Water covered the massive plains of the northern hemisphere

Feb 18, 2014 18:31 GMT  ·  By

According to the results of a new scientific study, nearly one third of the surface of Mars was at one point covered in liquid water, early on in the planet's history. This conclusion is based on an analysis of rocks found throughout the northern hemisphere on the Red Planet. 

The investigation was conducted by researchers with the University of Texas in Austin (UTA), led by expert Loren Moscardelli, and is just the latest in a long series of studies suggesting that this is what happened on our neighboring world billions of years ago.

Astronomers and planetary scientists have been debating whether or not Mars once had an ocean of liquid water for the better part of 20 years. Decades ago, the NASA Viking mission first revealed what many interpreted as ancient shorelines throughout the northern hemisphere of Mars.

Oceanus Borealis (the northern ocean) may have covered up to a third of the planet's surface, researchers say. The body of water may have therefore been much smaller than the oceans Earth currently boasts, Daily Galaxy reports.

One of the most important pieces of evidences supporting the existence of a Martian ocean are the massive fields of boulder-size rocks that cover thousands of square kilometers. Some geologists say that these rocks were formed through meteor impacts, but Moscardelli disagrees that this phenomenon alone is enough to explain the vast volume of material available.

In her new paper, published in the February issue of the Geological Society of America journal, the expert argues that these boulders were produced by massive underwater landslides, affecting areas as large as the state of Texas all at once.

Her hypothesis is based on data collected by the High-Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) instrument aboard the NASA Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO).

“We know that 'submarine landslides' can transport big boulders--sometimes as big as a house--for hundreds of kilometers into the deep-water of the Earth oceans. Imagine a huge landslide affecting the entire state of Texas, but happening in the ocean,” she explains.

“There are many hypothesis out there and we still need to learn a whole lot before we can be confident about which one is right or wrong. I have an informed opinion based on my technical observations, but I am cautious and humble about it because I could be wrong!” adds Moscardelli.

The new investigation has also revealed “how little the planetary science and the marine geoscience communities interacts. If anything, I hope my contributions can help improve that kind of cross-pollination and cooperation,” the investigator concludes.