Volcanoes erupted on Mars for 2 BILLION years: Meteorite study confirms Mars had the longest-lived volcanoes in the solar system

  • Meteorite from Mars found in Africa that is 2.4 billion years old
  • Experts determined it was ejected from volcano or lava plain on the red planet
  • This means there were active volcanoes on Mars for 2 billion years
  • Mars is now believed to have the longest-lived volcanoes in the solar system

A meteorite found in Africa has revealed information about volcanic activity on Mars.

Researchers have determined that Mars was home to erupting volcanoes for 2 billion years - nearly half of the planet's life.

The red planet was previously known to have the largest volcanoes in the solar system, but the new discovery suggests it also had the longest-lived.

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A meteorite (pictured) found in Africa has revealed information about volcanic activity on Mars. Researchers have determined that Mars was home to erupting volcanoes for 2 billion years - nearly half of the planet's life

A meteorite (pictured) found in Africa has revealed information about volcanic activity on Mars. Researchers have determined that Mars was home to erupting volcanoes for 2 billion years - nearly half of the planet's life

MARS VOLCANOES  

In 2012, researchers found a meteorite in Algeria, which they labeled  Northwest Africa 7635.

After analysis, they determined it was 2.4 billion years old.

These findings suggest it came from a volcano on Mars that was active 2 billion years ago. 

In total, 11 meteorite have been found that have similar chemical composition and ejection time from Mars. 

What separates the 10 meteorites, is that they are all only about 500 million years old, which means they were formed from cooling magma half a billion years ago on the surface of Mars.

But, NWA 7635 was found to be 2.4 billion years old.

 

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The meteorite, labeled Northwest Africa 7635 by an international team of scientists, was discovered in Algeria in 2012 and weighs 6.9 ounces.

'We've never seen anything like that on Earth,' says Marc Caffee, professor of physics and astronomy at Purdue University and a member of the research team.

Shield volcanoes and lava plains formed lava flowing over long distances on Mars, which is similar to the patterns found on the Hawaiian Islands.

The largest Martian volcano, Olympus Mons, is nearly 17 miles high - almost triple the height of Earth's tallest volcano, Mauna Kea, at 6.25 miles.

Researches are sure that another cosmic object slammed into Mars some one million years ago and hit a volcano or lava plain.

During this impact, rocks were ejected into space and the fragments crossed Earth's orbit and rained on our planet as meteorites.

The specimen found in Algeria was found to be a type of volcanic rock called a shergottite.

In total, 11 meteorite have been found that have similar chemical composition and ejection time.

'We see that they came from a similar volcanic source,' Lapen said.

'Given that they also have the same ejection time, we can conclude that these come from the same location on Mars.'

The largest Martian volcano, Olympus Mons (pictured), is nearly 17 miles high - almost triple the height of Earth's tallest volcano, Mauna Kea, at 6.25 miles

The largest Martian volcano, Olympus Mons (pictured), is nearly 17 miles high - almost triple the height of Earth's tallest volcano, Mauna Kea, at 6.25 miles

What separates the 10 meteorites, is that they are all only about 500 million years old, which means they were formed from cooling magma half a billion years ago on the surface of Mars.

But, NWA 7635 was found to be 2.4 billion years old.

'What this means is that for 2 billion years there's been sort of a steady plume of magma in one location on the surface of Mars,' Caffee says.

'We don't have anything like that on Earth, where something is that stable for 2 billion years at a specific location.'

Researches are sure that an object slammed into Mars some one million years ago and hit a volcano or lava plain. During this impact, rocks were ejected into space and the fragments crossed Earth's orbit and fell as meteorites (pictured is an artist impression)

Researches are sure that an object slammed into Mars some one million years ago and hit a volcano or lava plain. During this impact, rocks were ejected into space and the fragments crossed Earth's orbit and fell as meteorites (pictured is an artist impression)

Mars is known for the most magnificent volcanoes in our solar system.

And the largest in the solar system is Olympus Mons on Mars.

Martian volcanoes can grow to such enormous proportions because, unlike Earth, as the red planet doesn't have plate tectonics that constantly shuffle the surface.

So a volcano, like the one that birthed NWA 7635, can plume for billions of years.

'These meteorites are allowing us to conduct geologic science on the surface of Mars, and we haven't even been there yet,' Caffee says.

 

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