A map of Mars shows which areas were covered by water

A map of hydrated mineral deposits on Mars. Green represents hydrated sulfates; red are hydrated clays; orange carbonate salts; and blue is hydrated silica and aluminosilicate clays.

Image: ESA/Mars Express (OMEGA) and NASA/Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (CRISM)

The history of water on Mars is much more complex than scientists believed. A new project has mapped hundreds of thousands of rock formations on the Red Planet that may have been altered. in the past by large amounts of water.

With the data collected by two of the orbiters that act on Mars has created a detailed global map of mineral deposits on Mars, pinpointing where Martian water may once have flowed. “I think collectively we have simplified Marte too”, said in a statement the planetary scientist of the Institute of Space Astrophysics of Paris John Carter, main author of Article what has just been published in Icarus magazine.

The orbiter’s observations Mars Express of the European Space Agency andthe Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter of NASA allowed the researchers to create the complex map that they just presenteda project that has taken all a decade, explained the ESA. Before this work, scientists knew of only about 1,000 rock formations on Mars that contained hydrated minerals. But the new map reveals hundreds of thousands of sayings sediments. “This work has just established that when you study in detail ancient groundsnot seeing these minerals is actually a rarity in itselfCart said.is.

This image shows hydrated minerals in Jezero Crater (larger red and orange area at upper left) and Gale Crater (small green circle at upper left). middle and on the right). Both craters have been explored by rovers.

Image: ESA/Mars Express (OMEGA) and NASA/Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (CRISM)

Today Mars is a dry planet, but ample evidence suggests that it once had liquid water flowing across its surface. Aqueous minerals can be found in rocks that were chemically altered by water in the past, often turning into clays and salts. When small amounts of water interact with rocks, they remain relatively sin changes and retain the same minerals found in the original volcanic rocks. But if with thisthe rocks interact large amounts of waterthen the soluble elements are dissolved by the water, leaving behind aluminum rich clays.

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Los nuevos hallazgos sugieren que el agua desempeñó un papel mucho más importante en la configuración de la geología marciana a lo largo de su historia. Sin embargo, todavía no está claro si la presencia de agua fue constante a lo largo del tiempo o si hubo un flujo y reflujo de agua en Marte durante períodos más cortos durante su historia temprana. “El cambio de tanta agua a nada no es tan claro como pensábamos, el agua no se detuvo de la noche a la mañana”, dijo Carter. “Vemos una gran diversidad de contextos geológicos, por lo que ningún proceso o línea de tiempo simple puede explicar la evolución de la mineralogía de Marte”.

Aunque el mapa no puede proporcionarnos todas las respuestas que buscamos, señala lugares donde se pueden encontrar más pistas al respecto. Las zonas que acaban de identificar ahora serán excelentes zonas de aterrizaje para futuras misiones a Marte y algunas de ellas incluso podrían tener agua helada enterrada bajo su superficie.