Ancient Mars Ocean Found?

astroengine writes "With the help of rover Curiosity, we now know that ancient Mars had large quantities of liquid water flowing across its surface. However, evidence for large bodies of water — i.e. seas/oceans — has been hard to come by. But using high-resolution orbital data, Caltech scientists now think they've found a long-dry river delta that once flowed into a very large body of water. Welcome to the Aeolis Riviera — the strongest evidence yet for a Martian coastline. "This is probably one of the most convincing pieces of evidence of a delta in an unconfined region — and a delta points to the existence of a large body of water in the northern hemisphere of Mars," said Roman DiBiase, Caltech postdoctoral scholar and lead author of the paper that was published (abstract) in the Journal of Geophysical Research."

Comments

Marvelous news

[mendax]

This is great news, not surprising, but great none the less. It's just that more evidence that Mars was a living, breathing planet, and might still be that way in some limited forms. Or perhaps not even all that limited if life on Mars never went beyond the microscopic form. But I'll get really excited and piss in my pants with giddiness if we learn that the transpermia theory has been confirmed and that life on Earth started on Mars. But that's a long, long way away.

Re:Marvelous news

[Anonymous Coward]

We escaped from Mars to earth for a simpler life after removing all evidences of technology, as we realized how it was destroying society.
Or at least that's what people WANT you to believe.

Xenu clearly used a death ray on the planet in an attempt to get rid of us once, turning it into a dust ball!
Long live Xenu! Earth is next!

Re:Marvelous news

[As_I_Please]

If it were up to me, I'd prefer that Martian life had no relation to life on Earth. Two results from this:

1) It will give us new information on the kinds of life that can exist (Is it carbon-based? Does it need water?). Similarities add constraints on how life must be; differences remove them.
2) It will all but prove that life is plentiful in the universe. If life independently emerged twice in the same solar system, then wherever it is possible for life to exist, it will be found.

Re:Water, or liquid.

[formfeed]

Not all that flows is H2O. Not sure how they could determine the chemical composition of what formed these.

Yeah. But they also found blueberries. And blueberries need water.

3..
2..
1..

Re:"we now know" or "we hypothesize"

[Greg01851]

Actually there's plenty of evidence of water on Mars... get your facts straight.

Re:Back to the future

[Brett Buck]

Global warming is going to destroy the Earth's magnetic field or geodynamo? Is there anything global warming *can't* do?

Northern lowlands, result of ancient collision

[Trax3001BBS]

One would expect a large body of water there. How the Universe Works "Extreme Planets" mentions a theory of Mars
being hit by an object moving the Northern hemisphere crust to the Sorthern hemisphere.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2t2VkDYOfYM#t=12m33 (12:33 in, link starts there)
I would assume leaving the Northern side lower as a result.

Re:Water, or liquid.

[osu-neko]

Not all that flows is H2O. Not sure how they could determine the chemical composition of what formed these.

Well, for that matter, the delta-like feature could have been sculpted by aliens. However, it's generally safe to rule out any absurdly unlikely reason when a far more likely one is available. There aren't a lot of candidates for alternate liquids to occur in large enough quantities at that location. In fact, I'm only aware of the one candidate, unless you want to resort to bonkers-level improbabilities (the chemical equivalent of "aliens did it")...

That's nice

[TheGoodNamesWereGone]

No, I'm not kidding. It's really nice. It's the umpteemth conformation that Mars once had water. WE GET IT. MARS ONCE HAD WATER. Boots. Mars. Do it, NASA. This isn't rocket science.

Re:That's nice

[Daniel Dvorkin]

Boots. Mars. Do it, NASA. This isn't rocket science.

No, unfortunately it's political science.

Re:Back to the future

[Spy Handler]

Global warming is a lot like Jesus. True believers see them everywhere including things like toast, whereas normal people cannot.

Re:"we now know" or "we hypothesize"

[wierd_w]

Indeed. Just off the top of my head:

Gypsum sand and gypsum inclusions in rock strata.
Calcium and sodium perchlorate salts
Hydrated silica clay

All three of those require not just water, but often standing pools of water. The perchlorates especially, which at least on earth, form when salt water is slowly evaporated under exposure from strong UV radiation. Gypsum is a hydrated calcium sulphate salt, and requires liquid water to crystallize.

The hydrated silica clay can from just from ambient soil moisture working its magic on feldspar minerals, but usually requies active weathering. Like, rain.

As the parent said, there is ample evidence of water having been on mars. Lots of water.

Re:Water, or liquid.

[viperidaenz]

There's a bunch of hydrocarbons that form liquids at the temperatures found on mars. The atmosphere still contains traces of methane.

Re:"we now know" or "we hypothesize"

[Cenan]

NASA Phoenix Mars Lander Confirms Frozen Water

Re:Water, or liquid.

[Anonymous Coward]

If Mars used to be Class M, then sure it had roddenberries.

Re:Back to the future

[dadelbunts]

Its global CLIMATE CHANGE. And it leads to cooler winters. YOUR ICE CREAM HAS BEEN MADE. SIR

Well, we know where that comes from

[ControlFreal]

This is all caused by XKCD.

Re:Back to the future

[Zaatxe]

Nothing like facts to destroy jokes...