Detection of traces of glaciations on Mars

Analysis of photographs taken by the US MRO probe has led planetary scientists to conclude that Mars has had several ice ages.

And these effects were discovered not in the tropics, but at the north and south poles of Mars, confirming that the ice was moving forward and backward in these two particular zones due to the change in the angle of inclination of the planet’s axis of rotation.

It is noteworthy that most planetary scientists believe that Mars resembled Earth in its early ages. It had dense atmospheres, a pleasant warm climate, and watery oceans that qualified for life. But such conditions did not last long, that is, about a billion years after the formation of the planet. Then, in the so-called Hesperian era, that is, 3.6 billion years ago, Mars became an arid desert. Almost the entire atmosphere and water reserves have evaporated into space or turned into ice. Planetary scientists have yet to agree on why this happens.

A team of planetary scientists headed by an assistant professor at the “Colgate” University of America shed light on this issue after they discovered, in photographs taken by the American probe, clear traces that indicated that the Red Planet witnessed after the disappearance of most of its atmosphere some ice ages.

In the photographs, the scientists discovered types of terrain, groups of stones and rock fragments on the lower slopes of mountains and hills formed by the movement of ice. And scientists came to the conclusion that the ice moved back and forth many times.

The scientists assumed that these groups of stones could contain layers of ice. As for its detailed study, it can help scientists to know the climatic history of Mars and answer the question of why the water reserves disappeared from its surface, according to “TASS”.