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A groundbreaking study reveals the existence of ancient water on Mars through “wave ripples” imprinted in Martian rocks. These ripples, found in Gale Crater during NASA’s Curiosity rover mission in 2022, suggest that Mars once had a shallow lake up to 2 meters deep (6.5 feet).
Dr. Claire Mondro and Dr. Michael Lamb of Caltech explained the formation of these ripples as evidence of water acting upon Martian winds over billions of years. Their findings indicate that liquid water existed on Mars approximately 3.7 billion years ago, a discovery that impacts our understanding of the planet’s climate history and potential for past microbial life.
This study complements earlier findings from Curiosity, which identified long-lived ancient lakes free of ice, offering insights into Mars’ early conditions. Scientists believe these ripples provide crucial data on Mars’ paleoclimate, helping us piece together its environmental transitions over time.
The implications extend beyond geology to future space exploration. Understanding past water sources is vital for missions seeking habitable conditions and potential resources for human survival. Curiosity’s findings may also guide crewed missions by highlighting areas with traces of ancient microbial activity.
This discovery underscores Mars’ dynamic history, bringing us closer to unraveling the planet’s secrets regarding life as we know it.
Source: https://www.earth.com/news/wave-ripples-discovered-mars-surface-indicate-liquid-water-present-4-billion-years-ago