ExoMars Orbiter Finds Gas Leak Hinting Mars Volcanoes Still Active

An exception to the seasonal pattern

Researchers recorded unusual spikes in hydrogen chloride during the Martian summer in the northern hemisphere, a time when the gas is not expected to appear. Its concentration normally peaks in northern winter and disappears in summer, because it is tied to the planet's water and dust cycle. Near the fissures on the slopes of Alba Mons, the team saw an exception to that rule.

The orbiter then spotted recent, narrow fissures in the area, some of them hundreds of feet long, which strengthened the case for volcanic activity below the surface.

Daniel Mege, co-lead of the science team at the Space Research Centre of the Polish Academy of Sciences, said the findings indicate Mars kept enough internal heat to sustain volcanism until recently, and possibly still does.

Why it matters for the search for life

The researchers believe the gas is linked to a system of volcanic conduits connected to a dormant magma chamber under the surface. Areas around such fissures could be important places to look for microbial life. Volcanic gases were more abundant in the past and may have helped build a thicker atmosphere and a warmer climate, allowing liquid water across wide areas. Lava meeting groundwater could also have created warm environments suitable for microorganisms.

Mege said searching for microbial life in the gas-emitting fissures at Alba Mons would be a logical step, since active hydrothermal systems could supply the nutrients and energy microbes need, while also shielding them from harsh and changing surface conditions.

The results were published in the journal Science Advances and add to research reassessing the geological activity of the Red Planet and the possibility of habitable environments beneath its surface.