Mars has often left scientists fascinated by its capacity to support life. Today, a research analysis reported in Scientific Reports earlier this month indicates that floods of unprecedented size swept through the Gale Crater on Mars' equator around four billion years ago. The outcomes of the study were calculated from the data obtained by NASA's Curiosity rover.
Scientists from Cornell University's Jackson State University. To come to this understanding, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the University of Hawaii have put their heads together. The results indicate that a long time ago, Mars was able to support life. The megaflood occurrence might have been the product of a meteoric effect generating fire. The chain of events made the ice deposited on Mars free, contributing to gigantic ripples.
What's the secret behind Gale Crater?
Scientists have long been intrigued by the Gale crater as the Curiosity rover's research team has already verified that it once contained permanent lakes and streams. This study sets a seal on the probability of supplying our solar system's fourth world with microbial existence.
The co-author of the report, Alberto G. Fairén, said in a statement that the secret to the recent finding was extensive sedimentological evidence and the explanation why it did not come to light was that "deposits left behind by megafloods with orbiter data had not previously been identified."
"Early Mars was an extremely active planet from a geological point of view," Fairén said. "The planet had the conditions needed to support the presence of liquid water on the surface - and on Earth, where there's water, there's life."
The 'megaripples' or 'antidunes' were 30 foot strong and about 450 feet away, according to lead author Ezat Heydari. Scientists have often been able to find comparisons with the activities unfolding on Earth and the Red Planet. Heydari claims these features were created almost two million years ago by melting ice on our world.
Consequently, a significant volume of carbon dioxide and methane may have been emitted from the frozen lakes of the earth as a consequence of the meteoric effect. This culminated in water flooding the Gale crater, which was then mixed with water flowing down from the inside of Mount Sharp, 5.5 km up from the valley floor. The chain reaction has contributed to the planet's gigantic flash floods, the extent of which is still unknown.
Will NASA Perseverance Rover verify the facts?
It is still an unanswered question whether Mars was once host to microbial life. But a NASA Perseverance rover will explore it once it lands in February 2021.
But the Curiosity rover research team has already discovered that in the ancient past, the Gale Crater once had permanent lakes and streams. These long-lived water bodies are positive signs that the crater has been able to sustain microbial existence and Mount Sharp within it.
Water may not only be a forgotten relic from the past of Mars. There could be ancient underwater lakes locked away on the red planet, analysis says. In 2019, NASA has established a "treasure map" for water ice reserves that might be useful for potential human explorers. The same adventurers are going to be glad to hear that the Mars megafloods are long gone.
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