ESA ExoMars detects hydrogen chloride above Alba Mons indicating magma
Turns out Mars is not just a dusty old planet; scientists just found signs it could still be geologically active!
Using data from the European Space Agency's ExoMars orbiter, researchers spotted unusual concentrations of hydrogen chloride gas above fissures on the flanks of Alba Mons.
This hints there is probably hot magma under the surface, keeping things lively on the Red Planet.
Alba Mons top target for microbes
The study noticed these gas bursts follow Mars's seasons, especially ramping up in early summer.
Fresh fissures seen by the orbiter could be channels through which gasses from a dormant magma chamber are escaping.
Even cooler? If magma is mixing with underground water, it could create warm spots where life might exist, or once did.
That makes Alba Mons a top spot for future missions hunting for signs of Martian microbes.