The mantle of Mars may have a more complex structure than previously thought. In a new study, scientists from Louisiana State University (LSU), USA, reveal details about geochemical changes over time in lava flows observed on the planet's surface in the Elysian region, a large volcanic region of the Martian surface.
In a new study, a team of LSU scientists led by David Susko found that the lava flows around Elysium and their unusual chemistry owe their origin to primary magma processes, such as the segregation of heterogeneous regions in magma. under the influence of the weight of the overlying volcanic mountains, which affects the melting temperature of the material of the planet's mantle.
Elysium is a giant volcanic complex on the surface of Mars. It is located relatively far from other highlands in the northern part of the planet, while most of the other volcanic complexes on Mars are located in the southern hemisphere. In addition, some of the lava flows found in the Elysium area are relatively small in geological age (3-4 million years), while the planet as a whole has been considered geologically “dead” for quite some time (3-4 billion years) …
In their work, Sasko and his team attempt to understand the anomalous shortage of radioactive isotopes of thorium and potassium in the Elysian region, discovered in previous studies. According to the team, this shortage may be associated with the superposition of subsequent layers of erupted material from the planet's interior, characterized by lower concentrations of these isotopes, on the primary layers of lava erupted from Elysium. Such a picture indicates a change in the composition of the material of the planet's mantle over time.
In addition, Sasko and his group suggest that the observed in the Elysian region the variety of compositions of the solidified lava flows may indicate the heterogeneity of the material of the mantle of Mars, for which in this area of the planet due to the pressure of a huge array of volcanic rocks accumulated as a result of volcanism on the surface, the differentiation of melting temperatures at different points began to be observed. If this hypothesis is correct, then the diversity of the composition of the solidified lava flows erupted by various volcanoes in this area indicates their outflow from different layers of magma, that is, from different depths, the authors explain.
The research was published in Scientific Reports.