Are Martian volcanos still erupting? Or has the planet’s core cooled to the point that there is no more volcanism?
The gases that make up the Martian atmosphere (CO2, N2, Ar, O2, H2o)-is there any way to determine if some of them result from recent volcanism?
Back when I went to school we were taught that Mars is no longer geologically active, but more recent evidence seems to indicate that it’s not quite dead yet.
You may find this article interesting.
The wikipedia article on the volcanology of Mars says “some speculate it probably still is so today” and lists a couple of cites you could track down if you are so inclined.
So it’s only mostly dead?
The question of Mars and methane gas is still a very puzzling one, which may factor into the question of whether Mars is still active or not. Orbiting probes and studies from Earth have found traces of methane in the atmosphere. The Curiosity rover was built with a number of instruments to test the contents of the atmosphere and found no detectable levels of methane, which was a bit of a surprising negative result.
So, the answer is, we’re not sure. But even if it isn’t completely dead, it is certainly “mostly dead”. Apparently the Indian Mars orbiter that was just launched has some methane observation instruments.
Methane and volcanism? I don’t get it. Methane is usually caused by a biologic agent.
On our world, it is, but that’s mostly just because living things are continually meddling with everything involving C, O, H, or N. Absent life, though, it’s one of the default forms in which carbon is found.
Ok, I dig that (like in the moon Enceladus.) But I’m sure methane didn’t come from a volcano. There is a special case of “volcano” that’s not tectonic or magmatic in nature. When it erupts, it spews ice, ammonia, and methane.