Stunning images from NASA’s spacecraft reveal canyons in the southern hemisphere of the Red Planet – formations that could only be “carved” by flowing water.
According to Space, these images were captured by NASA’s spacecraft on Mars, a planet that this space agency has always believed harbors life – at least ancient forms of life that have since gone extinct.
A potential “world of life” is unfolding before scientists studying this mysterious planet – according to new research led by planetary scientist James Dickson from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech).
Mysterious canyons in the southern hemisphere of Mars, resembling Earth’s landscape – (Photo: NASA).
Analyzing data on the mysterious canyons discovered since 2000, the Caltech team recognized that they are indeed channels, formed similarly to those found in the dry valleys of Antarctica, meaning they were “carved” by melting glaciers.
They suggest that water once flowed on Mars, and may still flow at times.
How they were formed remains a fascinating question. They exist at altitudes where liquid water is not expected to occur under Mars’s current climate conditions, which are too cold and thin for liquid water to persist, especially at high elevations.
Previous studies have suggested that these canyons may not be water channels in the Earth sense, but rather formed by sublimated carbon dioxide frost pushing debris down slopes.
The scenario that Caltech scientists emphasize more is that a strong flow of water in the past created them.
The 3D models they developed show that water did indeed play a role, driven by the movement of Mars’s axis, causing the ground to tilt and significantly affecting the climate and the flow of water.
The phenomenon of carbon dioxide sublimation did occur during that climate shift, thickening Mars’s atmosphere, raising surface temperatures, and allowing water to exist in liquid form, flowing across the planet.
These conditions may have repeated over the years, with the most recent occurrence being just 630,000 years ago.
This means that as Mars’s orbit continues to change with its axial tilt – a phenomenon still occurring on Earth, slowly over millions of years – liquid water could have the opportunity to appear on the planet again.
Thus, not only does ancient life have a chance to be revealed there, but a future form of life could also arise if water returns.
According to Dr. Dickson, this indicates that if we want to search for evidence of life, these canyons are a prime target.
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