--- title: "Orbiter Detects Signs of Activity on Mars" description: "Researchers suggest gas is being released from hot magma deep beneath Mars' surface after discovering intriguing new fissures." date: "2026-11-07" modified: "2026-11-07" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor.md" url: "https://futurism.com/space/orbiter-detects-signs-volcanic-activity-mars" categories: - "Astronomy" - "Mars" - "Off-World" - "Space" --- # Orbiter Detects Signs of Activity on Mars ![A render of the ESA's ExoMars orbiter.]() *ESA* While many scientists have long held that Mars is "geologically dead" inside, new research is adding to the growing body of evidence to the contrary. As detailed in a [new paper]() published in the journal *Science Advances*, an international team of researchers examined data collected by the European and Russian ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter in 2021, which found that Mars is slowly belching hydrogen chloride gas. The researchers suggest this gas is being released from hot magma deep beneath its surface after discovering intriguing new fissures along a massive volcano, indicating the planet may be geologically active after all — or at least it was until relatively recently. The research could have significant implications for the possibility of ancient life on the Red Planet, hinting at a far warmer and thicker atmosphere — and an abundance of liquid water on its surface — in its not-too-distant past. "Our findings suggest that Mars has retained enough internal heat to support volcanic activity until recently, and possibly still does," said colead author and Polish Academy of Sciences professor Daniel Mège in a [statement]() about the research. While scientists have long observed variations in hydrogen chloride emissions across the Red Planet that coincide with its seasons, they were puzzled by spikes that occurred in unexpected places and at unusual times. More specifically, they observed spikes around the flanks of the Alba Mons, the biggest volcano on Mars in terms of surface area. The team discovered new fissures measuring thousands of feet in length around the region, suggesting ongoing activity underneath the surface. The researchers discovered discolorations along these fissures, concluding that they may be the result of seeping gases leaving mineral deposits similar to volcanic gas vents on Earth. "The Trace Gas Orbiter was able to find the smoking gun," Mège said. "It was like looking for a needle in a haystack. It’s truly amazing that it spotted a handful of molecules from a perhaps intermittent source, whilst moving continuously along its orbit to monitor the whole martian atmosphere." The fissures could also be a perfect place to find evidence of past life on the Red Planet. "Looking for martian life in the seeping fissures of the Alba Mons region would make a lot of sense," Mège argued. "If hydrothermal systems are active, they could contain the ingredients and energy needed for microorganisms to develop, and shield microorganisms from the hostile and changing environment above the surface." **More on Mars:** [*Scientists Intrigued by "Negative Mass Anomaly" Under Surface of Mars*]() ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]() ## More - [Gravity Mapping Detects Large Hidden Structures Under Surface of Mars]() - [Orbiter Spots “Spiders” on Surface of Mars]() - [Huge Martian Volcano Was Once an Island, Scientists Suggest]() - [Orbiter Discovers “Mysterious Shapes” Inside Mars Craters]() - [Scientists Intrigued By Almost Perfectly Circular Pit on the Surface of Mars]() - [Mars Lander Detects Mysterious “Marsquakes”]() - [Scientists Puzzled by Huge Shadowy Blight Spreading Across Surface of Mars]() - [Scientists Find Evidence Mars Was Covered in Rivers]()