Hot rocks, not warm atmosphere, led to relatively recent water-carved valleys on Mars
Tuesday, June 13, 2017 - 11:31
in Earth & Climate
Some scientists have interpreted water-carved valleys on Mars formed within the last few billion years as a sign of either an active groundwater system or of transient warm periods in the atmosphere. But new research shows that snow and ice melted by hot impact ejecta could have produced enough water to carve those valleys with no groundwater or heat wave required.