Tag Archives: volcanos

Does Arabia show a new style of Martian volcanism?

Posted on March 25, 2013 by rburnham

Arabia is one of the largest and oldest regions of Mars. Among its varied rocks are widespread deposits of soft and easily eroded ones which may have a volcanic origin. However, Arabia has no obvious volcanic vents or sources. So … Continue reading →

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Explosive eruptions in dense ancient atmospheres

Posted on January 12, 2013 by rburnham

Explosive volcanic eruptions on an earlier Mars with a thicker atmosphere would have scattered fine ash (pyroclastic debris) mainly east or west of the volcano, a new study finds. Also, a denser ancient atmosphere supports the addition of Arsia and … Continue reading →

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Mars’ explosive childhood

Posted on December 14, 2012 by rburnham

Mars is widely understood to be a volcanic planet — its surface shows abundant evidence of volcanic activity, both ancient and more recent. Spacecraft detect lava flows in many locations, and spectroscopic evidence of volcanic rocks lies almost everywhere. The … Continue reading →

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Touching Mars from Earth

Posted on August 28, 2012 by rburnham

Remote sensing of Mars usually happens when spacecraft sensors look down from orbit around the Red Planet. But sensors on Earth can also get in on the fun, especially when they actively reach out to the planet via radio waves. … Continue reading →

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“Olympic” ocean in Tharsis?

Posted on July 30, 2012 by rburnham

Two features of Olympus Mons have puzzled geologists since they were discovered decades ago. First are the “aureole” deposits, rough terrain extending as much as 400 kilometers (250 miles) from the volcano. And second is the scarp, about 8,000 meters … Continue reading →

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Ancient volcanos suggest long activity

Posted on March 6, 2012 by rburnham

Mars is a volcanic planet and has been volcanically active from the start. The most extensive volcanism occurred during the earliest part of its geologic history, the Noachian era, the time before roughly 3.7 billion years ago. However, as a … Continue reading →

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What turned off the Martian magnetic field?

Posted on February 3, 2012 by rburnham

For roughly the first 500 to 800 million years of its existence, Mars had a magnetic field generated by a natural internal dynamo. This was powered by convection currents in the planet’s molten iron core, which operated vigorously as they … Continue reading →

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Did Tharsis change its volcanic style?

Posted on January 18, 2012 by rburnham

Volcanic activity on Mars tends toward an “effusive” eruption style: it produces many low-profile, broad-skirted volcanos. These are made with sheets of runny lavas that flow like warm motor oil for long distances, spilling over and around obstacles or burying … Continue reading →

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When Apollinaris Patera went boom

Posted on November 16, 2011 by rburnham

Stretching more than 5,000 kilometers (3,000 miles) between the two volcanic centers of Tharsis and Elysium is a geological enigma, the Medusae Fossae formation. The formation, which lies in several separate patches, appears to be made of easily eroded materials, … Continue reading →

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Elysium’s eruptive history

Posted on November 1, 2011 by rburnham

Elysium is Mars’ second-largest volcanic province after Tharsis. A new study by Thomas Platz and Gregory Michael (Freie Universität Berlin) published in Earth and Planetary Science Letters (October 30, 2011) counts craters on its volcanos and the main lava flows … Continue reading →

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