Marsquakes, Add Water and Shake

An anonymous reader writes "Analysis of Mars orbital data shows northern pit chains as evidence for relatively recent seismic activity. If marsquakes release water-ice to the surface, then such young features may be reshaping and eroding the landscape from below. No modern volcanic or seismic activity has ever been confirmed before. A long-standing mystery is why the northern hemisphere is smooth, while the martian south is so rugged."

Comments

Pit chains

[Evil Pete]

Always wondered how they could be created. This is the first time I've read a plausible explanation, though to tell the truth it is not an issue I have relentlessly pursued. However, I think I first saw such 'pit chains' on lunar photos. I guess that could just be magma, gasses whatever ... probably one thing we will learn from the solar system is that sometimes similar geographical features can be produced by totally different media ... something like the way beaches (berms , cusps etc) can be made on Earth of sand, rock, shells, whatever.

But the bit about one hemisphere being so smooth ... isn't that one reason why it is hypothesised to be an ocean bed ?