Researchers at the University of Arizona in Tucson have discovered
what they believe to be flowing water near the equator of Mars. How did
we miss it until now? The water seems to only flow seasonally.
Alfred McEwan of the University of Arizona in Tucson published these findings in the journal
Nature Geoscience.
The abstract of McEwan’s analysis states that, “The presence of
liquid water is a requirement of habitability on a planet. Possible
indicators of liquid surface water on Mars include intermittent
flow-like features observed on sloping terrains.
The researchers said that a pattern of flowing and freezing water
seemed to lengthen over time during the warmer seasons, and faded,
apparently do to freezing at certain points, during the colder seasons.
The study was based upon data from NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance
Orbiter. Originally they had drawn on a system of canyons near the slop
lineae in the southern mid-latitudes of Mars in 2011, but this most
recent study draws on 12 sites near the equator.
The study was inconclusive as to the origins of the water flow, and
concludes that “Although the origin of the recurring slope lineae
remains an open question, our observations are consistent with
intermittent flow of briny water. Such an origin suggests surprisingly
abundant liquid water in some near-surface equatorial regions of Mars.”
McEwan suspects the source is subterranean. For this reason, he
speculates that we have it all wrong in looking for life on the surface
of the red planet. “The subsurface is probably the best place to find
present-day life if it exists at all because it is protected from the
radiation and temperature extremes,” he said.
The image below shows McEwan’s map, from the Mars Reconnaissance
Orbiter, of the confirmed locations of dark streaks, or recurring slope
lineae.
McEwan, as well as Josh Rummel, the head of the Committee on Space
Research’s, COSPAR, panel on planetary protection, are due to present
the report to COSPAR next August.
(
Article by James Achisa; images via Nature Geoscience, Alfred McEwen et al.)
No comments:
Post a Comment