A new study sheds light on how variations in Mars' crustal thickness throughout its history may have influenced the planet's magmatic evolution and hydrological systems. Published in Earth and Planetary Science Letters, the research challenges previous assumptions about Mars' geological and hydrological past by proposing that the thick crust of the southern highlands, formed billions of years ago, was capable of generating granitic magmas and supporting large underground aquifers.
Led by Cin-Ty Lee from Rice University, the study suggests that Mars' southern highlands, with crustal thicknesses reaching up to 80 kilometers in some regions, were hot enough during the Noachian and early Hesperian periods (3–4 billion years ago) to undergo partial melting in the lower crust due to radioactive heating. This process may have produced significant amounts of silicic magmas, such as granites, and sustained subsurface aquifers beneath the planet's frozen surface.
"Our findings indicate that Mars' crustal processes were far more dynamic than previously thought," said Lee, the Harry Carothers Wiess Professor of Geology at Rice University. "Not only could thick crust in the southern highlands have generated granitic magmas without plate tectonics, but it also created the thermal conditions for stable groundwater aquifers—reservoirs of liquid water—on a planet we've often considered dry and frozen."
The research team, which also included Rice professors Rajdeep Dasgupta and Kirsten Siebach, postdoctoral research associate Duncan Keller, graduate students Jackson Borchardt and Julin Zhang, and Patrick McGovern of the Lunar and Planetary Institute, used advanced thermal modeling to reconstruct Mars' crustal thermal state during these periods. They factored in variables such as crustal thickness, radioactive heat generation, and mantle heat flow to simulate how heat would affect crustal melting and groundwater stability.
Their models suggested that regions with crusts thicker than 50 kilometers would have experienced widespread partial melting, producing felsic magmas through dehydration melting or fractional crystallization of intermediate magmas. Additionally, the elevated heat flow in the southern highlands would have supported significant groundwater aquifers extending several kilometers below the surface.
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This study challenges the idea that granites are exclusive to Earth, showing that Mars could produce these magmas through radiogenic heating, even in the absence of plate tectonics. These granitic rocks likely remain buried beneath basaltic flows in the southern highlands, offering new insights into Martian geology.
The research also suggests the potential for ancient groundwater systems in Mars' southern highlands. High surface heat flux in this region may have reduced the extent of permafrost, allowing stable subsurface aquifers to form. These groundwater reservoirs might have been periodically accessed by volcanic activity or impacts, possibly causing episodic flooding events on the Martian surface.
The findings have important implications for the planet's habitability. The presence of liquid water and the ability to generate granitic magmas, which often contain essential elements for life, point to the possibility that Mars' southern highlands may have been more conducive to life in the past than previously believed.
"Granites aren't just rocks; they're geological archives that tell us about a planet's thermal and chemical evolution," said Dasgupta, the Maurice Ewing Professor of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences at Rice University. "On Earth, granites are linked to tectonics and water recycling. The evidence for similar magmas on Mars through deep crustal remelting highlights the planet's complexity and potential for hosting life in the past."
The study suggests that future missions could focus on regions of Mars where granitic rocks might be detected or where ancient water reservoirs could be explored. Large craters and fractures in the southern highlands could offer key insights into the deep crust of the planet.
"Every insight into Mars' crustal processes brings us closer to answering some of the most profound questions in planetary science, including how Mars evolved and how it may have supported life," said Siebach. "Our research provides a roadmap for where to look and what to look for as we search for these answers."
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