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Confirmed: Water Once Flowed On Mars
An anonymous reader writes "A new study based on observations last September by the Curiosity rover on Mars has confirmed that pebble-containing slabs of rock found on the Martian surface were part of an ancient streambed. The work provides some of the most definitive evidence yet that water once flowed on Mars. '[The pebbles'] smooth appearance is identical to gravels found in rivers on Earth. Rock fragments that bounce along the bottom of a stream of water will have their edges knocked off, and when these pebbles finally come to rest they will often align in a characteristic overlapping fashion. ...It is confirmation that water has played its part in sculpting not only this huge equatorial bowl but by implication many of the other landforms seen on the planet.' According to NASA, 'The stream carried the gravels at least a few miles, or kilometers, the researchers estimated. The atmosphere of modern Mars is too thin to make a sustained stream flow of water possible, though the planet holds large quantities of water ice. Several types of evidence have indicated that ancient Mars had diverse environments with liquid water. However, none but these rocks found by Curiosity could provide the type of stream flow information published this week. Curiosity's images of conglomerate rocks indicate that atmospheric conditions at Gale Crater once enabled the flow of liquid water on the Martian surface.'"
I realize I could easily look it up. But, what is the leading theory as to why the planet can no longer sustain liquid water. I know that in it's current condition with low gravity and lack of atmosphere it cannot sustain liquid water... But was Mars once larger?
Common Sense (+1)
Perhaps I'm missing something, but the evidence cited in the article only seems to show that liquid of some kind once flowed on Mars. What further evidence do we have to think that it was water in particular?
I thought that the fact that Mars once contained liquid water was something that scientists have "known" for decades. What is the threshold for "definitive proof" or "final confirmation"?
The thick crustal material and low magnetic field have led to the loss of the atmosphere and lack of currently flowing water. Low magnetic field led to large impingement by solar wind and stripping of atmosphere. Low average density of planet let atmosphere escape. The thick crust has kept the mantle deep and there is no regeneration of gases and liquids from the interior. Low atmosphere, more radiational cooling and first water goes to ice and then CO2 goes to ice and reduces the atmosphere again. The Earth could have gone the same route, had an impact not spawned the moon and thined the planet of the lighter, thicker crustal material. Lots of imparted spin from the impact and a denser planet gets deep iron core spin to generate a protective magentic field. That field both protects the atmosphere and the biologicals from getting zapped. Would be fun to send lots of water and gas bearing comets to impact and terraform Mars, but it would all still leak out. So --- we are seeing prehistoric water, frozen in time,and relected by the rounded pebbles left behind in ancient Martian canals.
It could have been any liquid with similar viscosity.
The image caption reads: "The team only has pictures from the rover's main cameras. Attempts will be made to get close-up, high-resolution imagery of Gale's conglomerates in the weeks ahead using the Mahli "hand lens"."
The rover is long gone from that area. I hope they got some close-ups. Unless they want to make a "U" and do some major back-tracking, I hope this is just a case of mixing an old article with new content, being the top says, "updated".
Table-ized A.I.
Does this tell us water flowed, or merely a liquid?
It says a stream bed, but could this have been liquid CO2 or something else at some point?
I'm sure the chemistry tells them a lot, and I trust the NASA guys to know much more than I do, just curious if this specifically confirms 'water'.
Lost at C:>. Found at C.
What is wrong with "Water confirmed to have once flowed on Mars"? Knowing Slashdot it would probably have read "flown" though.
const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
Just not so WET, these days.
And it will again. I'm convinced that the sun has hot and cold cycles. As it warms up, the water on Earth will be vaporized and the ice on Mars will melt. Then it cools and reverses that. Nature's test then is can we develop far enough quickly enough to get to the other planet before it's too late. Of course, this is just idle conjecture. :)
What effect does life have on pebble erosion in a riverbed, or is it completely irrelevant? Are the pebbles on Mars devoid of those types of erosion characteristics?
Martian Republican party once ruled on Mars ;)
Grass is green and water is wet.
I gathered there was flowing water there from this photo. http://www.astronomynotes.com/solarsys/pics/eberswalde_deltasm.jpg
I am Bennett Haselton! I am Bennett Haselton!
> Confirmed: Water Once Flowed On Mars
I knew it! I knew those longboats with sails sailing across the dry sand were the product of someone's fevered imagination!
(-1: Post disagrees with my already-settled worldview) is not a valid mod option.
I'm glad to see strong evidence of water on Mars, after so much conjecture and build-up. It will make it that much more humbling when they DON'T find any evidence of life on Mars.
Slashdot gets worse every day... Pipedot: News for nerds, without the corporate slant
So it actually just proves that the Red and Green men and women of Barsoom once warred here in great number as documented by John Carter.
I really don't know (which is why I'm asking) but is there a significant enough difference between rock smoothed by water and rock smoothed by something else, like sand, to "know" that water caused this?
AP - Today at NASA there was a celebration. For the 100th time it has been able to confirm that there was water on Mars. Vint Norgecrack, Director of Mars Water Confirmations, said, "This time we really know it. Again. Honestly, truly, really, for real, pinky swear and all that."
NASA use this news to appeal to Congress to fund the Mars Planetary Water Finder. The MPF is a $22 billion project meant to send smaller probes to all currently existing landing sites and confirm that the confirmations of confirmations of water on Mars can in fact be confirmed.
"The stream carried the gravels at least a few miles, or kilometers, the researchers estimated..."
You'd think by now they would have chosen a damn system of measurement and stuck with it!!!
(link for those who just heard a woosh)
Why is this "new news" every couple of years?