{"682660":{"#nid":"682660","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Volcano \u0027Hidden in Plain Sight\u0027 Could Help Date Mars \u2014 and its Habitability","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EGeorgia Tech scientists have uncovered evidence that a mountain on the rim of Jezero Crater \u2014 where NASA\u2019s Perseverance Rover is currently collecting samples for possible return to Earth \u2014 is likely a volcano. Called Jezero Mons,\u003Cem\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003Eit is nearly half the size of the crater itself and could add critical clues to the habitability and volcanism of Mars, transforming how we understand Mars\u2019 geologic history.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe study, \u201c\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s43247-025-02329-7\u0022\u003EEvidence for a composite volcano on the rim of Jezero crater on Mars\u003C\/a\u003E,\u201d was published this May in the\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003ENature\u003C\/em\u003E-family journal\u0026nbsp;\u003Cem\u003ECommunications Earth \u0026amp; Environment,\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003Eand\u003Cem\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003Eunderscores\u003Cem\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003Ehow much we have left to learn about one of the most well-studied regions of Mars.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003ELead author\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/deeps.brown.edu\/people\/sara-cuevas-quinones\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESara C. Cuevas-Qui\u00f1ones\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E completed the research as an undergraduate during a summer program at Georgia Tech; she is now a graduate student at Brown University. The team also included corresponding author Professor\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/wray.eas.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJames J. Wray\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E (\u003C\/strong\u003ESchool of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences), Assistant Professor\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/eas.gatech.edu\/people\/rivera-hernandez-dr-frances\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFrances Rivera-Hern\u00e1ndez\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E(School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences), and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/search.asu.edu\/profile\/2095063\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EJacob Adler\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E,\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003Ethen a postdoctoral fellow at Georgia Tech and now an assistant research professor at Arizona State University.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cVolcanism on Mars is intriguing for a number of reasons \u2014 from the implications it has on habitability, to better constraining the geologic history,\u201d Wray says. \u201cJezero Crater is one of the best studied sites on Mars. If we are just now identifying a volcano here, imagine how many more could be on Mars. Volcanoes may be even more widespread across Mars than we thought.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA mountain in the margins\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EWray\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003Efirst noticed\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003Ethe mountain in 2007, while considering Jezero Crater as a graduate student.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cI was looking at low-resolution photos of the area and noticed a mountain on the crater\u2019s rim,\u201d he recalls. \u201cTo me, it looked like a volcano, but it was difficult to get additional images.\u201d At the time, Jezero Crater was newly discovered, and imaging focused almost entirely on its intriguing water history, which is on the opposite side of the 28-mile-wide crater.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThen, Jezero Crater, due to these lake-like sedimentary deposits, was selected as the landing spot for the 2020 Perseverance Rover \u2014 an\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/mission\/mars-2020-perseverance\/\u0022\u003Eongoing NASA mission seeking signs of ancient Martian life and collecting rock samples for possible return to Earth\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EHowever, after landing, some of the first rocks Perseverance encountered were not the sedimentary deposits one might expect from a previously-flooded area \u2014 they were volcanic. Wray suspected he might know the origin of these rocks, but to make a case for it, he would need to show that the mountain on the edge of Jezero Crater could indeed be a volcano.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA new researcher \u2014 and old data\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe opportunity presented itself several months after Perseverance landed when Cuevas-Qui\u00f1ones applied to a\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/easreu.eas.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESummer Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program hosted by the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences\u003C\/a\u003E to work with Wray.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201c\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S0019103518306067?via%3Dihub\u0022\u003EA previous study\u003C\/a\u003E led by\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EBriony Horgan\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E(professor of planetary science at Purdue University) had also suggested that Jezero Mons could be volcanic,\u201d Cuevas-Qui\u00f1ones says. \u201cI began wondering if there was a way to home in on these suspicions.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe team partnered with study coauthor Rivera-Hern\u00e1ndez, who specializes in characterizing the surface of planets and their habitability. They decided to use datasets gathered from spacecraft orbiting Mars to compare the properties of Jezero Mons to other, known, volcanoes. \u201cWe can\u2019t visit Mars and definitively prove that Jezero Mons is a volcano, but we can show that it shares the same properties with existing volcanoes \u2014 both here on Earth and Mars,\u201d Wray explains.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u201cWe used data from the Mars Odyssey Orbiter, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter, and Perseverance Rover, all in combination to puzzle this out,\u201d he adds. \u201cI think this shows that these older spacecraft can be extremely valuable long after their initial missions end \u2014 these old spacecraft can still make important discoveries and help us answer tricky questions.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EFor Cuevas-Qui\u00f1ones, it also underscores the importance of REU programs and opportunities for undergraduates. \u201cI was an undergraduate student at the time, and this was my first time conducting research,\u201d she says. \u201cIt was fascinating to learn how different data sets could be used to decode the origin of a landscape. After Jezero Mons, it became clear to me that I would continue to study Mars and other planetary bodies.