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First definitive evidence of lakes on Mars
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The search for water on Mars is not a new crusade. Planetary scientists have been searching for evidence for decades. Though scientists confirmed the presence of ice in the polar caps last year, until now there was no absolute proof of water structures such as lakes or rivers. However, University of Colorado-Boulder space scientists have discovered shorelines which they claim is definitive evidence of an ancient lake on the surface of the Red Planet.
Perhaps more important than the shorelines is the finding of deltas that surround the discovered lake. On Earth, deltas “rapidly bury organic carbon and other biomarkers of life…Most astrobiologists believe any present indications of life on Mars will be discovered in the form of subterranean microorganisms.” [EurekAlert] Therefore, the location may be a prime spot for further probe investigations hunting for proof of life.
Studying pictures taken by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) attached to NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, scientists have found areas that appear to be shoreline. The HiRISE optics are able to capture pictures with brilliant clarity, with the capability to resolve surface features down to one meter. Because of the quality of images, researchers are able to make their claim with confidence.
The shorelines they found suggest a lake that “covered as much as 80 square miles and was up to 1,500 feet deep -- roughly the equivalent of Lake Champlain bordering the United States and Canada.” [EurekAlert] Researchers estimate that the lake, known as Shalbatana after the valley the remains are located in, was full of water some 3.4 billion years ago.
The finding has caused some perplexity among scientists. 3.4 billion years ago coincides with the Hesperian epoch, a time when Mars was thought to be cold and dry—a time period during which many scientists don’t think a lake should have existed. Dr. Brian Hynek, an author on the study published in Geophysical Research Letters, stated, "Not only does this research prove there was a long-lived lake system on Mars, but we can see that the lake formed after the warm, wet period is thought to have dissipated." [EurekAlert]
There are some other clues left behind by the ancient shorelines. Unlike what is expected by a lake that slowly recedes, there are no lower shorelines, meaning the lake either evaporated or froze very quickly, suggesting the lake disappeared during a time of extreme and abrupt climate change.
No matter the stories the lake will finally reveal, just its discovery is a miracle enough for the researchers. "Finding shorelines is a Holy Grail of sorts to us," said Hynek. [EurekAlert]
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