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Tag Archives: volcanos
What turned off the Martian magnetic field?
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
Posted in Reports
Tagged convection, core, core dynamo, degassing, dynamo, magnetic field, mantle, volatiles, volcanos
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Did Tharsis change its volcanic style?
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
Posted in Reports
Tagged cinder cones, lava flows, pyroclastic eruptions, Tharsis, volcanos
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When Apollinaris Patera went boom
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
Posted in Reports
Tagged Apollinaris Patera, atmosphere, Medusae Fossae Formation, volcanos, wind
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Elysium’s eruptive history
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
Hadriaca Patera’s heavy footprint
On the northeast edge of the giant Hellas impact basin, the thick stack of lava in the volcano Hadriaca Patera weighed so much it depressed the Martian surface immediately around it. This bent and cracked the crust on the volcano’s … Continue reading
Posted in Reports
Tagged Dao Vallis, Hadriaca Patera, Hellas Planitia, High Resolution Stereo Camera, HRSC, Mars Express, Niger Vallis, outflow channels, volcanos
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Hunting for young lava flows
The quest to find the youngest, most recent lava flows on Mars inevitably leads back to two highly volcanic regions: Elysium and especially Tharsis. A group of researchers led by Ernst Hauber (DLR, Berlin) has zeroed in on Tharsis. Ignoring … Continue reading
Posted in Reports
Tagged CTX, lava flows, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, Tharsis, volcanos
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How to date a volcano
Without rock samples to analyze in a laboratory, how can you tell the age of a Martian volcano? A team led by Stuart Robbins (University of Colorado) used high-resolution images to count craters in the calderas (summit collapse pits) of … Continue reading