Mars Orbiter Finds Evidence For Ancient Rivers, Lakes

Cowards Anonymous points out news that studies based on data from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter have found that vast regions of Mars contained rivers and lakes when the planet was young. The studies also suggest that the water existed for quite some time, often in standing pools, which are conducive to the formation of basic organic matter. NASA provides a color-enhanced photo of a delta within a crater. Quoting: "The clay-like minerals, called phyllosilicates, preserve a record of the interaction of water with rocks dating back to what is called the Noachian period of Mars' history, approximately 4.6 billion to 3.8 billion years ago. This period corresponds to the earliest years of the solar system, when Earth, the moon and Mars sustained a cosmic bombardment by comets and asteroids. Rocks of this age have largely been destroyed on Earth by plate tectonics. They are preserved on the moon, but were never exposed to liquid water. The phyllosilicate-containing rocks on Mars preserve a unique record of liquid water environments possibly suitable for life in the early solar system."

Comments

Send the invading starships now!

[2.7182]

Their obviously an underground civilization. Will make excellent troglodytes. Get their corbamite!

too bad

[Anonymous Coward]

I guess the Martians didn't have enough powerboats and jetskis to create greenhouse gases to keep the planet warm enough to keep those rivers and lakes..

John Gray was right

[Save_Clippy]

This proves that men really are from Mars.

Re:John Gray was right

[Ihmhi]

It would explain why the planet is now a barren wasteland now... we used up all the water for brewing beer.

Noachian Period?

[lottameez]

What is that? Boy that sounds like a Cliff Claven quote if I've ever heard one. "Y'see Noam - it was back in the Noahchian period of Mahs when the mahtians would take baths in the wahtah and lakes. This has been proved with the phyllosilicahtes found up thah.

Free Mars!

[Anonymous Coward]

"Quaid.......start the reaaacctoorrr..."

Lakes!

[owlnation]

Thar she blows!

Men of the Moon, quick! To the space whalers!

Re:Why?

[maxume]

Mars as a backup for Earth is a pipe dream, a crack-pipe dream.

but Venus has no life

[SmallFurryCreature]

but the fact that Venus has no signs of life proofs that women do not really exist and are just the results of a fevered imagination. This handily explains why slashdot, a bastion of clear thinking, has no women.