New research supports vast ocean on ancient Mars

William Atkins
Monday, 14 June 2010 23:12

Science - Space

According to 2010 research from scientists at the University of Colorado, the planet Mars, long ago in its past, supported an ocean that covered approximately 36% of its surface.

 

The researchers involved with the study are Dr. Gaetano Di Archille, of the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics at the University of Colorado, Boulder, U.S.A., and Dr. Brian M. Hynek, also of the LASP, and of the Department of Geological Sciences at the University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado U.S.A.

Dr. Di Archille is presently at the Research and Scientific Support Department, European Space Agency, Noordwijk, The Netherlands.

The paper summarizing their research is found in the journal Nature Geoscience. It was published online on June 13, 2010.

Its title is 'Ancient ocean on Mars supported by global distribution of deltas and valleys' (doi:10.1038/ngeo891).

They introduce their paper with: 'The climate of early Mars could have supported a complex hydrological system and possibly a northern hemispheric ocean covering up to one-third of the planet's surface. This notion has been repeatedly proposed and challenged over the past two decades, and remains one of the largest uncertainties in Mars research.'

Thus, because of uncertainties with whether or not Mars had oceans or not in its ancient past, Drs. Di Archille and Hynek conducted this research.

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