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A new study reveals that parts of Mars may have been modified by liquid water in recent geologic times, which might indicate more favourable conditions for life
on the planet.
Carried out by researchers from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, in conjunction with German planetary researchers at Wilhelm’s University in Muenster
and the Germany Aerospace Center (DLR) in Berlin, the study have now been published in the journal ICARUS, the International Journal for Solar System Studies.
The surface of Mars displays a diverse landscape, and a new study shows that large areas of the northern hemisphere have undergone a number of freeze-thaw cycles.
“This process is common in our own Arctic permafrost environments and causes the formation of lobate features on slopes,” says Andreas Johnsson at the
University of Gothenburg’s Department of Earth Sciences.
“As the Martian landscapes we’re studying feature ground-ice, our interpretation is that liquid water has been available in the ground during thaw periods.”
Gullies formed by water
When the ice melted, the near-surface sediment on the slopes became saturated with the melt water and then slowly began to move downwards on top of the still
frozen permafrost table due to gravity.
“You can see these structures in close proximity to what are known as gullies,” says Andreas Johnsson.
The researchers have long suspected that the gullies, which are geologically young landforms, were formed by liquid water.
“Our question was: if liquid water can occur in local niches, predominantly in impact craters, where most of the gullies are to be found, then shouldn’t we
see more signs of thawing and the effects of melt water, along the lines of those in our own Arctic environments?”
In the study, which focuses on the northern hemisphere of Mars, the researchers could see lobate features in close proximity to the gullies.
Morphologically similar landforms are also to be found in Arctic areas on Earth, and are known as solifluction lobes.
The surface of Mars displays a diverse landscape, and a new study shows that large areas of the northern hemisphere have undergone a number of freeze-thaw cycles.
(Credit: Image courtesy of University of Gothenburg)
Comparisons with Earth
In the study, the researchers compared Martian landforms with known solifluction landforms in Svalbard.
“Unlike local ice-melting, as suggested by the ravines, the solifluction lobes indicate that there has probably been more widespread thawing of
the Martian landscape,” says Andreas Johnsson. “Consequently there must have been liquid water in large areas, which is interesting for our
understanding of past climates.”
The results show either that the climate models for Mars must be fine-tuned to include the climatic conditions required by these features, or
that there is another factor at play.
Since the Mars Phoenix Lander mission it has been confirmed that the ground contains salts that can affect the freezing point of water on Mars
so that it can be liquid even at sub-zero temperatures and low atmospheric pressure.
“We don’t yet know which of these scenarios is more likely - it could be a combination of the two.”
Searching for life on Mars
Transient liquid water is also of considerable interest when looking for favourable environments for life on Mars. Research has shown that
organisms can survive for long periods without water in cold environments on Earth, but that there must be access to water at times.
“On Mars, these landforms may suggest that the ice melts during favourable “warm” periods and the ground is temporarily saturated with water
before freezing again when a new cold period comes along. This process is probably seasonal and linked to periods when Mars’ polar axis was
more tilted. Given the varying climate on Mars, it is possible that these conditions are recurring.
It has to be emphasized, however, that process-landform interpretation can be problematic due to convergence, which means
that different sets of processes may result in similar-looking landforms. Nevertheless, based on comparative morphology,
morphometry relationships and the proximity to gullies make these landforms consistent with solifluction.”
Glassy Surface Of Mars
The surface of Mars exhibits numerous lava flows and other signs of effusive volcanism.
Although models suggest that explosive volcanism should also have produced extensive deposits, direct evidence for large-scale
explosive volcanism on Mars has been scarce.
A new investigation by Briony Horgan and James F. Bell III of the mineralogy of dark regions covering more than ten million square
kilometers in the northern hemisphere of Mars has revealed that these regions are dominantly composed of glass.
Alien Species Living In The Inner Milky Way Could Be In Danger
Few people doubt there is intelligent alien life in the Milky Way galaxy, but where can we expect to find it?
Astronomers think that while the inner sector of the MIlky Way Galaxy may be the most likely to support habitable worlds.
Unfortunately some of these places are also most dangerous to all life-forms.
Black Holes With No 'Table Manners' Eat Two Courses At Once!
It is still unknown how the supermassive black holes (SMBH) in galaxy centres accrete gas and grow.
Researchers from the University of Leicester (UK) and Monash University in Australia have investigated how some black holes got so big so fast that they are billions of times heavier than the sun.
