Researchers have discovered an enormous mantle plume pushing the surface of Mars upward and driving intense volcanic and seismic activity.
The mantle plume is situated underneath a low-lying area called Elysium Planitia that lies north to the equator.
We have strong evidence for mantle plumes being active on Earth and Venus.
Mantle plumes are large blobs of molten rock that rise towards the surface from the interiors of a planet.
They push through the intermediate or mantle layers and accumulate at the base of the crust.
This geological phenomenon can be witnessed on Earth in Hawaii where the warm materials from the plume ooze out of fissures to create great volcanic plains.