Study Finds Ancient Atmosphere on Mars Was Cold and Dry
A team of American researchers investigating the ancient atmosphere of Mars have found that the atmosphere on the red planet used to be very cold and dry. The results of the study might be able to help scientists understand how ancient life on Mars could have survived.
A team of American researchers investigating the ancient atmosphere of Mars suggest that the atmosphere on the red planet used to be very cold and dry.
The results of the study might be able to help scientists understand how ancient life on Mars could have survived.
Their data shows that the atmosphere on Mars was so thin, that when water did exist on our neighboring planet, it did not remain in liquid form for very long.
Lead author of the study, Dr Edwin Kite from the California Institute of Technology’s Geological and Planetary Sciences Department is quoted as saying: “Our work has nudged me towards thinking that the conditions were mostly very cold and very dry even on early Mars - similar to Earth's Antarctic Dry Valleys today. However, there is still plenty of microbial life even in the Antarctic Dry Valleys so our work doesn't rule out an early environmental niche for life on Mars."
Information for the study taken from NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, which captured high resolution images of over three and a half billion-year-old craters, was based on the planet’s atmospheric conditions and compared to impact craters on Earth.
The study team thinks that water on Mars may have periodically melted to create the runoff, and other evidence of water on the surface of the planet.
A team of American researchers investigating the ancient atmosphere of Mars suggest that the atmosphere on the red planet used to be very cold and dry.
The results of the study might be able to help scientists understand how ancient life on Mars could have survived.
Their data shows that the atmosphere on Mars was so thin, that when water did exist on our neighboring planet, it did not remain in liquid form for very long.
Lead author of the study, Dr Edwin Kite from the California Institute of Technology’s Geological and Planetary Sciences Department is quoted as saying: “Our work has nudged me towards thinking that the conditions were mostly very cold and very dry even on early Mars - similar to Earth's Antarctic Dry Valleys today. However, there is still plenty of microbial life even in the Antarctic Dry Valleys so our work doesn't rule out an early environmental niche for life on Mars."
Information for the study taken from NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, which captured high resolution images of over three and a half billion-year-old craters, was based on the planet’s atmospheric conditions and compared to impact craters on Earth.
The study team thinks that water on Mars may have periodically melted to create the runoff, and other evidence of water on the surface of the planet.
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