FACTS ABOUT WATER ON MARS
Added on: 7th Jul 2016
EXTENSIVE GLOBAL WARMING COULD TURN
MARS INTO A MASSIVE SWIMMING POOL
On average about 2 miles (3 km) thick, if the Martian ice caps
melted, the entire planet would be covered by 18ft (5.6m) of water.
THE COMPOSITION OF THE ICE CAPS
The Martian ice caps are complex structures. Stacks of water ice
and dust appear to be layered near the bottom, topped by
caps of water ice then solid carbon dioxide (dry ice)
which resembles freshly fallen snow.
EVIDENCE OF AN ANCIENT LAKE
The Curiosity rover found evidence of a shallow ancient lake on
Mars. Stretching 30 miles by 3 miles (50 x 5kms), the lake is
estimated to have existed on the planet’s surface for tens
of thousands of years, possibly frozen over.
WATER IS NOT JUST FROZEN IN THE ICE CAPS
Scientists now think water on Mars may not only be trapped
in the polar caps, but also in other subsurface areas around
the planet. So far, a massive ice sheet the size of Germany,
Sweden, and Japan combined has been found north of the
equator. The ice sheet is believed to extend to a depth
of 130ft (40m).
EVIDENCE FOR MARTIAN RIVERS AND LAKES
On our planet (and presumably all planets with flowing water), the
land bordering rivers and lakes is wetter than land further afield.
Scientists have found evidence for the same kind of circumstances
on Mars. They even found the region around Mount Sharp likely
hosted a lake, identifiable by the presence of sediments
deposited in the lake bed.
FREQUENT ICE AGES AFFECT THE AMOUNT
OF AVAILABLE WATER ON MARS
Because Mars lacks a large moon like our own, it does not
hold onto a stable axial tilt like Earth’s 23.5° tilt. This has resulted
in significant wobbling which frequently takes the planet into
an ice age, altering the amount of water available for life to use.
LIQUID WATER CAN'T CURRENTLY EXIST ON MARS
Mars is currently in the middle of one of these ice ages, making it
impossible for liquid water to exist until the planet warms up.
A MALFUNCTION LEADS TO A BREAKTHROUGH
After one of the Spirit rover’s wheels stopped functioning, it dug
deep as it ploughed across the surface. This malfunction
accidentally revealed strong evidence for water on Mars.
Dirt turned up by the wheel was rich in silica: the material in
quartz and window glass and a material which requires
water to form.
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