A team of researchers has uncovered intriguing evidence suggesting that a mountain on the rim of Mars’ Jezero Crater could be a long-hidden volcano. This discovery, published in Communications Earth & Environment, may hold key insights into the planet’s volcanic history and the potential for ancient Martian life. With the help of data from NASA’s Perseverance rover and multiple Mars orbiters, scientists have brought forward compelling evidence that Jezero Mons might not just be a mountain.
Jezero Mons: A Volcano In Disguise
Mars is a planet of mystery, with its surface marked by vast craters, deep canyons, and strange geological formations. Among these features, Jezero Crater has always intrigued scientists, largely due to its potential to have once held water. Researchers had long suspected that the prominent peak on the crater’s rim—Jezero Mons—might be volcanic, but conclusive evidence had been elusive. That is, until now.
Using data collected from Mars orbiters and the Perseverance rover, scientists have confirmed that Jezero Mons shows characteristics similar to known volcanic formations on Mars and Earth. The mountain’s size and shape mirror those of volcanic features like Zephyria and Apollinarus Tholi on Mars, and even Mount Sidley in Antarctica. These similarities provide solid evidence that the feature might have been formed by volcanic activity.
Unearthing The Secrets Of Mars’ Volcanic Past
The most compelling aspect of this discovery is what it reveals about Mars’ geological history. The team, led by James Wray, a professor of astrogeology at Georgia Tech, studied multiple data sets from orbiters including the Mars Odyssey, Mars Reconnaissance, and ExoMars Trace Gas orbiters. Their analysis found that Jezero Mons shares striking features with explosive volcanoes found elsewhere on Mars and Earth. This includes the mountain’s shape, as well as the absence of impact craters.
Also, parts of Jezero Mons’ northwestern flank show signs that closely resemble past lava flows. These flows appear to have reached the crater floor, further linking the mountain to volcanic activity. This is particularly significant because NASA’s Perseverance rover found that the floor of Jezero Crater is made of volcanic rock, not sedimentary rock as expected from a previously flooded area. This discovery led the team to hypothesize that the volcanic material could have originated from Jezero Mons itself.
The Search For Past Life In Jezero Crater
The potential volcanic nature of Jezero Mons carries broader implications for the search for life on Mars. Volcanic activity could have created hydrothermal environments—conditions that may have supported microbial life in the planet’s distant past. This discovery reignites the possibility that Mars, particularly Jezero Crater, once had the right conditions to harbor life, at least in its early history.
To further investigate, the team is now awaiting the return of samples collected by the Perseverance rover. These samples, when returned to Earth, will be analyzed through radioisotope dating, which will provide more precise data about the age of the volcanic rocks. This will help scientists understand when the volcanic activity occurred in relation to the presence of water.
While there is still much to learn, this latest research suggests that Jezero Mons may not be a solitary feature. “If we are just now identifying a volcano here, imagine how many more could be on Mars,” said Wray, highlighting the potential for many more discoveries across the Martian surface.