Methane On Mars Is Not An Indication For Life:
It's Linked to Meteorites
There has been much speculation about methane's source on Mars, since scientists for the first time identified it in the planet's atmosphere in 2003.
Intense UV radiation on the red planet releases methane from organic materials which meteorites transport onto its surface.
It was a sensation when scientists discovered methane in Mars’ atmosphere nine years ago. Many saw the presence of the gas
as a clear indication of life on the inhospitable planet, as on Earth methane is produced predominantly by biological processes.
Others assumed geological processes, such as volcanoes, to be the cause.
Head Of An Elephant Photographed On Mars
It is an incredible sight. This image taken by NASA clearly shows a large elephant head stretching across the surface of Mars.
The image was taken near the Elysium Planitia sector, a Martian plain that exhibits some of the youngest lava flows on the Red Planet's surface..
The elephant in the photo is actually the remnants of a large lava flow that occurred sometime within the last 100 million years.
Warp-Speed Planets Are Some Of The Fastest Objects In The Milky Way
Warped planets are some of the fastest objects in the Milky Way and they zoom through space near the speed of light.
Some years ago astronomers were astonished when they they found the first runaway star flying out of our Galaxy at a speed of 1.5 million miles per hour.
The discovery intrigued theorists, who wondered: If a star can get tossed outward at such an extreme velocity, could the same thing happen to planets?
Though the universe is filled with billions upon billions of stars, the discovery of a single variable star in 1923 altered the
course of modern astronomy. And, at least one famous astronomer of the time lamented that the discovery had shattered his world view.
Bright Star In The Constellation Lyra Is Cooler Than The Human Body
The coldest class of stars have temperatures as cool as the human body.
Astronomers hunted these dark orbs, termed Y dwarfs, for more than a decade without success.
When viewed with a visible-light telescope, they are nearly impossible to see.
MessageToEagle.com -
A new study reveals that parts of Mars may have been modified by liquid water in recent geologic times, which might indicate more favourable conditions for life
on the planet.
The surface of Mars exhibits numerous lava flows and other signs of effusive volcanism.
Although models suggest that explosive volcanism should also have produced extensive deposits, direct evidence for large-scale
explosive volcanism on Mars has been scarce.
A new investigation by Briony Horgan and James F. Bell III of the mineralogy of dark regions covering more than ten million square
kilometers in the northern hemisphere of Mars has revealed that these regions are dominantly composed of glass.
Few people doubt there is intelligent alien life in the Milky Way galaxy, but where can we expect to find it?
Astronomers think that while the inner sector of the MIlky Way Galaxy may be the most likely to support habitable worlds.
Unfortunately some of these places are also most dangerous to all life-forms.
It is still unknown how the supermassive black holes (SMBH) in galaxy centres accrete gas and grow.
Researchers from the University of Leicester (UK) and Monash University in Australia have investigated how some black holes got so big so fast that they are billions of times heavier than the sun.
There has been much speculation about methane's source on Mars, since scientists for the first time identified it in the planet's atmosphere in 2003.
Intense UV radiation on the red planet releases methane from organic materials which meteorites transport onto its surface.
It was a sensation when scientists discovered methane in Mars’ atmosphere nine years ago. Many saw the presence of the gas
as a clear indication of life on the inhospitable planet, as on Earth methane is produced predominantly by biological processes.
Others assumed geological processes, such as volcanoes, to be the cause.
It is an incredible sight. This image taken by NASA clearly shows a large elephant head stretching across the surface of Mars.
The image was taken near the Elysium Planitia sector, a Martian plain that exhibits some of the youngest lava flows on the Red Planet's surface..
The elephant in the photo is actually the remnants of a large lava flow that occurred sometime within the last 100 million years.
Warped planets are some of the fastest objects in the Milky Way and they zoom through space near the speed of light.
Some years ago astronomers were astonished when they they found the first runaway star flying out of our Galaxy at a speed of 1.5 million miles per hour.
The discovery intrigued theorists, who wondered: If a star can get tossed outward at such an extreme velocity, could the same thing happen to planets?
Though the universe is filled with billions upon billions of stars, the discovery of a single variable star in 1923 altered the
course of modern astronomy. And, at least one famous astronomer of the time lamented that the discovery had shattered his world view.
The coldest class of stars have temperatures as cool as the human body.
Astronomers hunted these dark orbs, termed Y dwarfs, for more than a decade without success.
When viewed with a visible-light telescope, they are nearly impossible to see.