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Martian terrain in the Pyrenees

As part of a project coordinated by the Autonomous University of Barcelona, scientists have studied strange geological formations located in the Catalan Pyrenees that are very similar to larger ones found on Mars. Their study can help plan the future exploration of the Red Planet

STAFF | APRIL 4TH, 2011

Tufa domes are a type of volcano that arise as a result of groundwater discharge.

A study coordinated by the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB) on the origins and evolution of unique morphologies caused by discharges of groundwater in the central Catalan Pyrenees has provided clues to the geomorphology of the planet Mars. These formations in the shape of small volcanoes, which had previously only been discovered in Australia, are very similar to gigantic ones located on the Red Planet.

The study is a multidisciplinary effort focused on the changes to the geologic record caused by the dissolution of bedrock layers. Specifically, it has analyzed a set of 250,000-year-old geographical formations called tufa domes that are virtually unknown in Europe. Located near the town of Isona in northern Catalonia, these formations are a type of small volcano that arise as a result of groundwater discharges when an aquifer is under certain hydraulic and hydrochemical conditions and within a particular geomorphological context.

it has analyzed a set of 250,000-year-old geographical formations called tufa domesOne of the most relevant aspects of the study that has attracted interest from the international scientific community is the similarity between these hills and gigantic formations identified in several regions of Mars. Given that these formations are generated by the discharge of cold groundwater, the question arises whether the larger ones on Mars could have a similar origin. If that were to be so, it would lend more evidence to the existence of water on Earth’s neighbor.

Reference article:
Linares, R; Rosell, J; Roqué, C; Gutiérrez, F (2010). Origin and evolution of tufa mounds related to artesian karstic springs in Isona area (Pyrenees, NE Spain).Geodinamica Acta, 23/1-3: 129-150

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