Srinagar, June 07: Captured by the High-Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera on NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO), scientists say they have discovered a pit which could ‘shelter human settlements on barren planet.’
The pit is said to be located near the now-extinct Arsia Mons volcano while its depth is said to be 178-metres. Even as pits are not rare on the planet, this one with a vertical shaft is different and could be explored to determining whether there was life on Mars or does some microbial life still exists there.
More often than not, lava flowing away from a volcano forms large underground tubes that facilitate the movement of hot material. Despite these being common among the various opening on the sides of volcanoes, this particular one is different, The Indian Express reported.
The tube might lead to a cavern or a cave system, and if Mars is similar to the Moon or Earth, these tubes, called skylights, could provide refuge for human settlements, it reported.
However, an image of one of the pits shows a sidewall, indicating it is cylindrical and may not lead to a cave. Holes like these are called ‘pit craters’ and are quite common on Hawaiian volcanoes.
On Earth, they range from six to 186 metres deep, while the Arsia Mons pit in the image is 178 metres deep. Pits like these intrigue scientists because they might provide clues about past life on Mars and help determine if microbial life still exists on the planet.