New photos show that a giant dark spot hidden inside a giant Martian crater has been creeping across the planet’s surface ever since the feature was first discovered 50 years ago. Scientists don’t know exactly why this is happening.
This shadow structure is part of the ground covered in ash and volcanic rocks such as olivine and pyroxene from ancient eruptions that occurred millions of years ago, before Mars was considered geologically dead. It is located on Utopia Planum, a plain approximately 2,000 miles (3,300 kilometers) wide in Mars’ northern hemisphere.
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It is unknown how large the shadow feature is. But parts of the patch’s southern boundary have moved at least 200 miles (320 kilometers) south, according to ESA’s latest photos. This suggests that the dark terrain is expanding by about 4 miles (6.5 km) per year.
Scientists believe the dark spot’s movement is related to Mars’ winds, which are known to scrape the surface and kick up ash and dust.
“There are two possible explanations for the spread of volcanic ash over the past 50 years: either it was picked up and moved by the Martian winds, or ocher dust that previously covered the black ash was blown away,” ESA representatives said in a statement.
However, they added that they currently have no clue as to which hypothesis is correct.
Utopia Planitia
This region of Mars has been of great interest to scientists over the past half century. In 1976, the Viking 2 lander landed on Utopia Plains and conducted a series of “biological experiments” until its demise in 1980.
More recently, China’s Zhulong spacecraft also landed there in 2021, exploring the vast plain before going dark in 2023. Since then, Chinese scientists have used Zhu Rong’s data to show that Utopia Planitia was likely once covered by one of Mars’ largest oceans, and even mapped what may once have been a coastline. The rover may also have detected clues to a surprising “climate change” that occurred in the region about 400,000 years ago.
Utopia Planitia is home to several large cracks in the ground known as grabens, which are among Mars’ most unusual features and may provide clues to the tectonic movements that once rocked the planet, ESA said.
Additionally, researchers believe there is a significant amount of ice buried beneath this region, which could have a major impact on the search for extraterrestrial life.
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