ESA scientists have published a complete map of the distribution of water on Mars
Miscellaneous / / August 23, 2022
The new data will help answer questions about the planet's climate in the past and the conditions for the emergence of life.
On a map created by the European Space Agency (ESA) using the Mars Express and Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter orbiters, depicted areas that have changed due to the interaction of rocks with water. We are talking about stones and clay soil, which were once covered by a water layer.
On Earth, clays are formed by the interaction of water with various minerals, such as smectite and vermiculite. They retain their volcanic properties practically unchanged. Such clay is rich in iron and magnesium, and when washed out, aluminum-rich rocks such as kaolin remain. Similar minerals were discovered by ESA scientists in the process of studying the soil of the Red Planet.
It turned out that clays that retained their chemical composition are very common on Mars. This radically changes the understanding of researchers about the history of the planet and the reconstruction of times when it still had water. Such types of soil were considered rare on Mars. Ten years ago, researchers could only identify about a thousand zones with smectite, vermiculite, and kaolin. Now there are hundreds of thousands of them on the planet.
According to scientists, this will radically change the process of studying the planet. Previously, researchers were of the opinion that water on Mars was in small quantities and did not leave a large trace behind. However, thanks to the new discovery, it is safe to say that water has played a key role in the formation of the planet's soil.
The new data will help answer exciting questions about the history of Mars' climate, whether there was water in the global the scale of constant or limited to short, intense episodes, and whether the conditions were ever suitable for life.
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