Mars has always captured our imagination, but recent discoveries have revealed an entirely new side to the Red Planet—one that challenges much of what we thought we knew.

Beneath the barren landscape, there are mysteries waiting to be unraveled: unexpected Marsquakes shaking the ground, hints of underground water that could sustain life, and peculiar methane bursts that have left scientists puzzled. The more we explore, the more fascinating the planet becomes.

From hidden glaciers to massive volcanoes and the possibility of human colonization, Mars is proving to be much more dynamic and alive than we ever expected. Curious about what’s really happening on our closest planetary neighbor?

1. Marsquakes and a Surprisingly Active Core:

One of the most groundbreaking discoveries in recent years is that Mars is seismically active. NASA’s InSight lander, which touched down on Mars in 2018, has detected hundreds of "Marsquakes." These quakes indicate that the planet’s core is still somewhat active, despite it being cold and barren on the surface.

In fact, data from InSight suggests that the Martian crust is less dense than previously thought, which means that Mars may have had volcanic activity much more recently than believed. This discovery raises exciting possibilities, including the potential for hidden geothermal activity deep beneath the surface.

2. Water is More Plentiful Than Expected:

Mars has been considered a dry and desolate world for many years, but recent findings show that water might be more plentiful than we imagined. Scientists have discovered underground ice deposits, particularly in Mars' mid-latitudes, which could be as close as a few centimeters below the surface.

In 2020, researchers used radar data from ESA’s Mars Express to find signs of a large underground lake beneath Mars' southern ice cap. The presence of liquid water, even if it's briny, opens up intriguing possibilities for life on Mars and makes human colonization more viable, as future missions could harvest these water resources for drinking, growing food, and creating fuel.

3. Potential for Life: Methane Mystery:

The search for life on Mars has taken an interesting turn with the detection of methane in the planet’s atmosphere. Methane is a potential biosignature gas, meaning it can be produced by biological processes. On Earth, methane is primarily produced by living organisms, so its presence on Mars raises questions about whether there is life—perhaps microbial—beneath its surface.

Methane levels on Mars seem to fluctuate with the seasons, which adds to the mystery. Curiosity rover first detected these plumes in 2019, and scientists are still investigating whether the gas is being produced by geological processes or biological activity.

4. The Discovery of Organic Molecules:

In another leap forward in the quest to understand Mars’ potential to harbor life, NASA’s Curiosity rover discovered organic molecules in Martian soil in 2018. While these molecules are not evidence of life, they are the building blocks for life as we know it. The findings suggest that ancient Mars had the necessary ingredients for life and that the planet may have once been habitable.

These organic molecules, preserved in ancient rock, hint that Mars' environment billions of years ago could have been much more hospitable than it is now, with liquid water on the surface and a thicker atmosphere.

5. The Red Planet’s Changing Seasons:

Mars, like Earth, has seasons due to its axial tilt. However, Martian seasons are nearly twice as long as Earth’s due to its longer orbit around the Sun. One little-known fact is that Mars experiences extreme weather changes, particularly during its winter and summer seasons.

During Martian winter, the poles experience temperatures plummeting to minus 195 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 125 degrees Celsius), which leads to the freezing of carbon dioxide, forming dry ice caps.

Conversely, during the Martian summer, global dust storms can engulf the planet, dramatically changing the landscape. These storms can last for weeks or even months, blocking out sunlight and altering the planet’s climate in ways we are only beginning to understand.

6. The Stunning Complexity of Martian Geography:

Mars is home to the largest volcano in the solar system—Olympus Mons—which stands at a towering 13.6 miles (22 kilometers) high. Yet this iconic volcano is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Mars’ incredible geography. The planet also boasts vast canyon systems like Valles Marineris, which is over 2,500 miles (4,000 kilometers) long and up to 7 miles (11 kilometers) deep.

What is lesser-known, however, is that Mars has massive glaciers hidden under layers of dust, particularly around the mid-latitudes. These glaciers contain as much water as the Earth's Greenland ice sheet. They were likely formed during periods when the planet's axis tilt caused more snow to accumulate in those regions.

7. Mars’ Magnetic Field: A Ghostly Remnant

Unlike Earth, Mars does not have a strong global magnetic field today. However, scientists have discovered that it once did, and remnants of this ancient magnetic field still exist in localized regions of the Martian crust. This is important because the magnetic field plays a crucial role in protecting a planet’s atmosphere from solar wind.

Mars’ loss of its magnetic field likely led to the stripping away of its atmosphere by solar winds, transforming the planet from a potentially habitable world with liquid water on the surface into the cold, arid desert we see today. Ongoing research is exploring how this loss occurred and whether we can protect future human missions from harmful radiation.

8. Terraforming Mars: Science Fiction or Future Reality?

With all this new knowledge about Mars, the concept of terraforming—making Mars more Earth-like—is being seriously considered by some scientists and visionaries like Elon Musk. While it’s still the stuff of science fiction, some believe that releasing greenhouse gases into Mars' atmosphere could warm the planet and trigger the release of CO2 stored in its soil, creating a thicker atmosphere.

However, new findings suggest this process might be more complicated than originally thought. Mars’ atmospheric pressure is so low that even large amounts of CO2 may not be enough to sustain liquid water on its surface. Nonetheless, research continues into whether Mars could one day support human colonies.

9. Mars’ Moons: Phobos and Deimos:

Mars has two small, irregularly shaped moons—Phobos and Deimos—that are less well-known compared to the planets themselves. These moons are thought to be captured asteroids due to their composition and peculiar orbits.

Phobos, in particular, is gradually spiraling toward Mars, and scientists predict that in 50 million years, it will either crash into the planet or break apart, forming a ring system around Mars.

Interestingly, these moons are of great interest to space agencies, with future missions planned to explore them further. Phobos, in particular, could serve as a stepping stone for future Mars missions due to its proximity to the planet.

10. The Future of Mars Exploration:

NASA’s Perseverance rover and China’s Tianwen-1 mission are the latest players in Mars exploration, each with a specific goal: to understand Mars’ habitability and prepare for potential human missions.

Perseverance is gathering samples of Martian soil that will one day be returned to Earth for further analysis, while Tianwen-1 has successfully deployed a rover, Zhurong, on Mars' surface.

Exciting new missions are already being planned. The European Space Agency (ESA) is developing the ExoMars rover, which will dig deeper into Mars' surface than any other rover before it, in search of signs of life.

Conclusion

As our exploration of Mars continues, we are uncovering both thrilling possibilities and daunting challenges. From Marsquakes to mysterious methane plumes, the Red Planet is far from the dead world many once thought it to be. With advanced missions and technological breakthroughs, the next decade promises even more discoveries. As we push the limits of exploration, Mars may soon transform from a distant curiosity into a future home for humanity.