Is Water Really on Mars?

 

A new study suggests that dark markings on the planet Mars represent sand – not water.

Research in 2015 had suggested that lines on some Martian hills were evidence of water. Yet American scientists now say these lines appear more like dry, steep flows of sand.

If water is present, they said, it is likely to be a small amount. Water in liquid form would be necessary for microbial life.

NASA, the American space agency, said more research is needed.

Michael Meyer is the lead scientist for NASA's Mars exploration program. He noted¹ that the latest study does not reject the presence of water. But he admitted, "It just may not be as exciting as the idea of rivers going down the sides of cliffs."

NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter provided the images of dark lines. Thousands have been reported on the Red Planet.

The new findings come from a team led by Colin Dundas of the United States Geological Survey in Flagstaff, Arizona.

His team measured 151 of these lines in 10 areas. Most of the lines end with slopes between 28 degrees and 35 degrees. These measurements are similar to active sand dunes² on both Mars and Earth, the researchers noted. They said a small covering of dust that moves and sometimes becomes lighter³ might help explain the markings. They usually appear in the Martian summertime, then disappear until the next year.

If these lines are dry, "this suggests that recent Mars has not had considerable [large] volumes of liquid water," the researchers wrote.

Dundas and his research team say that many questions remain.

To Meyer, the large number of questions is what makes Mars so fun. Scientists have long gone changed their thinking about the planet depending on the findings of the most recent studies.

“I still think that Mars poses a great potential for having had life early on in its history,” Meyer said. “As long as that’s true, we also have a reasonable possibility of life still being on Mars. It just happens to be cryptic⁴ or well hidden.”

NASA currently has no robotic vehicle — either on Mars or in development — with the ability to climb steep slopes. The lack of such equipment has engineers coming up with ideas like Martian helicopters or drones.

“But going from a clever idea that works in your sandbox to something that goes to Mars takes a fair amount of engineering development,” Meyer said.

I'm John Russell.

Words in This Story

steep – adj. dropping or falling sharply; extremely high

microbial – adj. of or relating to microbes or bacteria

cliff – n. a high, steep surface of rock, earth, or ice

degree – n. a form of measurement for the size of angles, the shape formed by two lines extending from the same point

slope – n. ground that slowly drops downward or upward; ground that slopes

volume – n. an amount of something

cryptic – adj. difficult to understand; having or seeming to have a hidden meaning

1 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

2 dunes   

沙丘( dune的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The boy galloped over the dunes barefoot. 那男孩光着脚在沙丘间飞跑。
• Dragging the fully laden boat across the sand dunes was no mean feat. 将满载货物的船拖过沙丘是一件了不起的事。

3 lighter   

n.打火机，点火器；驳船；v.用驳船运送；light的比较级

参考例句：

• The portrait was touched up so as to make it lighter.这张画经过润色，色调明朗了一些。
• The lighter works off the car battery.引燃器利用汽车蓄电池打火。

4 cryptic   

adj.秘密的，神秘的，含义模糊的

参考例句：

• She made a cryptic comment about how the film mirrored her life.她隐晦地表示说这部电影是她人生的写照。
• The new insurance policy is written without cryptic or mysterious terms.新的保险单在编写时没有隐秘条款或秘密条款。