You know, like we all know, rivers come and go, lakes are formed by melting snow and they do eventually dry up.
There are places on Mars where there is no liquid water. That’s true for inland lakes and oceanic basins. However, there are lakes that have disappeared, that were dried up years ago. This is not an understatement.
Why have the Lakes on Mars disappeared? Well, there has been much activity in the past, enough to cause drying. Perhaps the greatest event was the Thredosphere. It was like a greenhouse, and when it went, the Earth absorbed it, trapping solar heat, warming the air that rose above it. This warmed the surface of Mars resulting in the creation of the planet’s largest river.
Why aren’t the Lakes on Mars like Earth? Well, there is another factor. Unlike Earth, Mars doesn’t have a moon that creates an enormous gravity pulling on Mars causing it to spin fast. No moon is close enough to act like this, at least not at present. That means that the gravity isn’t pulling on the Lakes on Mars like it does on Earth.
Does this mean that the Lakes on Mars don’t have any water in them? Not necessarily. For one thing, water molecules are smaller than air molecules, so they are much easier to penetrate into the atmosphere of Mars than air molecules. It also depends on how much water the lakes contain and their overall volume. If they are very deep and cover a large area, there is bound to be enough water for them to be considered “water-free”.
The big question then becomes – do those lakes even exist? One possibility is that they are filled with water because of seasonal streams or rivers. Even though the water might not be “water” per se, it could be converted to liquid water by microbial processes like rain or snow. They may even be full of carbon dioxide or carbonates that were dissolved in the atmosphere millions of years ago.
It might even be that the Lakes on Mars are artificially preserved. That means that microbes have created a self-sustaining habitat around the lakes which is similar to Earth’s very own lakes and seas. It has been proposed that this might be one way that life on Earth got started. So if you ever hear about a new saline lake on Mars, don’t be alarmed, it could just be a natural phenomenon. One thing’s for sure though, the water in those lakes will eventually evaporate and be replaced by new water.
Scientists have actually found evidence that suggests the possibility of water hidden under the surface of one of these lakes. Since these lakes can hold up to three hundred million gallons of water, they could easily hold enough water to support an ecosystem consisting of plants, bacteria, and even animals. If true, this would be very exciting information that could really push scientists’ research into new areas.
If you have any dreams of visiting the moon, Mars, or any of the other planets, you should really consider trying to find out if there is water on them. This could be a great way to invest in a new home and start your own family project. You might even make some money in the process as land prices continue to increase. Who knows?
If you’re not into the space business, you may still want to learn more about these lakes because they could hold a lot of water. For example, if you found a lake on Earth that was millions of years old, would it still be as large as it was when man first set foot on the surface? Probably not. So why not take a look at the potential of having water like this on another planet.
Another good question would be,” Would liquid water to be able to migrate onto this planet if there was life on it? If so, where could it go?” This would definitely make scientists very happy because finding places where water is present would be a great way to test theories of the formation of life and how it might survive in extreme temperatures and conditions.
One last question might be,” Could a large asteroid is roaming around the solar system carrying water and emitting high levels of radiation? If so, could it be causing all this trouble for Earthlings? How big would this asteroid be if you threw a beach ball at it? That could explain all the missing pieces on Mars.”
Provided by Antonio Westley
Disclaimer: This article is meant to be seen as an overview of this subject and not a reflection of viewpoints or opinions as nothing is definitive. So, make sure to do your research and feel free to use this information at your own discretion.
