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Mars Has Water Trapped Within Minerals In Its Crust, Reveals NASA-funded Study
A new study reveals that a major portion of water is trapped within the minerals in mars’ crust. The objective of the research is to challenge previous theory.
Earlier, lots of water flowed on the surface of the red planet, forming pools, lakes, and deep oceans. A new study reveals that a major portion of that water is trapped within the minerals in mars’ crust. The objective of the research is to challenge the theory that says that the Red Planet s water escaped into space as its atmosphere was stripped away by the sun’s radiation.
Mars long ago was wet. You may be surprised where the water went
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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Mars was once a wet world, with abundant bodies of water on its surface. But this changed dramatically billions of years ago, leaving behind the desolate landscape known today. So what happened to the water? Scientists have a new hypothesis.
FILE PHOTO: A tall outcropping of rock, with layered deposits of sediments in the distance, marking a remnant of an ancient, long-vanished river delta in Jezero Crater, are pictured in this undated image taken by NASA s Mars rover Perseverance from its landing site, and supplied to Reuters on March 5, 2021. NASA/JPL-Caltech/Handout via REUTERS
New Study Challenges Long-Held Theory of Fate of Mars Water
Global View of Mars From Viking Orbiter: This global view of Mars is composed of about 100 Viking Orbiter images. Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech/USGS. Download image ›
The new science results indicate that a large quantity of the Red Planet’s water is trapped in its crust rather than having escaped into space.
Billions of years ago, according to geological evidence, abundant water flowed across Mars and collected into pools, lakes, and deep oceans. New NASA-funded research shows a substantial quantity of its water – between 30 and 99% – is trapped within minerals in the planet’s crust, challenging the current theory that due to the Red Planet’s low gravity, its water escaped into space.
(Photo : NASA on Unsplash)
A team of geologists and atmospheric scientists has produced a modern vision of Mars history by plugging observations of the red planet into new models: Many of the planet s ancient water may have been frozen in crystals in the crust, where it may still be found today.
Where Did They Go?
Buttes on Mars
According to previous studies, the majority of Mars water fled into space when the planet s atmosphere was washed away by the sun s radiation. However, according to a recent report published today in the journal Science and discussed practically at this year s Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, Mars water underwent both an atmospheric evacuation and a geologic entrapment.
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The planet Mars is shown May 12, 2016 in this NASA Hubble Space Telescope view taken May 12, 2016 when it was 50 million miles from Earth. NASA/Handout via Reuters Mars’ ‘missing’ water is buried beneath surface study
Published March 17, 2021 10:27pm By LUCIE AUBOURG and ISSAM AHMED, Agence France-Presse WASHINGTON Billions of years ago, Mars was home to lakes and oceans but where all the water went to transform the planet into the desolate rock we know today has been something of a mystery. Most of it was thought to have been lost to space, but a new study funded by NASA proposes that it didn t go anywhere but is trapped within minerals in the crust.