Volcanic activity may be the cause of marsquakes

Researchers from The Australian National University suggest that volcanic activity beneath the surface of Mars could cause repetitive Marsquakes, which are similar to earthquakes.

A new research published in Nature Communications shows that scientists from ANU and the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing have discovered 47 previously undetected Marsquakes beneath the Martian crust in an area that is less than 20 million years old.

The authors of the study theorize that the new Marsquakes are caused by the magma activity in the Martian mantle, which is sandwiched between the crust and the core.

According to the findings, the volcanic Marsquakes are not caused by Martian tectonic forces, but by magma in the Martian mantle.

The repetitive nature of these quakes and the fact they were all detected in the same area of the planet suggests that Mars is.

Professor Tkal found that the Marsquakes occurred at all times of the day on the planet, unlike the Marsquakes that were detected and reported by NASA.

We can assume that the movement of molten rock in the Martian mantle is the cause of the 47 Marsquakes that have been detected.

Professor Tkal said that the continuous seismicity suggests that the region on Mars is highly active.

The understanding of how Mars evolved as a planet is dependent on knowing that the Martian mantle is still active.

It can help us answer fundamental questions about the solar system and the state of Mars.

The data collected from the seismometer attached to the InSight lander was used by the researchers.

The researchers were able to detect the 47 previously undiscovered Marsquakes using a unique method.

The study authors say that the earthquakes on Mars would have caused some shaking, but they would not have been felt on Earth. A term used to refer to one solar day on Mars is 350 sols, which is equivalent to about 358 days on Earth.

The findings from the Marsquake could help scientists figure out why the Red Planet no longer has a magnetic field.

The Marsquakes help us understand whether the planet's interior is getting hotter or cooler, and if this is based on our findings, there must be another mechanism at play that is preventing a magnetic field from developing.

All life on Earth is possible because of the Earth's magnetic field and its ability to shield us from cosmic radiation, so without a magnetic field life wouldn't be possible.

Understanding Mars' magnetic field, how it evolved, and at which stage of the planet's history it stopped is important for future missions and is critical if scientists one day hope to establish human life on Mars.

More information: Weijia Sun et al, Repetitive marsquakes in Martian upper mantle, Nature Communications (2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-29329-x Journal information: Nature Communications Citation: Volcanic activity may be the cause of marsquakes (2022, April 1) retrieved 1 April 2022 from https://phys.org/news/2022-04-volcanic-marsquakes.html This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.