NASA Satellite Discovers Markings ‘Like Paint Dripping Down a Wall’ on Martian Surface, Finds Similarities to Earth
Mars has always intrigued astronomers with its habitat potential. Researchers are always on the lookout for signs on the red planet that reveal its history and whether there is any possibility of life on it, according to Live Science. Certain experts spotted some markings on Mars that were very similar to what has been observed in some places on Earth. Findings regarding these markings have been published in the journal Icarus.
These markings were captured with the help of satellites. Experts describe them as patterns that are usually made by dripping paint on walls. Rachel Glade, an assistant professor in the department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Rochester, called the Mars markings large and slow-moving. These markings have also been located on Earth in cold, mountainous regions. This made researchers speculate that there is a possibility that the markings were made by the same forces on both planets.
These geometric patterns are observed on Earth in features called solifluction lobes, predominant in places like the Arctic and the Rocky Mountains, according to Phys.org. On Mars, they have been spotted on wave-like landforms. Researchers took into consideration nine crater sites on the planet for their study.
After comparison, the only difference the team noted between these granular patterns was size. The patterns found on Mars were 2.6 times taller than their Earth counterparts. On Earth, the solifluction lobes are created because the ground freezes, and after some thawing, the soil starts loosening. This loosening then makes the soil go downhill, and creates the paint dripping patterns. Researchers think the same phenomenon happened on Mars, but here, during the thawing, instead of ice becoming water, it turned into vapor. The team added that the patterns were longer on the red planet because of its weaker gravity.
The analysis made experts speculate that Mars also once had the same icy conditions as present in certain mountainous regions of the Earth. If Earth with these conditions can support life, researchers implied that Mars could have also done the same in the past or is doing so possibly now. The team associated with the study has yet to determine when exactly these patterns were formed, and claims more examinations are needed to conclude a period. Researchers want to understand how these lobes exactly formed on Mars. They believe the answer would give some clues about how the climate on planet Mars was or give some insights into certain conditions still under wraps in the present.
The patterns also give researchers some insights into whether the Red planet ever contained water, stated Live Science. Researchers noted that some features in the Mars lobes could have been a consequence of fluid interaction. The fluid could be water. If this assertion is indeed true, then it further enhances the region's claim as a possible past habitat for creatures. Experts claim that they need more than just satellite data to confirm water's involvement. The team wants to conduct some laboratory experiments to find out whether both ice and water were involved in the creation of these patterns.