Scientists say Mars drainage basin may have been enormous aquifer
U.S. Water News Online
TUCSON, Ariz. -- An ancient drainage basin found on Mars may have once served as an aquifer nearly the size of Europe, a team of University of Arizona researchers has concluded.
``We think it held water on Mars,'' said Victor Baker, head of the university's department of hydrology and water resources. ``This opens the possibility that maybe Mars at one time had life on it.''
The researchers gathered data from satellite images to construct ancient topographical models of the region. The depression was made by internal tectonic processes of the planet, Baker said.
``This means we have a better picture of how the planet evolved through time,'' he said. ``Mars had a progressive set of changes that has had water intimately associated with it.''
He said the basin has largely been filled by sediments and lava flows accumulated over billions of years.
Baker said the idea of a big basin is interesting because scientists haven't really considered it before.
Other evidence has suggested that Mars at some point had water stored underground, but ideas regarding the manner in which water storage and movement took place were speculative at best.
The discovery gives scientists a greater idea about the ancient history of Mars and could also offer clues to the geological development of Earth.
``We're finding aspects of Mars with interesting similarities to the early history of Earth,'' Baker said. ``Mars is perhaps showing us things about how the early Earth behaved.''
Baker said reaction to the hypothesis has been mixed, and some skepticism is expected.
The research will be reported in the Journal of Geophysical Research.
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