Ice Volcanoes on Mars
Explanation:
What causes these unusual cone-shaped features on
Mars?
Spanning an average of only 100 meters at the base,
these small cones appear near massive
Martian volcanoes such as
Olympus Mons.
Near the cones are also
dry channels and eroded banks.
Given these clues, some
scientists speculate
that the cones were formed by
lava heating ice lying just below the
Martian surface.
Lava heated ice would vaporize and expand,
punching holes in the
cooling lava flow as it escaped.
Interestingly,
nearby volcanoes may have erupted as
recently as 10 million years ago, indicating the
equatorial near-ground ice existed in the recent past,
and therefore may also exist there today.
Tomorrow's picture: Stars
Of M10
Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell
(USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings,
and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris.
Specific
rights apply.
A service of:
LHEA at
NASA /
GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
