Was The Red Planet Once A Lush 'Blue'?
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While the soil of our favorite Red Planet may now seem arid and inhospitable- one where water is scarce or non-existent, this may not have been the case, billions of years ago.
An analysis of the images of the planet's surface using a new software technology by a team of scientists from the University of Illinois, shows evidence of dozens of valleys, more than twice as many, as was thought in the past.
This according to Professor Wei Luo, indicates that there were once a number of rivers that flowed from the planet's southern mountains and amalgamated into a giant ocean on the lower, northern end of the Planet.
The discovery of the new valleys is very important, because while their existence has been known since the Mariner 9 Spacecraft photographed them in 1971, scientists have been divided as to whether they were created by erosion from surface water (indicating rivers) or through a process of erosion known as ground water sapping - caused when water emerges as springs from the ground, a phenomenon that occurs in areas that are cold and arid.
Scientists now believe that the large number of valleys is proof that many years ago, Mars may have indeed received regular rainfall, which swelled the rivers and topped the oceans, just like it happens on Earth.
Also, thanks to the clear depiction of the valleys by the new software, the team of scientists, in collaboration with NASA, has been able to draw a more comprehensive map of the Red Planet.
The map prior to this, was created in 1990, by sketching over images of the Planet and was therefore neither very accurate, nor as detailed.
The scientists also believe that the fact that the planet had water means that it may have sustained life, meaning that Martians may have actually existed! Unfortunately, the current cold and dry conditions make that next to impossible today!
sources: independent.co.uk,sciencecodex.com,dailymail.co.uk
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128 Comments
- cherylabout 12 yearswow i did not know thwt
swirlylollypopsabout 14 yearsso cool!
jabulaniabout 14 yearscool- Sera G.over 14 yearsO my gosh! I never knew if Mars could be so lushes! It's amazing that mars could turn into such a dull and dangerous planet. Sera.
- Alexis Langeover 14 yearsI can't belive Mars was a lush blue color. Their is vallys on Mars? I also never knew their was a bluesh color.
- Brandon W.over 14 yearsI think there is erosion on mars when there was water, because weathering and erosion took place and made canyons (V shaped valley) and what made canyons was weathering and erosion.
- Gabby T.over 14 yearsIt's very interesting that with the new technology scientist are able to draw a better map of Mars. Now scientist can see many more valleys that indicate erosion from the rivers that swelled from rainfall. Also, from the article "Water in Mars" scientist think that the water had a lot of salt because the pictures taken from satellites showed strikes of water that indicate that water was running down in the warm weather and was freezing in the winter. If the water was fresh, it would have been frozen from the extreme cold and there wouldn't be strikes. I liked both articles because they have such interesting information and clues that billions of years ago the Red Planed might had sustained life!
- Antonio Garciaover 14 yearsThere is erosion on mars because of the water eroded the rock away .Their is water on Mars because the NASA built a satilite wich shows water on Mars.I know that their is erosion on Mars because the Mariner 9 spacecraft took pictures of Mars and shows a valley on Mars.I have another reason there is water on Mars,it is that there might have been a regular rainfall on Mars.There wasn't only a pond of water there was rivers of water wich could have been lots of erosion.(extra coment) It is unbelievable that there was life on Mars because there was martians.
- Gabby T.over 14 yearsIt's very interesting that with the new technology scientists are able to draw a better map of Mars and to see the landforms that used to exist. Also the fact that billions of years ago there was rainfall and water indicating life in Mars is fascinating. I hope that scientist will continue exploring and educating people about new discoveries in the Red Planet.
- Enoma E.over 14 yearsI think that erosion happened on Mars because we have records that show water was once on Mars. I think so because when the water came thru in streaks it wears away some material (weathering). Water carries the materials down to a different location (erosion), which was shown in the pictures in " Water on Mars". The article also talks about that the water on Mars is salt water because it said if it was fresh water it wouldn't melt. I thought this article was more helpful.