Skip to the story
All stories

Mars volcanic activity evidence found by scientists

New research suggests an inactive magma chamber may lie beneath the planet's surface.

AI-assisted coverage comparison, editor-supervised · How this was made

Published
Mars volcanic activity evidence found by scientists

What this story says

  • A Russian spectrometer on the TGO spacecraft detected evidence of volcanism on Mars.
  • Scientists suggest an inactive magma chamber may be present beneath the Martian surface.
  • Hydrogen chloride emissions on Mars are linked to hot magma below the surface.
  • The rate of Mars' volcanic eruptions has decreased substantially over billions of years.

Who covered it

Left 29%(20)Centre 40%(31)Right 31%(21)

Percentages are shares of the 72 outlets carrying a published leaning rating. 54 of the 126 outlets we know ran this story carry no rating and are not counted in them. Coverage measured .

Trust

78/100

Craft

77/100

Hype

35/100

126 sources · methodology

Evidence of volcanism on Mars has been detected by scientists, suggesting the planet may not be geologically dead. A Russian ACS spectrometer on the TGO spacecraft found signs of volcanic activity, according to Interfax. Researchers also believe an inactive magma chamber could be located beneath the planet's surface, as reported by glasistre.hr. An international team attributes hydrogen chloride emissions on Mars to hot magma beneath the surface, according to the Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer.

Disagreement on eruption timeline

France24, citing AFP Daniel Mège, states that Mars' volcanic eruption rate has declined over two billion years, with the most recent eruptions occurring tens of millions of years ago. IFLScience suggests that after at least two million years without an eruption, Martian volcanism might be considered to be on a brief nap.

What the coverage left out

None of the left-rated digests mention the specific finding by the Russian ACS spectrometer on the TGO spacecraft. None of the centre-rated digests mention the hydrogen chloride emissions or the inactive magma chamber possibility. None of the right-rated digests mention the specific timeline of eruption decline over billions of years or the possibility of subsoil water pockets.

Still developing. We have re-checked which outlets are covering this 104 times, most recently on 6 Nov 2026, 18:45, and will add the sides that appear.

How other outlets pictured it

Which photograph to run is each newsroom’s own choice. The leaning beside a name is that outlet’s published rating, not a claim that the pictures divide along it. Every picture is shown from the outlet’s own server and links to the article it ran in.

Camera IconMars surface Credit: BANG - Entertainment News
PerthNowCentre
Mars was once overflowing with water (Picture: Getty Images)
Metro NewsLeft

How each side covered it

Our own reading of the reporting listed below, written from the outlets’ articles rather than quoted from them. The reasoning is set out on our methodology page.

Left

20 rated outlets

  • The left-rated reports highlighted the potential for volcanic activity on Mars and its implications for life. IFLScience noted that Martian volcanoes may not be dead but merely sleeping, questioning if an eruption could occur. In.gr reported that signs of volcanic activity were recorded for the first time on Mars, rekindling hopes for life and suggesting that volcanic heat could create hospitable pockets of moist water in the subsoil.

Centre

31 rated outlets

  • France24's report focused on the historical decline of volcanic activity on Mars. It cited Daniel Mège, who explained that the eruption rate has been falling for two billion years, with the most recent eruptions occurring tens of millions of years ago, suggesting Mars is volcanically falling asleep.

Right

21 rated outlets

  • The right-rated reports focused on the discovery of volcanic activity and its potential implications. Interfax.ru reported that a Russian spectrometer found evidence of volcanicism on Mars, suggesting modern Mars might still be volcanically active. The Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer stated that an international research team believes the release of hydrogen chloride comes from hot magma beneath the surface.

Questions about this coverage

How did the left and right cover Mars volcanic activity evidence found by scientists?
Of the 72 outlets on this story carrying a published leaning rating, 29% are rated left, 40% are rated centre, 31% are rated right. Those percentages are shares of the rated outlets, not of every outlet that ran it, which was 126. The sections above set out what each side emphasised, in its own terms.
Is Mars volcanic activity evidence found by scientists left or right?
Neither side dominates it. Of the 72 rated outlets on this story, 29% are rated left, 40% are rated centre, 31% are rated right, and no side holds the 70% this site would want before calling a field one-sided. A story is not left or right in any case; the outlets that carried it are what carry ratings.
Is the coverage of Mars volcanic activity evidence found by scientists biased?
Mars volcanic activity evidence found by scientists is one event reported by 126 outlets, and this page does not rate the story as biased or unbiased. What it publishes is the spread: which outlets ran it, where named rating organisations place each of them on the spectrum, and what each side chose to lead with. A leaning rating describes an outlet's record over time, not this article, and the two should not be run together.
Which outlets covered Mars volcanic activity evidence found by scientists?
126 that we know of, every one of them listed further up this page with a link to its own report and to what we hold on the publisher. Nothing here is a summary of somebody else's summary: the outlets are named so the original reporting can be read.
What evidence suggests volcanism on Mars?
A Russian ACS spectrometer on the TGO spacecraft detected evidence of volcanic activity on Mars. Additionally, hydrogen chloride emissions have been linked by scientists to hot magma beneath the planet's surface.
Could there be an inactive magma chamber on Mars?
Yes, scientists suggest that an inactive magma chamber may be hiding beneath the surface of Mars, according to new research. This finding is based on traces of volcanic activity discovered.
How has Mars' volcanic activity changed over time?
The rate of volcanic eruptions on Mars has been falling significantly over billions of years. While the most recent eruptions occurred tens of millions of years ago, scientists suggest the planet may be in a 'sleeping mode' rather than being geologically dead.

Read it at the source

126 outlets, grouped by the leaning a published rating gives them. Every headline links to the original; an underlined outlet name opens our profile of that publisher.

Left

20
Show 12 more

Centre

31
Show 23 more

Right

21
Show 13 more

Not rated

54
Show 46 more

How did this read?

About the coverage, not about the story. We do not ask whether you agree with what happened — we have no honest use for that answer.

Mars Volcanic Activity | MediaBias News