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Mars Volcanoes May Still Erupt
Q3vi1 writes "Space. com reports, Images from a European space probe reveal recent glacial deposits and lava flows on Mars that suggest the red planet is more active than many scientists had thought."
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Well, we have only been closely looking at mars for (in an astronomical sense) a fraction of a second. Just because there hasn't been any evidence of eruption yet doesn't really mean anything.
Mars does have a molten core, according to JPL. Strikingly similar to both earth, and venus. Interesting stuff, none the less.
Excuse me, I don't mean to impose, but I am the ocean
Mars does have a molten core.
Take a Look
Excuse me, I don't mean to impose, but I am the ocean
Actually, they look much like certain lava flows on earth. Here's the URL of a primer on vulcanism with some examples:
http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/volc/types.html
Mars igneous rocks are mafic -- rich in iron and magnesium, low in silica and volatiles (e.g. water). Mafic magmas are low viscosity and have a better chance of reaching the surface in a liquid state. Since they are also low in water, they don't explode.
On earth, we also have big sheets of mafic lava flows -- the Deccan Traps in India, Watchung Mountains in New Jersey, Grand Mesa in Colorado just to name a few.
Venus isn't inactive it just has long periods of inactivity before enough pressure builds and a huge amount of its surface gets covered in molten lava. This is due to no water being on the planet thereby lacking the necessary lubrication for plate technonics and an active surface like us.
"I don't which is worse, that everyone has a price, or that the price is always so low"--Hobbes