New orbital data from the European Space Agency’s Mars Express mission reveal that the youngest volcanoes on Mars weren’t formed by singular, explosive events, but through prolonged and evolving magmatic activity beneath the surface. Researchers have discovered that the volcanic system south of Pavonis Mons, one of the Red Planet’s largest volcanoes, experienced multiple eruptive phases, reshaping lava flows over extended periods.
The findings, led by Bartosz Pieterek of Adam Mickiewicz University, challenge previous assumptions about Martian volcanism. Scientists had often assumed that relatively recent volcanic formations resulted from single, short-lived eruptions. Instead, the new research demonstrates that magma continued to move, evolve, and chemically change over time, even during Mars’ most recent volcanic period. “Our results show that even during Mars’ most recent volcanic period, magma systems beneath the surface remained active and complex,” Pieterek said. “The volcano did not erupt just once — it evolved over time as conditions in the subsurface changed.”
The study combined detailed surface mapping with orbital mineral data to reconstruct the volcanic and magmatic evolution of the Pavonis Mons system with unprecedented detail. The research indicates a transition from early fissure-fed lava emplacement to later point-source activity that produced cone-forming vents. Though the resulting lava flows appear distinct on the surface, they were all supplied by the same underlying magma system, according to the research team.
Understanding the complexity of these volcanic systems is crucial for understanding the planet’s inner dynamics and how rocky planets build and transform their surfaces. Geoscientists study volcanic products to reveal the hidden magmatic systems that feed volcanic activity, and this approach has now been successfully applied to Mars. The research highlights that what appears to be a single volcanic eruption is often the result of complex processes operating deep underground.
Martian volcanic features range in age from the Noachian period (more than 3.7 billion years ago) to the late Amazonian period (less than 500 million years ago), indicating a long history of volcanic activity on the planet. Some scientists speculate that volcanism may even continue today. While Mars and Earth share similar compositions and magmatic processes, Martian shield volcanoes are significantly larger. Olympus Mons, the largest volcano in the Solar System, is 550 kilometers across and 21 kilometers high – nearly 100 times greater in volume than Mauna Loa in Hawaii.
The discovery that Mars’ youngest volcanoes are more complex than previously thought builds on observations made as early as 1972, when the Mariner 9 mission revealed extensive volcanic features covering large portions of the Martian surface, including lava flows and vast lava plains. The new research suggests that these features are not simply the result of past eruptions, but represent the visible outcome of ongoing, intricate activity beneath the surface.
