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WASHINGTON: Scientists have found evidence of an ancient ocean on Mars which they say increases the “potential for life”.
That evidence comes in the form of distinctive shoreline topography, identified through numerous satellite images of the Martian surface. When these images are snapped at slightly different angles, a relief map can be constructed.
These maps offer the strongest case yet that the planet once experienced sea-level rise consistent with an extended warm and wet climate, which was far different than the harsh, frozen landscape that exists today.
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Benjamin Cardenas, an assistant professor in the geosciences department at Pennsylvania State University and the study’s lead author, said: “What immediately comes to mind as one of the most significant points here is that the existence of an ocean of this size means a higher potential for life.
“It also tells us about the ancient climate and its evolution. Based on these findings, we know there had to have been a period when it was warm enough and the atmosphere was thick enough to support this much liquid water at one time,” he said.
“Based on these findings, we know there had to have been a period when it was warm enough and the atmosphere was thick enough to support this much liquid water at one time.
“On Earth, we chart the history of waterways by looking at sediment that is deposited over time.