Evidence has emerged that rivers and lakes flowed over the surface of Mars about four billion years ago, and a new study believes many of them are hidden miles below the surface.
Researchers at the University of Pinghamton have found water trapped in clay ores 18 miles below the surface of Mars.
An iron-rich mineral called smectite is found on Earth and is formed by a specific contact between rocks and water.
The team observed iron-iron-smectite on Mars, a low-temperature stable form of smectite.
David Jenkins, a professor of geography and environmental studies at Pinghamton University, said in a statement. ReportIron-Iron-Smectite, a form with a low thermal stability of smectite, was found to be stable up to a temperature of about 600 செல் C at a depth of 30 km, making it clear that smectite may indeed be an important reservoir. ‘Lost water’ on Mars.
In 2006, NASA released the first evidence of water on Mars – two images of two craters: Terra Siren and Centauri Montes showing liquid water on Mars between 1999 and 2001.
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On July 31, 2008, NASA’s Mars Lander Phoenix confirmed the presence of water ice on Mars, which has the same components as water on Earth, and not just another form of ice.
The Red Planet has many archaic valleys and river canals that have long indicated that liquid water may flow there.
NASA Perseverance is currently traveling to Mars to explore the Jessero Greater, a lake that was flooded about 3.5 billion years ago.
Much of the water that once existed on Mars is now thought to be ice stored in polar caps and underground ice.
Over the past several years, enough data has been collected from satellites orbiting Mars to determine even enough estimates of how much water there was on Mars, to determine if there was enough ice or enough steam loss from the surface. From the front, step Jenkins.
Until now, previous studies have focused on demonstrating the formation of smectite at low temperatures, but have not shown how stable it is.
“We need this last piece of information to try and determine at what depth the mineral smectite may occur on Mars,” Jenkins said.
Although this study helps to underline the importance of clay minerals on Mars, it is certainly not the last word in this regard.
The very difficult question of the total amount of clay ores on or near the surface of Mars has not been determined with the accuracy necessary to ensure that the clay ores on Mars may be a dominant reservoir.
Source: Daily Mail
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