Earth isn't the only place with volcanoes. Astronomers have found evidence of volcanoes on other planets and moons in our solar system, and even on exoplanets. These are planets outside our solar system that orbit other stars. Beyond Earth, we can see the inactive volcanoes that long ago carved out the landscapes of planets and moons. We can also find some active volcanoes and a different, much chillier kind of volcano.
Where is the biggest volcano in the solar system? Which celestial body is the site of the most volcanic activity in the solar system? Could all these volcanoes be a clue to where in space we might find extraterrestrial life?
Mars: Volcanic in a Big Way
Aside from Earth, Mars is the planet we know most about, geologically speaking. The Mariner 9 mission sent a spacecraft to orbit Mars in 1971. Its photographs showed this planet was home to volcanoes; calderas, or volcanic craters; and lava plains, or fields of lava left over after an eruption. For a long time, scientists assumed that all these volcanoes were inactive. But in 2022, scientists studying orbital photos of Mars discovered an active volcanic formation. It meant there must be a rising plume of hot rock beneath the crust.
An elevated region of massive volcanoes called Tharsis covers one quarter of Mars. Volcanoes in Tharsis include Olympus Mons, the tallest volcano in the solar system. It's a shield volcano, which means it has a broad, domed shape. Olympus Mons is as wide as the state of Arizona and has a peak that towers 16 miles (25 kilometers) above the surrounding plain. That's nearly three times the height of Mount Everest!
Volcanoes on Mars are big for a couple of reasons. Because of the low gravity on Mars, volcanoes need very large magma chambers to generate enough pressure to produce an eruption. So, when a volcano on Mars erupts, the eruption can be massive.
Esta historia es de la edición October 2023 de Muse Science Magazine for Kids.
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Esta historia es de la edición October 2023 de Muse Science Magazine for Kids.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 8500 revistas y periódicos.
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Who's Your Cousin?
The great apes are among the most popular animals in most zoos. Their actions, facial expressions, and family life remind us so much of ourselves. Have you ever wondered, though, how we might look to them?
Is it possible to die of boredom?
To figure out if we can die of boredom, we first have to understand what boredom is. For help, we called James Danckert, a psychologist who studies boredom at the University of Waterloo in Canada.
THE PROBLEM WITH PALM OIL
Palm oil is all around you. It’s in sugary snacks like cookies and candy bars. It’s in lipstick and shampoo and pet food.
SERGE WICH
Serge Wich’s favorite days at work are spent out in the forest, studying orangutans in Sumatra and Borneo or chimpanzees in Tanzania.
ELODIE FREYMANN
When you’re feeling sick, it probably doesn’t occur to you to try eating tree bark.
Guardians of the Forest
EARLY, MAKESHIFT WILDLIFE DRONES HELPED TO DETECT AND PROTECT ORANGUTANS.
APE ANTICS
The Whirling World of primate play
Dr. Ape Will See You Now
HUMANS AREN’T THE ONLY PRIMATES THAT USE MEDICATION.
THE LEFT OVERS
A lot has happened for modern humans to get to this point. We lost most of our hair, learned how to make tools, established civilizations, sent a person to the Moon, and invented artificial intelligence. Whew! With all of these changes, our bodies have changed, too. It’s only taken us about six million years.
SO, WHAT IS A PRIMATE?
What do you have in common with the aye-aye, sifaka, siamang, and potto? If you said your collarbone, you re probably a primatologist—a person who studies primates. If you’re not, read on.
