NASA says it may have discovered flowing water on Mars.
Apologies if this has already been posted on another thread !...
Scientists at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory say new images from the surface of Mars may hold evidence that flowing water exists on the planet.
The potential discovery is noteworthy, since scientists have held on to the possibility of traces of water existing under the surface of Mars but had almost written off the possibility of flowing water still existing on the planet's surface.
Orbiting spacecraft captured the imagery, which appears to show liquid flowing down a slope on the planet's surface during a seasonal change in which surface temperatures rise.
"We still don't have a smoking gun for existence of water in RSL, although we're not sure how this process would take place without water," said Lujendra Ojha, lead author of the new report and a graduate student at the Georgia Institute of Technology. RSL refers to recurring slope lineae, the techincal term for the potential water flow.
"The flow of water, even briny water, anywhere on Mars today would be a major discovery, impacting our understanding of present climate change on Mars and possibly indicating potential habitats for life near the surface on modern Mars," said JPL's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter project scientist Richard Zurek.
In theory, that could mean previously frozen water was temporarily melting and moving downward.
But even "warm" temperatures on the red planet's surface are still well below freezing. So, how could water move at all?
NASA says iron-rich minerals on the planet's surface, such as ferric sulfate, could act as a sort of antifreeze, allowing water to remain liquid despite freezing temperatures.
The potential finding follows a 2011 study from Ojha that first pointed to potential saltwater flows on the planet's surface. In his new paper, Ojha said the water flows appear to continue for about two months' time.
The results were published in the latest issue of the journal Geophysical Research Letters.
http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow/nasa-says-it-may-have-discovered-water-flows-on-mars-224449716.html
As the article says, this has been suggested before and published in 2011. As far as I know they do not have more evidence than they did at the time.
Some scientists, pointing to the fact that those flows get wider instead of getting thinner as normal water flows suggest that what we see is some kind of dust.
Quote from: ArMaP on February 13, 2014, 09:15:17 PM
As the article says, this has been suggested before and published in 2011. As far as I know they do not have more evidence than they did at the time.
Some scientists, pointing to the fact that those flows get wider instead of getting thinner as normal water flows suggest that what we see is some kind of dust.
Seems like those scientists are basing their assumptions on earth like conditions too. :o
I figured out that there was a lot of water still on Mars back in 2002. Just buried under a few meters of rubble and debris. ;D
Quote from: Norval on February 14, 2014, 12:38:34 AM
Seems like those scientists are basing their assumptions on earth like conditions too. :o
That's what they know, basing assumptions on things we don't know is even more likely to fail. :)
I am not aware of any updates since 2011...as I have not done any detailed research on it..
All I can see is his ref to his new paper that says the water flow seems to continue for about 2 months....Not really sure what it means..or when it happens or how often it may happen during a Mars Year ....
QuoteIn his new paper, Ojha said the water flows appear to continue for about two months' time.
Quote from: ArMaP on February 13, 2014, 09:15:17 PM
As the article says, this has been suggested before and published in 2011. As far as I know they do not have more evidence than they did at the time.
Some scientists, pointing to the fact that those flows get wider instead of getting thinner as normal water flows suggest that what we see is some kind of dust.