flowing water on mars
DIGITAL EDITION, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, THIS MONTH, WORLD ISSUES

NASA CONFIRMS FLOWING WATER ON MARS

Image

NASA CONFIRMS FLOWING WATER ON MARS

By:  Rockwell Valentine

“When most people talk about water on Mars, they’re usually talking about ancient water or frozen water…Now we know there is more to the story…” (NASA). Ojha, one of the main scientist working on the project said. With the research of the NASA team, they have now proven that liquid water flows on the surface of Mars.

“Using an imaging spectrometer on MRO, researchers detected signatures of hydrated minerals on slopes where mysterious streaks are seen on the Red Planet.” (NASA).


The evidence from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, or MRO, offered the sturdiest proof that there was flowing water. The team used an image spectrometer to detect dark streaks on mountains that contained minerals that lowered the freezing point of water. They were able to observe that the water flows in the widest of features in the warm season, and is solid during the cold seasons. Over the past 9 years the NASA team had observed this planet with six different scientific instruments and were able to notice a pattern of when the water does and doesn’t flow. They could prove this as a fact and now release it to the public. They could also tell the people that the planet Mars could be our next planet. Even Michael Meyer says, “It seems that the more we study Mars, the more we learn how life could be supported and where there are resources to support life in the future.”

They found the perchlorates in the soil. “Perchlorates have previously been seen on Mars. NASA’s Phoenix lander and Curiosity rover both found them in the planet’s soil…” (NASA).
Imagine all of these decades only thinking that there was only frozen water on Mars, but to find out there is flowing water on Mars, is amazing. In the back of some peoples’ minds the question lurks, “will this be our second chance at life if Earth fails”, or “will this be the fate of Earth after the warming”.

flowing water on mars

These are the dark streaks NASA was talking about that proved that water was flowing. There are tiny carved path-ways that the scientists showed to be made by water.