Analyzing data collected by NASA’s Curiosity rover, scientists have discovered that a flood of incredible intensity was once washed away by the Gale Crater on the equator of Mars about four billion years ago.
These findings, published in the journal Scientific Reports, point to the possibility of life on the Red Planet.
The raging megaflood – possibly touched by the heat of a weather effect that stored ice on the surface of Mars – formed huge stripes that are familiar story-geographic structures to scientists on Earth.
“We identified megafluids for the first time using detailed sedimatological data observed by Rover Curiosity,” said Alberto Ferrer, co-author of the visiting astrobiologist at Cornell University in Irrawaddy, New York.
“Deposits held by Megafloods were not previously identified with Orbiter data.”
Like Earth, geological features on Mars, including water and wind work, have stabilized over time for nearly four billion years. These features represent the processes that shaped the surface of both planets in the past.
The case involves huge wave-shaped features in the sedimentary layers of the gale crater, often called “magripples” or antidones, which are about 300-feet in height and about 505050 feet apart, according to study lead author Azt Hedari, a professor of physics at Mississippi in the United States. At State University.
Hidari said there is an indicator of magfloods flowing to the bottom of Mars’ gale crater about four billion years ago, similar to the characteristics formed by melting ice on Earth about two million years ago.
The most probable cause of the Mars flood was the melting of ice from the heat generated by the large impact, which released carbon dioxide and methane from the planet’s stagnant reservoirs.
The water vapor and release of the gas are combined for a short period of hot and humid conditions on the red exterior.
Condensation formed water vapor clouds, which probably resulted in planetary, torrential rain.
The Curiosity Rover Science team has already established that the Gail Crater once had continuous lakes and streams in the ancient past.
This long life of water is a good indication that the pit, as well as the mount sharps inside it, were able to support microbial life.
“Early Mars was a very active planet from a geological point of view,” Fairin said.
“On Earth, and on Earth, where there is water there is life, there were the necessary conditions to support the presence of liquid water.
“So early Mars was a habitable planet,” he said.
“Was he living? That’s a question that the next Rover Perseverance … would help to answer.”
Dr Pers, which started on July 30, will reach Mars on February 18, 2021.
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