Sign up for CNN’s Wonder Theory science newsletter. Explore the universe with news on fascinating discoveries, scientific advancements and more.Scientists may have pinpointed a massive, oddly shaped volcano taller than Mount Everest on the surface of Mars — and it has been hiding in plain sight for decades, according to new research.The possible identification of a previously unknown Martian volcano has made waves across the planetary sciences community since Mars Institute Chairman Dr. Pascal Lee, lead author of an abstract about the formation, presented the findings on March 13 at the 55th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference in The Woodlands, Texas.The research has drummed up excitement — and attracted some skeptics. 1) Olympus Mons, the tallest known volcano in our solar system. 2) The Tharsis plateau, which is home to three massive volcanoes. 3) Noctis Labyrinthus 4) Valles Marineris, a neighboring region of canyons – NASA SVS” data-src=”https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/zL4R5JE21CotLi1UquHgrA–/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTU0MA–/https://media.zenfs.com/en/cnn_articles_875/468367613ebc96af2a617c3add086214″/> 1) Olympus Mons, the tallest known volcano in our solar system. 2) The Tharsis plateau, which is home to three massive volcanoes. 3) Noctis Labyrinthus 4) Valles Marineris, a neighboring region of canyons – NASA SVS” src=”https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/zL4R5JE21CotLi1UquHgrA–/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTU0MA–/https://media.zenfs.com/en/cnn_articles_875/468367613ebc96af2a617c3add086214″ class=”caas-img”/>Some of the largest volcanoes on Mars lie relatively close to the proposed “Noctis volcano.” Shown here: 1) Olympus Mons, the tallest known volcano in our solar system. 2) The Tharsis plateau, which is home to three massive volcanoes. 3) Noctis Labyrinthus 4) Valles Marineris, a neighboring region of canyons – NASA SVSLee said he and Sourabh Shubham, a doctoral student of geology at the University of Maryland, College Park, have identified a volcano within Mars’ Noctis Labyrinthus region — a gnarled patch of terrain near the equator with a web of canyons. The volcano in the “Labyrinth of Night” may have eluded scientists despite years of satellite observation because it does not tower over its surrounding landscape, Lee said.“It’s also deeply eroded, eaten up and collapsed by erosion to the point that unless you’re really looking for a volcano, you would be really hard-pressed to spot it very quickly,” he told CNN.If the team is correct, the revelation could have broad implications for scientists’ understanding of Martian geology. And, Lee said, he hopes the discovery could help lure future exploratory missions to the area to search for water ice or even signs of life.The smoking gunInitially, the research team’s efforts led to a study presented in March 2023 that suggested the Noctis Labyrinthus region may be home to a massive glacie …
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[mwai_chat context=”Let’s have a discussion about this article:nnSign up for CNN’s Wonder Theory science newsletter. Explore the universe with news on fascinating discoveries, scientific advancements and more.Scientists may have pinpointed a massive, oddly shaped volcano taller than Mount Everest on the surface of Mars — and it has been hiding in plain sight for decades, according to new research.The possible identification of a previously unknown Martian volcano has made waves across the planetary sciences community since Mars Institute Chairman Dr. Pascal Lee, lead author of an abstract about the formation, presented the findings on March 13 at the 55th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference in The Woodlands, Texas.The research has drummed up excitement — and attracted some skeptics. 1) Olympus Mons, the tallest known volcano in our solar system. 2) The Tharsis plateau, which is home to three massive volcanoes. 3) Noctis Labyrinthus 4) Valles Marineris, a neighboring region of canyons – NASA SVS” data-src=”https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/zL4R5JE21CotLi1UquHgrA–/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTU0MA–/https://media.zenfs.com/en/cnn_articles_875/468367613ebc96af2a617c3add086214″/> 1) Olympus Mons, the tallest known volcano in our solar system. 2) The Tharsis plateau, which is home to three massive volcanoes. 3) Noctis Labyrinthus 4) Valles Marineris, a neighboring region of canyons – NASA SVS” src=”https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/zL4R5JE21CotLi1UquHgrA–/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTU0MA–/https://media.zenfs.com/en/cnn_articles_875/468367613ebc96af2a617c3add086214″ class=”caas-img”/>Some of the largest volcanoes on Mars lie relatively close to the proposed “Noctis volcano.” Shown here: 1) Olympus Mons, the tallest known volcano in our solar system. 2) The Tharsis plateau, which is home to three massive volcanoes. 3) Noctis Labyrinthus 4) Valles Marineris, a neighboring region of canyons – NASA SVSLee said he and Sourabh Shubham, a doctoral student of geology at the University of Maryland, College Park, have identified a volcano within Mars’ Noctis Labyrinthus region — a gnarled patch of terrain near the equator with a web of canyons. The volcano in the “Labyrinth of Night” may have eluded scientists despite years of satellite observation because it does not tower over its surrounding landscape, Lee said.“It’s also deeply eroded, eaten up and collapsed by erosion to the point that unless you’re really looking for a volcano, you would be really hard-pressed to spot it very quickly,” he told CNN.If the team is correct, the revelation could have broad implications for scientists’ understanding of Martian geology. And, Lee said, he hopes the discovery could help lure future exploratory missions to the area to search for water ice or even signs of life.The smoking gunInitially, the research team’s efforts led to a study presented in March 2023 that suggested the Noctis Labyrinthus region may be home to a massive glacie …nnDiscussion:nn” ai_name=”RocketNews AI: ” start_sentence=”Can I tell you more about this article?” text_input_placeholder=”Type ‘Yes'”]
