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No geochemical evidence for history of standing water on Mars
Washington, Aug 22: Researchers say there is virtually no evidence of limestone formation on Mars, a finding that suggests the red planet never had oceans or seas. That conclusion, however, does not alter the possibility of life on Mars, experts say.
Washington, Aug 22: Researchers say there is
virtually no evidence of limestone formation on Mars, a
finding that suggests the red planet never had oceans or seas.
That conclusion, however, does not alter the possibility of
life on Mars, experts say.
Philip Christensen of Arizona State University said that an instrument on NASA's Mars global surveyor that searched the entire planet for evidence of carbonate found only trace amounts of the limestone-like mineral.
The finding means it is unlikely that Mars ever had oceans of water as some scientists have suggested, he said.
"Maybe instead of calling them oceans, we should call them glaciers," said Christensen. "A frozen ocean will not form carbonate. I believe Mars has a lot of water, but it is cold and frozen most of the time. That is consistent with what we have seen."
Other Mars experts said the finding makes a significant contribution to the continuing debate among scientists about how much water there was on Mars, where did it go and how did the planet's intricate patterns of river beds, carved canyons and delta fans form without huge volumes of flowing water.
Philip Christensen of Arizona State University said that an instrument on NASA's Mars global surveyor that searched the entire planet for evidence of carbonate found only trace amounts of the limestone-like mineral.
The finding means it is unlikely that Mars ever had oceans of water as some scientists have suggested, he said.
"Maybe instead of calling them oceans, we should call them glaciers," said Christensen. "A frozen ocean will not form carbonate. I believe Mars has a lot of water, but it is cold and frozen most of the time. That is consistent with what we have seen."
Other Mars experts said the finding makes a significant contribution to the continuing debate among scientists about how much water there was on Mars, where did it go and how did the planet's intricate patterns of river beds, carved canyons and delta fans form without huge volumes of flowing water.
"This is dramatically important," Matt Golombek, a geologist with the jet propulsion laboratory, the lead agency in NASA's program of mars exploration, said of the new study.
He said there is clear evidence that water flowed on Mars in the past, but yet the thin atmosphere and frigid temperatures of the planet now make liquid surface water impossible. This suggests that Mars was once warmer and wetter and with a denser carbon dioxide atmosphere.
Bureau Report