Latest news with #ColinWilson
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Mars may hold a massive water reservoir, enough to flood the planet up to nine feet
Mars may be hiding a vast stash of water beneath the Medusae Fossae Formation (MFF) near its ice-rich deposit could be the largest known water reservoir in this part of Mars, with an estimated volume comparable to Earth's Red Sea. If melted, it has the potential to flood the entire planet in nine feet of water, scientists data from the Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionospheric Sounding (MARSIS) suggests the underground water reservoir extends up to 2.2 miles (3.7 km) deep—far more than previously thought. 'We've explored the MFF again using newer data from Mars Express's MARSIS radar and found the deposits to be even thicker than we thought,' said Thomas Watters, lead author of the study and a scientist at the Smithsonian Institution. 'Excitingly, the radar signals match what we'd expect from layered ice, similar to Mars' known polar ice caps.' The MFF has long intrigued scientists due to its size and unusual composition. Stretching for hundreds of miles and rising over a mile high in places, it marks the transition between Mars' northern lowlands and southern highlands. The formation has been a focal point of scientific debate, with theories ranging from it being a massive accumulation of windblown dust to layers of volcanic ash or sediment. Early observations suggested the MFF contained ice, as radar scans revealed a structure both transparent to signals and unusually low in density. But alternative explanations persisted—until now. Researchers believe that the MFF plays a crucial role in shaping the Martian environment. Its dust-rich deposits, which have been sculpted by wind into striking ridges, have been influencing the planet's atmosphere for millions of years. Scientists suspect that underneath this layer lies a vast store of ice. 'This latest analysis challenges our understanding of the Medusae Fossae Formation and raises as many questions as answers,' said Colin Wilson, ESA project scientist for Mars Express and the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter. 'How long ago did these ice deposits form, and what was Mars like at that time? If confirmed to be water ice, these massive deposits would change our understanding of Mars' climate history. Any reservoir of ancient water would be a fascinating target for human or robotic exploration.' Mars' poles contain vast ice reserves, but their harsh terrain and energy challenges make them unsuitable for human landings. As scientists prefer landing crewed missions near the equator, the discovery of equatorial ice could offer a strategic advantage to scientists and engineers. Water on Mars could be used for drinking, oxygen generation, and even fuel production, reducing reliance on Earth-based supplies. 'The MFF deposits, buried under extensive dust layers, remain out of reach for the time being,' said Colin Wilson, ESA project scientist for Mars Express and the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter. 'Yet, each discovery of Martian ice enriches our understanding of the planet's hydrological history and current water distribution.' Beyond its role in exploration, the discovery offers new insights into Mars' past climate. The presence of deep equatorial ice suggests a drastically different environment in the planet's history Scientists believe the MFF's ice, protected by layers of dust or ash, could reveal clues about Mars' ancient, water-rich past. The full study was published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters.
Yahoo
25-02-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
What makes Mars the 'Red' Planet? Scientists have some new ideas
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Mars is widely known for its iconic rusty red color — many people even refer to it as just the "Red Planet" — but new research suggests the Martian shade isn't just lovely to look at. The chemistry behind Mars' rosy hue may actually hold important information about our cosmic neighbor. For decades, spacecraft and rovers have gathered data pointing to a familiar explanation behind Mars' redness: the rusting of iron minerals, namely iron oxide, in the planet's dust. That's the same compound that gives your standard "rust" on Earth its red color. Scientists already knew that on Mars, over billions of years, iron oxide has been ground into dust and carried across the planet by powerful winds, a process still shaping the Martian landscape today. However, not all iron oxides are the same, so experts have long debated the precise nature of Martian rust. Understanding how this rust formed offers a crucial glimpse into the planet's past environment — was it once warm and wet, or always cold and dry? And, more importantly, did it ever support life? "We were trying to create a replica Martian dust in the laboratory using different types of iron oxide," Adomas Valantinas, a postdoctoral researcher at Brown University, formerly at the University of Bern in Switzerland where he started his work with the European Space Agency's (ESA) Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) data, said in a statement. To recreate the Martian dust, the new study's research team used an advanced grinding machine to refine their samples such that they matched the fine, windblown particles found on Mars. The scientists then analyzed these ground-up samples using the same techniques as spacecraft orbiting Mars would, allowing for a direct comparison with real Martian data. "This study is the result of the complementary datasets from the fleet of international missions exploring Mars from orbit and at ground level," Colin Wilson, the TGO and Mars Express project scientist, said in the statement. What they found was that the best match for Mars' red dust is a combination of basaltic volcanic rock and a water-rich iron oxide called ferrihydrite. This discovery is intriguing because ferrihydrite typically forms rapidly in the presence of cool water — meaning it must have originated when liquid water still existed on Mars' surface. Even after billions of years of being ground into dust and scattered by Martian winds, ferrihydrite has retained its watery signature, offering a tantalizing clue about Mars' ancient past. "The major implication is that because ferrihydrite could only have formed when water was still present on the surface, Mars rusted earlier than we previously thought," said Valantinas. "Moreover, the ferrihydrite remains stable under present-day conditions on Mars." Data from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter along with ground-based measurements from the Curiosity, Pathfinder and Opportunity rovers further support the identification of ferrihydrite. These observations provide crucial evidence that Mars's red dust retains a signature of its watery past, reinforcing the idea that liquid water once played a key role in shaping the planet's surface. — Perseverance Mars rover finds 'one-of-a-kind treasure' on Red Planet's Silver Mountain — Trump wants the US to land astronauts on Mars soon. Could it happen by 2029? — NASA and General Atomics test nuclear fuel for future moon and Mars missions "We eagerly await the results from upcoming missions like ESA's Rosalind Franklin rover and the NASA-ESA Mars Sample Return, which will allow us to probe deeper into what makes Mars red," added Colin. "Some of the samples already collected by NASA's Perseverance rover and awaiting return to Earth include dust; once we get these precious samples into the lab, we'll be able to measure exactly how much ferrihydrite the dust contains, and what this means for our understanding of the history of water — and the possibility for life — on Mars." "Mars is still the Red Planet," added Valantinas. "It's just that our understanding of why Mars is red has been transformed." A paper about these results was published on Feb. 25 in the journal Nature.
