American scientists have found that volcanic activity on Mars disappeared along with dinosaurs on Earth.
A new study using NASA's Mars Orbiter MRO indicates that the Mons Arsia region is home to some of the largest volcanoes on Mars. These volcanoes could produce huge lava flows. This process most likely stopped only 50 million years ago. One of the craters from such a volcano was photographed by the Viking 1 spacecraft.
A new study by NASA scientists shows that the giant Martian volcano Mons Arsia produced a new lava flow every 1 to 3 million years in its final stages of activity. According to scientists, the last volcanic activity here stopped about 50 million years ago. This period coincided with the disappearance of plants, dinosaurs, and many other animals from the Earth.
Located south of the equator of Mars, Mons Arsia is the southernmost volcano of the famous volcanic trio of wide and large volcanoes, collectively known as Tharsis Montes.
The Mons Arsia volcano formed several billion years ago. The new volcanic activity, scientists think, occurred in the caldera - a bowl-shaped depression at the top of a volcano - where 29 volcanic craters were found. Until now, it has been difficult to make an accurate estimate of the volcanic activity of the region.
“We estimate that the final activity of Mons Arsia volcano probably took place about 150 million years ago. Volcanic activity stopped with the disappearance of dinosaurs and other life on Earth,”said Jacob Richardson, a scientist at the Goddard Space Flight Center.