MOSCOW, Idaho — The University of Idaho announced Thursday that postdoctoral researcher, Ian T.W. Flynn found what looks to be a spatter cone of volcanic matter on Mars.
Flynn compared the volcanic vent on Mars to a spatter cone that formed in 2021 when Fagradalsfjall volcano erupted in Iceland.
Flynn worked under Assistant Professor, Erika Rader, when the discovery was made.
“Spatter cones are so common on Earth that it seemed extremely unlikely that they simply didn’t exist on Mars,” Rader said. “Since spatter cones can only form in the right conditions, their presence gives us a benchmark to shoot for when simulating Martian volcanoes.”
So common, in fact, that spatter cones can even be found in the state of Idaho, at the Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve.
“The similarity between the Mars and Icelandic spatter cones indicates that the eruption dynamics occurring in Iceland, over the last several years, also occurred on Mars,” Flynn said. “This is exciting as it expands the range of volcanic eruption styles possible on Mars.”
Researchers said this discovery sheds light on how volcanic eruptions happened on Mars, including the gases in the magma, as well as the environmental factors when the eruptions happened. It also proves that earthly volcanic eruptions erupting now are erupting the same way they’ve happened on Mars for millions of years.
“We are thrilled about this discovery because it fills a distinct observational gap in Martian volcanology, and it lays the groundwork for future investigations of spatter features on Mars,” Flynn said.
Flynn still collaborates with Rader while teaching as a research assistant professor at the University of Pittsburgh.
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