NASA finds evidence confirming water flowed on Mars longer than previously thought

NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) on Wednesday found that water flowed on Red Planet longer than previously thought. According to a blog post, MRO determined that water left salt minerals on surface of Mars as recently as two billion years ago. US ncy stated that detection of salt signatures is first mineral evidence confirming presence of liquid water in inhospitable world.

It was previously believed that Mars’ water evaporated about 3 billion years ago. However, as per blog, two scientists studying MRO data over last 15 years found evidence that reduces timeline significantly. ir research revealed signs of liquid water on Red Planet as recently as 2 billion to 2.5 billion years ago, meaning water flowed re about a billion years longer than previously estimated. 

“What is amazing is that after more than a decade of providing high-resolution im, stereo, and infrared data, MRO has driven new discoveries about nature and timing of se river-connected ancient salt ponds,” said Ehlmann, CRISM’s deputy principal investigator in a statement.

findings of research centre on chloride salt deposits left behind as icy meltwater flowing across landscape evaporated. scientists said that salt deposits provide first mineral evidence confirming presence of liquid water. w, discovery raises new questions about how long microbial life could have survived on Mars if it ever formed at all. 

' more of planet we map,  better we can understand'

research was conducted by Ellen Leask as part of her doctoral work at Caltech. As per blog, Leask used data from MRO instrument called Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars (CRISM) to map chloride salts across clay-rich highlands of Mars’ sourn hemisphere terrain pockmarked by impact craters. She explained that se craters were one key to dating salts: fewer craters a terrain has, younger it is. By counting number of craters on an area of surface, researchers can estimate its .

NASA said that MRO has two cameras that were used to create digital elevation maps. scientists found that many salts were in depressions once home to shallow ponds on gently sloping volcanic plains. Moreover, y also found winding, dry channels nearby former streams that once fed surface ruff (from occasional melting of ice or permafrost) into se ponds.

“Part of value of MRO is that our view of planet keeps getting more detailed over time,” said Leslie Tamppari, mission’s deputy project scientist at JPL. “ more of planet we map with our instruments, better we can understand its history.”

(Im: NASA/Pixabay)