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Mars Express orbiter reveals Red Planet's volcanic history

Mars's volcanic history is being uncovered by the rovers and probes investigating the Red Planet.

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Published: October 5, 2019 at 9:08 am

Plan view Terra Cimmeria. Credit: ESA/DLR/FU Berlin, CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO
Plan view Terra Cimmeria. Credit: ESA/DLR/FU Berlin, CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO

Mars is host to some of the largest volcanoes found in the Solar System, which planetary scientists believe may once have been very much active.

This view of Mars’s Terra Cimmeria captured by theMars Express orbiter on 8 August 2019reveals dark surface minerals like basalt, formed from volcanic ash and dust released during the Red Planet’s ancient past.

Image credit: ESA/DLR/FU Berlin, CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO

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