Mars and Earth were born with similar ingredients: both Rocky planets, with water, carbon and relatively moderate position in the solar systemHowever, while life flourished, however, Mars finished by becoming a desert of ice cream. What happened on the way? A new study published in Nature And, based on NASA Curiosity Rover, he suggests that the Red Planet has always been convicted to lose its inhabitability from the independent geological cycle.
A investigationled by planetary scientist Edwin Kaita is based on a model that combines recent observations with prolonged modelingThe field according to its authors, The periods in which Mars placed liquid water was short and exceptionalIt is caused by a slight increase in sunlight. Nevertheless, these favorable conditions activated the geological mechanism, which reduced carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, again cooling the planet and returning it to the dry state.
Cycle without return
On Earth The climatic balance depends on the delicate feedback cycle between the atmosphere and the geology: Carbon dioxide heats the planet, but also accelerates the chemical reactions that catch it in the rocks. Over time, volcanic activity returns this carbon to the atmosphere, maintaining a stable system. On the other hand, on the other hand, there is this volcanic “return valve”. Without enough rash to replace CO2, the planet cannot maintain a warm climate for a long time.
The proposed models show that This Martian cycle caused dramatic fluctuations: Brief episodes of liquid water, accompanied by vast periods of desert, which lasted up to 100 million years. For the appearance and evolution of life, these windows are too short. As a result of the study, “”Inhabitability on Mars was an exception, not the norm”
Rally
The key that allowed to check this model consists in the recent discovery of rocks rich in carbonates on the Martian surface. This type of mineral is formed only when there is liquid water that reacts with carbon dioxide, and its presence indicates that part of the ancient atmosphere of the planet was chemically caught in its bark. Opening made by Rover Curiosity whenconfirms a long hypothesis: the “cemetery” of COU Markiano was hidden in his rocks. “For many years we have been looking for a grave for the atmosphere of Mars,” explains Edwin Kait. “This conclusion helps us understand how the planet has lost the ability to remain warm and wet”
Planetary fragility lesson
For the authors of the study, an understanding of why Mars could not maintain its inhabitability, it matters that go beyond the solar system. The analysis suggests that, even with similar ingredients, The climatic stability of the planet is not guaranteed. Factors such as volcanic activity, geodynamics and solar distance play a decisive role in their long -term evolution.
“Today we live in the golden age of planetary science,” adds Kite, “with Surface Rovers and international orbitors that allow us to restore these processes in unprecedented details.” The study was conducted in cooperation with NASA experts, CALTECH, Brown University and the University of Calgary.
The next step will be the definition of whether the found carbonates are exceptional or ifAs scientists suspect, They are widespread in Marcian Sublyor. Confirmation of this will help consolidate the hypothesis that Mars, despite its initial resemblance to the ground, was planned to go out.
