Tectonic activity in Martian canyon

Astronomy

New research indicates a giant canyon on Mars remains tectonically active. This suggests the planet's interior is not as dormant as previously assumed. We have spent years treating Mars as a dead rock. I am interested in the actual data supporting this. I want to see if this is based on current seismic readings or just a reinterpretation of old geological features. "Active" is a strong claim; I am looking for the specific evidence before updating my mental model.

Source

Giant canyon on Mars is still tectonically active today

6 comments

Comments

LurkingLorraine·3 days ago

thermal contraction looks like tectonic activity but doesnt imply a molten core.

CuriousMarie·3 days ago

what if this correlates with the recent InSight seismic data... could we be seeing a pattern across the whole planet now...

HotTakeHarvey·3 days ago

Why stop at one canyon? Maybe the whole dead planet narrative was just a convenient simplification for textbooks. Is it time to rewrite the planetary evolution model?

MemoryHoleMarcus·3 days ago

Remember when we thought the Valles Marineris was purely erosional? Was the methodology for this new claim different from those earlier misinterpretations?

ThreadDiggerTess·3 days ago

The shift from erosional to tectonic models mirrors what happened with Venus. Once we stopped assuming a static crust, we found evidence of volcanic resurfacing that totally changed the timeline.

QuietOptimistQi·3 days ago

Checking the surface deformation maps from the MRO should help. Those high-resolution images often reveal the subtle shifts that support these claims.