NASA makes an important discovery on Mars

NASA scientists have discovered the existence of a giant volcano on Mars – the Noctis volcano and the presence of an ancient glacier.
The latest research on Mars has brought to light a volcano of impressive dimensions, located just south of the planet's equator, and the presence of an ancient glacier in its immediate vicinity.
Both are located in the Noctis Labyrinthus region near the grandiose canyons of Valles Marineris.
The imposing size and strategic position of the volcano make it a first-rate site for studying the geological evolution of Mars.
Its existence testifies to prolonged activity over time.
The discovery of the volcano, however, could lead to further studies of extreme relevance for scientists.
Here's what this discovery could mean for science.
The Noctis volcano, NASA's discovery The discovery is grandiose.
“We were studying the geology of an area where we had found remnants of glaciers last year when we realized we were inside a huge, heavily eroded volcano.” These were the first words of Pascal Lee, one of the scientists responsible for studying the site of interest.
While studying the ancient remains of a glacier.
Lee, Sourabh Shubham and their colleague John W.
Schutt realized the presence of this imposing volcano, 9,000 meters high and 450 kilometers in diameter, active for several years.
According to experts, the link between the Noctis volcano and the glacier makes this discovery even more impressive.
As explained by Shubham, of the Department of Geology at the University of Maryland and co-author of the study: This area of Mars is known to have a wide variety of hydrated minerals (i.e.
also composed of water) that span a long stretch of Martian history .
It has long been suspected that there must be a volcanic environment for these minerals.
So, having found a volcano here might not be too surprising.
Yet confirmation of this presence allows scholars to delve deeper into the geological history of Mars.
At the moment there are many questions to be answered, starting from the age of the volcano, its period of activity and whether it is still volcanically active and whether it can erupt again.
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Schutt had identified the remains of a glacier in the same area of the Noctis volcano, or relict glacier, across an eroded area of the volcanic area.
The remains of the glacier were in the form of a light-coloured deposit with the presence of sulphate salt.
It is believed that this deposit, consisting mainly of jarosite, a hydrated sulphate, was formed when: "the blanket of volcanic pyroclastic materials settled on a glacier and reacted chemically with the ice".
The study was conducted using data from NASA's Mariner 9, Viking Orbiter 1 and 2, Mars Global Surveyor, Mars Odyssey and Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter missions, as well as ESA's Mars Express mission.
What does this discovery represent for Science? But what does the discovery of the Noctis volcano represent for Science? Scientists have observed the presence of lava flows, pyroclastic deposits rich in materials such as ash and pumice, and hydrated mineral deposits, unmistakable signs of the interaction between volcanic activity and water throughout Martian history.
The unique combination of heat and water, in fact, could suggest the possibility that the conditions for Mars to have hosted life forms existed in the past.
This discovery could therefore reveal new information about the topology of the Red Planet and more specifically of this area.
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