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThe search for life \u2014 and determining Mars\u2019 age\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe discovery makes the crater even more intriguing in the search for past life on Mars. A volcano so close to watery Jezero Crater could add a critical source of heat on an otherwise cold planet, including the potential for hydrothermal activity \u2014 energy that life could use to thrive.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThis type of system also holds interest for Mars as a whole. \u201cThe coalescence of these two types of systems makes Jezero more interesting than ever,\u201d shares Wray. \u201cWe have samples of incredible sedimentary rocks that could be from a habitable region alongside igneous rocks with important scientific value.\u201d If returned to Earth, igneous rocks can be radioisotope dated to know their age very precisely. Dating the Jezero Crater samples could be used to calibrate age estimates, providing an unprecedented window into the geologic history of the planet.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003EThe take home message? \u201cMars is the best place we have to look in our solar system for signs of life, and thanks to the Perseverance Rover collecting samples in Jezero, the United States has samples from the best rocks in the best place on Mars,\u201d Wray says. \u201cIf these samples are returned to Earth, we can do incredible, groundbreaking science with them.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EDOI: \u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/s43247-025-02329-7\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003Ehttps:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/s43247-025-02329-7\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp dir=\u0022ltr\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EFunding: Cuevas-Qui\u00f1ones was supported by Georgia Tech\u2019s 2021 Research Experience for Undergraduates program sponsored by NSF and 3M corporation. Wray was supported by NASA funding for Co-Investigators on HiRISE and CaSSIS. CaSSIS is a project of the University of Bern and funded through the Swiss Space Office via ESA\u2019s PRODEX program. The instrument hardware development was also supported by the Italian Space Agency (ASI) (ASI-INAF agreement 2020-17-HH.0), INAF\/Astronomical Observatory of Padova, and the Space Research Center (CBK) in Warsaw. Support from SGF (Budapest), the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Lab, and NASA are also gratefully acknowledged. Operation support from the UK Space Agency is also acknowledged.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EResearchers have discovered evidence that a mountain on the rim of Jezero Crater \u2014 where NASA\u2019s Perseverance Rover is currently collecting samples for possible return to Earth \u2014 is likely a volcano. The research could add critical clues to the habitability and volcanism of Mars, transforming how we understand Mars\u2019 geologic history.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech scientists have uncovered evidence that a mountain on the rim of Jezero Crater \u2014 where NASA\u2019s Perseverance Rover is currently collecting samples for possible return to Earth \u2014 is likely a volcano."}],"uid":"35599","created_gmt":"2025-06-05 13:27:33","changed_gmt":"2025-06-06 14:10:08","author":"sperrin6","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-06-05T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2025-06-05T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"677188":{"id":"677188","type":"image","title":"A view of Jezero Mons from the publication. The mountain is ~21\u2009km across.","body":"\u003Cp\u003EA view of Jezero Mons from the publication. The mountain is ~21\u2009km across.\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1749130319","gmt_created":"2025-06-05 13:31:59","changed":"1749130319","gmt_changed":"2025-06-05 13:31:59","alt":"A view of Jezero Mons from the publication. The mountain is ~21\u2009km across.","file":{"fid":"261062","name":"JezeroMons.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/06\/05\/JezeroMons.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/06\/05\/JezeroMons.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":121995,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/06\/05\/JezeroMons.jpg?itok=shnhPfCc"}},"677189":{"id":"677189","type":"image","title":"An image from the publication showing an oblique view from north-northeast of Jezero crater, with topography exaggerated ~3x","body":"\u003Cp\u003EAn image from the publication showing an oblique view from north-northeast of Jezero crater, with topography exaggerated ~3x\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1749130628","gmt_created":"2025-06-05 13:37:08","changed":"1749130628","gmt_changed":"2025-06-05 13:37:08","alt":"An image from the publication showing an oblique view from north-northeast of Jezero crater, with topography exaggerated ~3x","file":{"fid":"261063","name":"JezeroMons2.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/06\/05\/JezeroMons2.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/06\/05\/JezeroMons2.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":297855,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/06\/05\/JezeroMons2.jpg?itok=GbDAiEfg"}},"677190":{"id":"677190","type":"image","title":"An illustration of Jezero Crater as it may have looked billions of years go on Mars, when it was a lake. Jezero Mons is visible on the front right-side of the crater rim. (Credit: NASA)","body":"\u003Cp\u003EAn illustration of Jezero Crater as it may have looked billions of years go on Mars, when it was a lake. Jezero Mons is visible on the front right-side of the crater rim. (Credit: NASA)\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1749130808","gmt_created":"2025-06-05 13:40:08","changed":"1749130808","gmt_changed":"2025-06-05 13:40:08","alt":"An illustration of Jezero Crater as it may have looked billions of years go on Mars, when it was a lake. Jezero Mons is visible on the front right-side of the crater rim. (Credit: NASA)","file":{"fid":"261064","name":"JezeroCrater3.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/06\/05\/JezeroCrater3.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/06\/05\/JezeroCrater3.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":965001,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/06\/05\/JezeroCrater3.jpg?itok=-IU8GxrG"}}},"media_ids":["677188","677189","677190"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/mars-stars-james-wray-wins-simons-fellowship-study-interstellar-objects","title":"From Mars to the Stars: James Wray Wins Simons Fellowship to Study Interstellar Objects"}],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"364801","name":"School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (EAS)"}],"categories":[{"id":"136","name":"Aerospace"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"146","name":"Life Sciences and Biology"},{"id":"150","name":"Physics and Physical Sciences"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"},{"id":"8862","name":"Student Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"192252","name":"cos-planetary"},{"id":"192249","name":"cos-community"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193653","name":"Georgia Tech Research Institute"},{"id":"193657","name":"Space Research Initiative"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWritten by \u003Ca href=\u0022mailto: sperrin6@gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESelena Langner\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}