NASA’s MAVEN mission has made a groundbreaking discovery in unraveling the mystery of Mars’ disappearing atmosphere. For the first time, scientists have directly observed atmospheric sputtering, a process that strips the Red Planet’s atmosphere and may contribute to its loss of water.
Researchers discovered that high-energy charged particles from the solar wind collide with Mars’ atmosphere, knocking out neutral atoms and molecules into space. This phenomenon is like a cannonball hitting a pool, leaving behind splashes of neutral atoms.
The MAVEN team used data from three spacecraft instruments to capture sputtering in real time. They created a detailed map of sputtered argon particles across different regions of the Martian atmosphere, revealing areas where energetic particles slammed into the atmosphere and splashed out neutral atoms at high altitudes.
Surprisingly, the team found that sputtering occurs four times faster than previously predicted, with rates intensifying during solar storms. This suggests that sputtering played a significant role in Mars’ atmospheric erosion after the planet lost its magnetic field.
The confirmation of atmospheric sputtering supports the idea that this process contributed to the loss of water on Mars’ surface. Without a protective magnetic shield, the atmosphere became vulnerable to the solar wind, leading to the loss of conditions necessary for life.
This discovery is crucial in understanding whether Mars could have once supported life and what led to its barren state today.
Source: https://dailygalaxy.com/2025/05/an-invisible-force-has-been-eating-away-at-mars-for-centuries-and-nasa-finally-caught-it