Scientists at the University of Oxford have found evidence that streams of molten rock once flowed beneath the surface of Mars, reshaping understanding of the planet's geological history and its potential for life.
Seismic data reveals magma layer
The team analyzed seismic data from NASA's InSight lander, which recorded tremors from meteor impacts and marsquakes. Their research, published in Nature Astronomy, identified a layer about 15 miles below the Martian surface that likely formed from magma gathering and spreading across thousands of miles.
This contradicts earlier assumptions that Martian volcanoes sat above simple, isolated magma chambers. Instead, the findings point to an interconnected network beneath the planet's crust.
Implications for habitability
Such a system could have generated a chemically varied crust, cycling elements through geological processes. This may have created and sustained an atmosphere and oceans on Mars, features once thought to require plate tectonics.
Lead researcher Dr. Tobermory Mackay-Champion said: "We've traditionally assumed that volcanism on Mars was relatively simple compared to that on Earth. But this discovery suggests the planet could sustain massive, long-lived magmatic systems capable of evolving and reprocessing molten rock throughout the crust."
He added: "Because these systems are known to generate large metal deposits, Mars may hold significantly more near-surface mineral wealth than previously recognised - boosting its potential for future mining, crewed missions and eventually, permanent settlements."
Rethinking planetary habitability
Co-author Associate Professor Jon Wade said: "One of the big questions in planetary science is whether Earth is unique. If Mars could develop this kind of complex crust without plate tectonics, then maybe the conditions needed for habitability can emerge on more planets than we realised, including those previously dismissed based on size or their apparent lack of tectonic activity."
