Mars Express orbiter reveals Red Planet’s volcanic history

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 the Mars Express orbiter on 8 August 2019 reveals 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