A Martian Lake Bed
Explanation:
Look closely.
In this Mars Global Surveyor image
of the Martian surface just south of
Schiaparelli crater, dark lines appear
to criss-cross light colored depressions.
One tantalizing possibility is simply that the feature
near the center is similar
to a dried-up lake bed on planet Earth, where
light colored mineral deposits are left as water
evaporates and cracks are produced as the ground dries.
This potential Martian lake bed
is roughly 3/4 miles across and may provide
further evidence that Mars once possessed surface water.
Recently announced results from the Mars Pathfinder mission
also point to
a Martian past which included a denser atmosphere
and surface water -
conditions which could have supported life.
Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell
(USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings,
and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris.
Specific
rights apply.
A service of:
LHEA at
NASA /
GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
