Marte Valles: Fractured Lavas, Only Seen Before On Earth, Suggest Floods On Mars
Monday, March 2, 2009 - 12:35
in Earth & Climate
Unique fractures in lavas on ancient Mars suggest water occasionally flooded portions of the planet's surface. The fractures, known as "columnar joints," are the first that have been observed on a planet other than Earth. The characteristics of the column-like fractures can help scientists understand the role of water in geologic processes on Mars, said Moses Milazzo, a geophysicist with the U. S. Geological Survey Astrogeology Team in Flagstaff and lead author on a paper on the discovery recently published in the journal Geology. "Columnar joints form as cooling lava contracts," said Milazzo. read more
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