53,000 Year old Volcanic Eruption on Mars (Patreon)
Published:
2022-05-22 22:17:56
Imported:
2022-12
Content
Mars has long thought to be a geologically dead planet, hence the frequency of young impact craters. However, recent evidence has shown this predisposition to not necessarily be the case. As Olympus Mons, a lava flow erupted 2.4 million years ago.
As for the dark brown-black area around a fissure? This is a 53,000 year old lava pyroclastic flow deposit on Mars. It formed during what was the planet's most recent explosive eruption. Total area covered by ash = ~230 km^3.