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Mars flooding confirmed with ancient channels

Friday, March 08, 2013

Source:

TheBright.com™ News

This image provided by NASA and taken by a camera aboard NASA?s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter shows the equatorial plains region known as Elysium Planitia on Mars. Using a radar instrument aboard the spacecraft, scientists made a 3-D map of flood channels below the surface of Mars, apparently created by past flooding. The findings were reported online Thursday, March 7, 2013 in the journal Science. (AP Photo/NASA)

Scientists have created a 3D map with ancient channels showing that Mars was once flooded. NASA released the images and confirmed that the Mars flooding occurred more than 500 million years ago. The report changes the idea that the planet is simply a barren landscape that never had water.

The red planet is often viewed as an empty area that could never sustain life. However, scientists have found ancient water channels that indicate flooding was once a serious issue on Mars. The channels, carved by water, run deep through the planet and indicate that floods were frequent.

The new information about Mars flooding reveals that water was once a prominent part of the planet. Currently, little evidence remains that it once sustained flooding. The carved channels buried under the surface are one indication. In addition, the polar caps still have ice and trapped water. The dry surface hides the fact that this was once a planet filled with water.

A channel in the Marte Vallis system is considered to be one of the strongest indicators of the Mars flooding. It is 600 miles long and shows deep carving by water streams. Scientists plan to study this area more in the future to learn about the floods on the planet. Unfortunately, this will not be an easy task because the area has been buried by lava from previous volcanic eruptions. Researchers will have to dig deep to find more evidence.

Despite some of the limitations, researchers have been able to scan the area using the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. This has shown information about the channels and their depth. The channel in the Marte Vallis system is believed to be at least 230 feet deep. As more scans are performed in the future, scientists believe that they will uncover more evidence of other deep channels in the area.

The Mars flooding evidence has created more questions than answers. It is clear that the planet has evidence of massive floods that changed its landscape and created deep channels. It is also clear that erosion played an important part in shaping its appearance. However, as lava from volcanic eruptions covered up most of the flooding evidence, evidence became trapped under the surface. Researchers do not know what caused the floods on Mars or how long they could have lasted. Nevertheless, learning more about them could help people understand our own planet and the changes common in our universe.