NASA’s recent high-resolution images have revealed strange, spider-like formations, massive dark splotches, and high-velocity geysers erupting from beneath the Martian surface. These features are part of a seasonal cycle unique to Mars, driven by carbon dioxide sublimation rather than wind and water erosion.
Scientists have identified these formations in the southern polar region, where temperatures rise during Martian spring, releasing CO2 trapped beneath the surface. This violent release carves out eerie, web-like channels and sends bursts of dark material across the planet’s icy surface.
The “spider terrain” is created by escaping carbon dioxide gas beneath seasonal ice layers. Unlike Earth, where erosion is primarily caused by water, wind, and plate tectonics, Mars’ spider-like formations are carved by this process.
CO2 geysers, which appear every year during the Martian winter thaw, also send plumes of dark sediment into the atmosphere, creating vast, ink-like stains across the polar landscape. Researchers propose that these eruptions are driven by a build-up of high-pressure CO2 gas beneath the seasonal ice layer, causing it to rupture and form high-velocity vents.
These discoveries suggest that Mars is far from static and dynamic, with active seasonal processes reshaping its surface in real-time. This challenges the idea that Mars is a “dead” world and highlights the importance of understanding how CO2 accumulates and escapes beneath the surface for future Mars missions.
The study of subsurface gas flow could provide new insights into whether similar processes once involved water—a crucial question in the search for ancient life on Mars. With ongoing and upcoming Mars missions, scientists are eager to learn more about these alien landscapes and their potential implications for human colonization efforts.
Source: https://dailygalaxy.com/2025/01/mysterious-structures-discovered-on-mars