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  • RESEARCH HIGHLIGHT

Mysterious Martian formation traced to volcanic explosion

A massive eruption early in Mars’s history created a rocky outcrop that will greet NASA lander in 2021.
A Martian mineral deposit imaged from orbit

This mineral deposit on Mars was probably created by a powerful volcanic eruption. Credit: NASA/Christopher Kremer/Brown Univ.

A sprawling rock formation that is scattered across a vast tract of Mars — including the crater where a rover is expected to touch down in 2021 — turns out to be the remnants of ash from an ancient eruption. Geologists can use this discovery to explore the planet’s early volcanic history.

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Nature 570, 9 (2019)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-019-01660-2

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