In the scientific community, everything is theoretical until it can be proven without a shadow of a doubt. Unfortunately, doubt has a pretty long shadow and it often takes a long time – if ever – to get out from under it. Years ago, scientists claimed that there was once water on Mars. Now, they’re ready to prove it and turn theory into fact.
The Evidence from Martian Pebbles
How do you prove that there was once a river on a desolate planet that doesn’t have a drop of water to its name? Apparently, you look at the pebbles. Scientists claim that the shape and smoothness of the pebbles on Mars are exactly the same as the pebbles found in our rivers. They say the pebbles are too big to have been blown around and smoothed over by the wind, and that their discoloration suggests the pebbles are from varying areas.
The pebbles found on Mars are rounded and smooth, characteristics that are typically formed by the continuous action of flowing water. On Earth, river pebbles undergo a process called fluvial abrasion, where the constant movement of water and sediment grinds down the edges of rocks, making them smooth and rounded. The discovery of similar pebbles on Mars strongly suggests that a similar process occurred there, indicating the presence of flowing water in the past.
Alternative Explanations and Skepticism
Personally, I’m not so sure. For the sake of playing Devil’s advocate, couldn’t there be another explanation for these pebbles’ formation that doesn’t exist on Earth? Maybe the winds once really were that strong. Mars does have a history of intense dust storms, and while current atmospheric conditions might not support such strong winds, it’s not entirely out of the realm of possibility that ancient Martian winds could have been powerful enough to shape the pebbles.
However, scientists argue that the size and weight of the pebbles make it highly unlikely that wind alone could have caused their smoothness. Wind erosion typically results in more angular and less uniformly smooth rocks, as seen in desert environments on Earth. The uniformity and size of the Martian pebbles point more convincingly towards water erosion.
Moreover, the pebbles’ varying discoloration suggests they originated from different locations and were transported by water over significant distances. This kind of geological evidence aligns with the presence of ancient riverbeds and deltas observed on Mars, further supporting the theory of past water flow.
Implications for Martian Life
Ah well, I’d rather believe life existed there once too. The presence of water is a crucial factor in the search for extraterrestrial life. Water is essential for all known forms of life, and its presence on Mars raises the possibility that the planet could have supported microbial life in the past. The discovery of ancient riverbeds and water-formed pebbles adds to the growing body of evidence that Mars was once a much wetter and potentially habitable environment.
NASA’s Curiosity rover and other missions have provided substantial data supporting the idea that Mars had liquid water on its surface billions of years ago. These findings have significant implications for future exploration and the ongoing search for signs of past or present life on the Red Planet.
So there you have it, water really was once on Mars! The evidence from Martian pebbles, combined with other geological findings, paints a compelling picture of a planet that once had the conditions necessary for water flow and possibly life.
Source – Engadget
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