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Mysterious gas leaks suggest Mars may still be volcanically alive

The Brief · written from 3 sources

The European Space Agency's Trace Gas Orbiter detected hydrogen chloride gas coming from some areas around the Alba Mons volcano on Mars.
Sources say the gas and fresh volcanic fissures may indicate that Mars is still volcanically active, though this is not confirmed.
Sources say hot magma may still be active deep underground, which could provide warmth and chemical energy that might support microbial life.

Why it matters

If Mars is still volcanically active, it may have hidden pockets of warmth and chemical energy, which matters for the search for past or present life.

Who’s affected

Researchers studying Mars geology and astrobiology

#mars
#volcanism
#hydrogen-chloride
#astrobiology
#trace-gas-orbiter

Mysterious gas emissions and fresh volcanic fissures suggest that Mars may not be geologically dead after all, with hot magma potentially still active deep underground. The discovery could point to hidden pockets of warmth and chemical energy capable of supporting microbial life…

Read the full story at sciencedaily.com ↗