Seismicity and volcanism on Mars

Abstract

No active volcanism has been ever observed on Mars, but the planet has many recent traces of volcanic activity and significant parts are covered by volcanic units (1). The InSight seismic dataset localizes more than half of the observed seismic activity in Cerberus Fossae (2), a young (<10 Ma (3)) graben structure in Elysium Planitia, previously interpreted as a result of dyke intrusion (4) or large-scale tectonic stress (3). While initial reports of volcanic tremor (5) could not be confirmed, spectral analysis of marsquakes observed in this region show a warm, elastically weakened source region (6), e.g. due to partial melting at lithospheric depths (7) or deformation due to a mantle plume (8). The significant contribution of this small region to Mars’ global seismic budget (9) means that volcanism shapes the planet’s surface at a higher rate than contraction. We discuss the mechanisms of Martian seismicity as they are currently understood and their relation to orbitally observed tectonics. 1. K. L. Tanaka et al., USGS Geol. Investig., 3292–3292 (2014). 2. S. Ceylan et al. Phys. Earth Planet Inter. 333, 106943 (2022). 3. J. Vetterlein, G. P. Roberts, J. Struct. Geol.32, 394–406 (2010). 4. R. Ernst, et al., Annu. Rev. Earth Planet. Sci.29, 489–534 (2001). 5. S. Kedar et al., JGR Planets, 126 (4) (2021). 6. S. C. Stähler et al., Nat. Astron.6, 1376–1386 (2022). 7. A.-C. Plesa et al., Adv. Geophysics. 63, 179–230 (2022). 8. A. Broquet, J. C. Andrews-Hanna, Nat. Astron., 7, 160–169 (2023). 9. M. Knapmeyer et al., Geophys. Res. Lett., (2023)