Mars turns out to be more active than previously thought, igniting hopes of finding signs of life on the Red Planet. Scientists from the Australian National University analyzed the data from NASA's Insight Mars Lander and found previously undetected marsquakes that had never been detected before.
If their findings are true, it will support previous theories that life exists in underground caverns on Mars. The warm magma beneath the planet's surface and groundwater is thought to provide a habitat for Martian microbes.
Mysterious Rumbling Noise on Mars Sparks Hope for Finding Signs of Life on the Red Planet
Unique Marsquakes May Signal Active Volcanic Activity on Mars
The Insight Mars Lander has resided on Mars since 2018 and takes readings of marsquakes and scientists used the data from it to learn more about the interior of the Red Planet. The study, titled "Repetitive Marsquakes in Martian Upper Mantle," published in Nature Communications, reported that they uncovered 47 previously undetected marsquakes beneath the Martian crust.
The Sun reported that the mysterious marsquakes were discovered in Cerberus Fossae, a seismically active region on Mars approximately 20 million years old. Researchers speculate that the volcanic activity they detected was the cause of the newly detected quakes.
Moreover, they argue that these mysterious rumbles are the result of Martian tectonic forces that is similar to Earth's tectonic forces. Professor Hrvoje Tkalčić, the study's co-author, said that these marsquakes repeatedly occurred at all times of the Martian day, unlike previously detected marsquakes that happen only during the dead of night when the planet is quieter.
The team concluded that the movement of molten rock in the planet's mantle had triggered the 47 newly detected marsquakes beneath the Cerberus Fossae region. It is an important finding because it gives new insight into how Mars evolved as a planet and may help answer fundamental questions about the Solar System.
ALSO READ: Marsquakes Studies Reveal Mars Have Larger Metallic Core than Previously Believed
Magnetic Field Can Mean the Difference Between Life and Death
Scientists believed for a very long time that Mars does not have any volcanic activity because of its lack of a magnetic field. Science Alert reported that a geological force called a dynamo, which is rotating, connecting, and electrically conducting fluid that transforms kinetic energy to magnetic energy, generates planetary magnetic fields.
However, the lack of a magnetic field on Mars would mean a difference between life and death. The magnetic field on Earth protects the planet and all living and non-living things above it from harmful cosmic radiation. Meanwhile, radiation levels on Mars are higher even though it is the fourth planet from the Sun.
Researchers explain that life on Earth is possible because of its magnetic field and its ability to shield life from cosmic radiation. Without this protective layer, life will also not be possible.
But the recent findings from the Insight Mars Lander suggest that the planet is still active and rumbling. To date, the car-sized robot has detected hundreds of marsquakes that allow scientists to create a detailed map of the interior of Mars.
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