The material was most likely produced by volcanic eruptions

Mar 29, 2012 20:31 GMT  ·  By
Vast areas in the northern Martian hemisphere are covered with volcanic glass
   Vast areas in the northern Martian hemisphere are covered with volcanic glass

According to the results of a new scientific investigation, it would appear that volcanism was once one of the most important sources of sediments on the Red Planet. Researchers were recently able to identify widespread fields made out of glass on the surface of Mars.

The findings also suggest that, even under hyper-arid conditions covering prolonged periods of time, limited amounts of liquid water remained present at the surface eons ago. Geologists now agree that the last time liquid water was available on the neighboring world was at least 1 billion years ago.

Studies of the Martian surface, conducted using various orbiters, landers and rovers, have in the past revealed a large number of lava flows, as well as other signs of effusive volcanism. However, research failed to discover direct evidence that such large-scale explosions occurred.

What the new investigation provides is evidence that the extensive deposits hypothesized by scientists years ago are actually real. The work was carried out by Arizona State University (ASU) scientists Briony Horgan and James F. Bell III, Daily Galaxy reports.

The team was especially interested in dark regions of the Martian surface, which cover in excess of ten million square kilometers in the northern hemisphere. A mineralogical analysis of these surfaces reveals that they are mostly made out of volcanic glass.

This material is produced through explosive eruptions, and may represent the consequence of ancient interactions between lava flows and ice in the northern Martian lowlands. The ASU team says that the glass fields may also represent traces of former ash deposits generated by shield volcanoes.

One of the most significant aspects of the study is that it revealed indications that the glass has been damaged over time, showing significant interactions with liquid water. This water most likely came from melting ice and snow, since Mars has been largely arid for the past 3 billion years.

Scientists now plan to conduct additional studies of these areas, in hopes of gaining a deeper understanding of the geological interactions that shaped the Martian landscape over time.

Coupled with the data that will be sent back by the MSL rover Curiosity, this information may finally serve to create an image of how our neighboring planet looked like in its infancy, and whether it was ever able to support life or not.