Evidence of water on MARS!!! Scientists reveal new evidence of flowing water and ancient past rivers on Mars!!!

summary article:

Scientists reveal flowing new evidence of raging ancient rivers of water on Mars

By analyzing a fresh crop of high-resolution images captured by the HiRISE camera installed on NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, scientists were able to transform shots into 3D topographical maps of the Martian area identified as Hellas Basin, one of the most massive impact craters in the solar system. What they found along a rocky mountain cliff face were deep sediment deposits about 656 feet high, created by rushing rivers, towering almost twice the height of the White Cliffs of Dover, and spanning nearly one mile wide.

According to their findings, the raging rivers that carved out these rocks were most likely active for tens to hundreds of thousands of years. These ancient sediment beds could hold the promise of life and provide more answers surrounding Mars' distant past, especially starting in 2023, when the European Space Agency (ESA) deploys its Rosalind Franklin ExoMars Rover to explore the Red Planet's mysterious terrain.

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Journal article:



Orbital observation has revealed a rich record of fluvial landforms on Mars, with much of this record dating 3.6–3.0 Ga. Despite widespread geomorphic evidence, few analyses of Mars’ alluvial sedimentary-stratigraphic record exist, with detailed studies of alluvium largely limited to smaller sand-bodies amenable to study in-situ by rovers. These typically metre-scale outcrop dimensions have prevented interpretation of larger scale channel-morphology and long-term basin evolution, vital for understanding the past Martian climate. Here we give an interpretation of a large sedimentary succession at Izola mensa within the NW Hellas Basin rim.

The deposits mirror terrestrial analogues subject to low-peak discharge variation, implying that river deposition at Izola was subject to sustained, potentially perennial, fluvial flow. Such conditions would require an environment capable of maintaining large volumes of water for extensive time-periods, necessitating a precipitation-driven hydrological cycle.

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Last Edited by Digital mix guy Spock on 05/11/2020 01:26 AM