Thawing Martian Ice Age Left Telltale Water Tracks
Monday, March 2, 2009 - 09:21
in Astronomy & Space
A new analysis of puzzling gullylike features on Mars offers further evidence that water flowed on the Red Planet's surface, perhaps as recently as several hundred thousand years ago. The findings bolster the case that melting snow from a departed Martian ice age carved these gullies, rather than shifting sands or other "dry" phenomena.The paper, published today in the journal Geology, examines one of the many gullies on crater and valley walls visible in satellite images of the Martian surface. The cause and age of these channels are the subject of debate. [More]