubham and their associate John W. Schutt had identified the spectacular remains of a glacier– or “relict glacier”– through a considerable erosional opening in the exact same volcanic blanket, in the kind of a light-toned deposit (LTD) of sulfate salt with the morphologic characteristics of a glacier. The sulfate deposit, made mainly of jarosite, a hydrous sulfate, was interpreted to have actually formed when the blanket of volcanic pyroclastic materials came to rest on a glacier and responded chemically with the ice. Breached rootless cones identified in the current research study show comparable incidents of polyhydrated sulfates, even more recommending the blistered volcanic blanket might be hiding a vast sheet of glacier ice below it (Fig. 6). Figure 5: Noctis volcano in 3D. Anaglyph image showing parts of the Noctis volcanos 250 km (155 mile) diameter inner zone of high elevation remains, and 450 km (280 mile) diameter outer zone of other remains related to the volcano. In addition to the volcanos summit, caldera remnant, and inner and external zones, this 3D map shows the “relict glacier” discovered in 2023 and Noctis Landing, a prospect landing website for future robotic and human exploration.Credit: Background image: Mars Express anaglyph (3D) mosaic © ESA/DLR/FU Berlin CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO. Geologic analysis and annotations by Pascal Lee and Sourabh Shubham 2024. Complex History and Future ExplorationThe Noctis volcano presents a complex and long history of adjustment, possibly from a combination of fracturing, thermal erosion, and glacial erosion. Researchers interpret the volcano to be a vast shield made from layered build-ups of pyroclastic products, lavas, and ice, the latter arising from repeated buildups of snow and glaciers on its flanks through time. As faults and fractures eventually developed, in particular in connection with the uplift of the broader Tharsis region on which the volcano sits, lavas started to increase through various parts of the volcano, causing thermal disintegration and elimination of vast amounts of buried ice and the catastrophic collapse of whole sections of the volcano.Subsequent glaciations continued their erosion, giving many canyons within the structure their present distinctive shape. In this context the “relict glacier” and the possible buried sheet of glacier ice around it, might be remnants of the current glaciation episode impacting the Noctis volcano.But much about the freshly found giant volcano remains a secret. Although it is clear that it has been active for a very long time and started to develop early in Mars history, it is unknown how early precisely. Similarly, although it has actually experienced eruptions even in contemporary times, it is unidentified if it is still volcanically active and might appear once again. And if it has been active for a very long time, might the mix of sustained warmth and water from ice have allowed the site to harbor life?Figure 6: Possible buried glacier ice near the base of the Noctis volcano.An unspoiled volcanic lava flow and pyroclastic deposit in the southeastern part of the Noctis volcano recommend that the volcano remained active even in fairly recent times. The pyroclastic deposit provides “blisters” at its surface area, analyzed as “rootless cones” or steam vents produced when the hot pyroclastic products can be found in contact with H2O ice. Breaches in the pyroclastic deposit reveal light-toned deposits (LTDs) of sulfate salts, anticipated products of chemical responses between pyroclastic products and H2O ice. The biggest LTD of sulfates in this area had actually currently been referred to as a “relict glacier,” as it provides a wide variety of morphologic characteristics particular to glaciers, suggesting that glacier ice may still be protected, just safeguarded under a thin layer of sulfate salts. By extension, the rootless cones and other sulfate deposits in this area might be blanketing a lot more glacier ice.Credit: Background images: NASA Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE), Context Imager (CTX), and Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars (CRISM). Geologic interpretation and annotations by Pascal Lee and Sourabh Shubham 2024. As secrets surrounding the Noctis volcano continue to puzzle researchers, the website is currently becoming an exciting new place to study Mars geologic evolution, search for life, and plan future robotic and human expedition. The possible existence of glacier ice at shallow depths near the equator implies that people could potentially explore a less frigid part of the world while still having the ability to extract water for hydration and manufacturing rocket fuel (by breaking down H2O into hydrogen and oxygen).” Its actually a mix of things that makes the Noctis volcano website extremely exciting. Its a long-lived and ancient volcano so deeply deteriorated that you could hike, drive, or fly through it to examine, sample, and date different parts of its interior to study Mars evolution through time. It has likewise had a long history of heat communicating with water and ice, that makes it a prime area for astrobiology and our search for signs of life. With glacier ice likely still preserved near the surface area in a reasonably warm equatorial region on Mars, the place is looking really attractive for robotic and human expedition,” said Lee.This research study was conducted using information from NASAs Mariner 9, Viking Orbiter 1 and 2, Mars Global Surveyor, Mars Odyssey, and Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter objectives, as well as ESAs Mars Express objective. Special gratitude is expressed to their instrument teams for getting the various datasets utilized in this research study. Use of the open NASA Planetary Data System, Mars Quickmap, Mars Trek, and Google Mars online data visualization tools was also crucial in allowing the study.Reference: “Large Eroded Volcano Complex and Buried Glacier Ice in Eastern Noctis Labyrinthus: Evidence for Recent Volcanism and Glaciation Near Mars Equator” by Pascal Lee and Sourabh Shubham, 55th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference.PDF
