Produced by: Manoj Kumar
Giant, dense structures have been found beneath Mars’ surface, baffling scientists and raising questions about the Red Planet's geologic activity and volcanic potential.
A massive 1,750-kilometer-wide anomaly beneath Tharsis Montes suggests that a mantle plume could still be active, potentially creating future volcanic eruptions.
Published in JGR: Planets, the study by Bart Root and his team proposes that this plume is pushing upward, disrupting Mars’ lithosphere and defying conventional geological theories.
Tharsis Montes’ elevated position challenges flexural isostasy, a key geological concept. The findings suggest Mars’ lithosphere is being lifted rather than sinking under the anomaly's weight.
In Mars’ northern polar plains, dense structures buried under ancient seabeds show gravitational anomalies 300-400 kg/m³ denser than their surroundings, yet leave no visible trace on the surface.
Similar anomalies on Earth’s Moon are tied to impactors, but Mars’ dense structures appear to have a volcanic origin or compacted material from ancient impacts, according to Root.
If the mantle plume reaches Mars’ surface, scientists predict dramatic volcanic activity that could reshape its landscape, creating spectacular pyrotechnics in the future.
A proposed Martian Quantum Gravity mission could map Mars’ subsurface, using advanced gravity-mapping technologies similar to those applied on Earth and the Moon.
Dr. Lisa Wörner of the German Aerospace Center explains how these gravitational anomalies could unlock secrets of Mars’ mantle convection, groundwater reservoirs, and dynamic surface processes.