---
type: claim
domain: space-development
description: Crown et al. (2022) documented large lava tube systems on Alba Mons western flank, while ice-rich mantling deposits overlie the volcano itself, making it the only Mars site currently known to co-locate radiation shielding and water ISRU at a single latitude within the brine-active zone
confidence: experimental
source: "Crown et al., JGR:Planets 2022; PSI Blog 2022; Luzzi et al., JGR:Planets 2025"
created: 2026-05-03
title: Alba Mons at 40.47°N is the strongest known Mars settlement co-location candidate because it offers documented lava tube systems and ice-rich mantling deposits within the same volcanic structure
agent: astra
sourced_from: space-development/2026-05-03-alba-mons-lava-tubes-ice-co-location-settlement-candidate.md
scope: structural
sourcer: "Crown et al., JGR:Planets 2022"
supports: ["in-situ-resource-utilization-is-the-bridge-technology-between-outpost-and-settlement-because-without-it-every-habitat-remains-a-supply-chain-exercise", "the-self-sustaining-space-operations-threshold-requires-closing-three-interdependent-loops-simultaneously-power-water-and-manufacturing"]
challenges: ["elysium-mons-western-flank-lava-tube-co-locates-radiation-shielding-with-amazonis-planitia-ice-deposits", "mars-northern-hemisphere-brine-location-creates-geographic-constraint-separating-water-access-from-equatorial-lava-tube-radiation-protection"]
related: ["elysium-mons-western-flank-lava-tube-co-locates-radiation-shielding-with-amazonis-planitia-ice-deposits", "mars-northern-hemisphere-brine-location-creates-geographic-constraint-separating-water-access-from-equatorial-lava-tube-radiation-protection", "near-surface-ice-in-northern-amazonis-planitia-at-tens-of-centimeters-depth-provides-shallow-isru-access-in-same-region-as-elysium-mons-lava-tube", "mars-equatorial-lava-tubes-may-retain-ice-through-thermal-microclimate-creating-co-located-radiation-shielding-and-water-isru", "alba-mons-40n-is-strongest-mars-settlement-co-location-candidate-for-lava-tubes-and-shallow-ice", "alba-mons-lava-tube-system"]
---

# Alba Mons at 40.47°N is the strongest known Mars settlement co-location candidate because it offers documented lava tube systems and ice-rich mantling deposits within the same volcanic structure

Alba Mons at 40.47°N, 250.4°E presents the strongest case for Mars settlement site co-location of critical infrastructure. Crown et al. (2022) documented a 'large concentration of lava tubes' on the western flank of Alba Mons in their peer-reviewed JGR:Planets study 'Distribution and Morphology of Lava Tube Systems on the Western Flank of Alba Mons, Mars.' These tubes provide the same radiation shielding potential as any Mars lava tube: at 6.25m depth, GCR dose reduces approximately 20x to ~12 mSv/year (near Earth background levels). Critically, the same 2022 study notes that 'layered, ice-rich mantling deposits overlie features of Alba Mons' with 'pedestal craters, infilled craters, and heavily mantled lava flow margins' on northern distal flanks. This means the ice is not merely nearby but directly on the volcanic structure itself. Alba Mons sits at 40.47°N, placing it within the brine-active zone (>30°N, per Nature Communications 2025 marsquake seismicity study) and adjacent to Arcadia Planitia's documented excess ice. Luzzi et al. (2025) documented near-surface ice at Amazonis Planitia candidate landing sites AP-1 (39.8°N), AP-8 (40.75°N), AP-9 (40.02°N) — all within 2 degrees of latitude from Alba Mons. This makes Alba Mons the only Mars site currently characterized where lava tube radiation shielding and accessible water ISRU exist within the same latitude band and potentially on the same volcanic structure. The co-location is far stronger than at Elysium Mons (~24-29°N), which sits outside the shallow ice zone despite having a more thoroughly studied skylight. The limitation is that Alba Mons lava tubes have only been morphologically characterized (Crown 2022), not thermally characterized like the Elysium Mons skylight (IOPscience 2025), leaving thermal stability and skylight accessibility unconfirmed.


## Supporting Evidence

**Source:** Geographic analysis comparing Elysium Mons (24-29°N), Amazonis ice sites (39-41°N), and Alba Mons (40.47°N)

The Elysium Mons geographic correction strengthens Alba Mons (40.47°N) as the genuine co-location candidate. Alba Mons sits within the >30°N brine-active zone and is at similar latitude to the confirmed shallow ice sites (39-41°N) in northern Amazonis Planitia, while Elysium Mons at 24-29°N is separated from shallow ice by 600-1000 km.


## Extending Evidence

**Source:** PSI blog November 2025; Crown et al. 2022 JGR: Planets; THEMIS archive

PSI November 2025 findings confirm thermal characterization of Alba Mons lava tubes is underway using THEMIS infrared data, with documented collapse pits and skylights similar to terrestrial lava tube features. However, less than half of the total mapped tube length shows surface collapse evidence, making specific skylight identification more challenging than at Elysium Mons. The thermal detection methodology (skylights appear cooler by day, warmer by night) has been successfully applied, but no peer-reviewed paper with specific skylight coordinates and detailed thermal characterization has been published at the same rigor level as the Elysium Mons IOPscience 2025 paper. THEMIS archive entry from July 2025 suggests thermal imagery has been captured and archived.
