Mars has long been a focus of scientific exploration, with researchers searching for clues about its past climate and the possibility of ancient life.
Now, new findings from NASA suggest that lakes once existed on the Red Planet, challenging previous theories that water was only present as ice.
Signs of Open Water on Mars
Recent research indicates that Mars once had shallow lakes with liquid water.
As reported by Tech WP, NASA’s Curiosity rover captured images of ripple-like formations in Gale Crater. These structures, known as ripples, could only have formed under the influence of wind on an open body of water.
The ripples, found in two ancient lakebeds, measure about 6 mm in height and are spaced 4-5 cm apart. Scientists estimate that these lakes were no deeper than two meters, suggesting that Mars once had a dense enough atmosphere to sustain liquid water for extended periods.
Implications for the Search for Life
The discovery raises new questions about Mars’s potential to support life.
Claire Mondro from CalTech explained that the presence of water over a prolonged period increases the likelihood that microbial life could have once existed on Mars. Understanding how long these lakes persisted could guide future missions in the search for biological traces.
Why Did Mars Lose Its Water?
Billions of years ago, Mars lost its magnetic field, leading to the gradual disappearance of its atmosphere.
Without protection from solar radiation, the planet’s carbon dioxide and water vapor escaped into space, transforming Mars into the cold, dry world we see today.
These new discoveries open the door for further exploration, helping scientists pinpoint the best locations to search for evidence of past life—and uncover more about the planet’s ancient history.
