Mohammad Afzal Shadab and Eric Hiatt are graduate students at the University of Texas at Austin. In this case, they’ve produced some really exciting and important work understanding the water cycle on early Mars. Their findings are the latest piece of evidence that billions of years ago, flowing water existed on Mars’ surface. This finding has astounded scientists who have been looking into the planet’s past.
Using a sophisticated computer model, Shadab and Hiatt calculated the duration it took for water on early Mars to percolate from the surface down to an aquifer estimated to lie about a mile underground. Their results show this take-up process took between 50 and 200 years. In sharp opposition, analogous processes on Earth typically occur within a matter of days at most.
The implications of this research are profound. When the surface was warm and wet, water could have flowed back and forth between the surface and aquifer on early Mars. That’s enough flow to cover the entire planet with at least 300 feet of water! These data go a long way in filling in scientists’ understanding of Mars’s hydrological past and its potential to support life.
Understanding the Water Cycle on Mars
Shadab received his PhD from UT Austin. Now a postdoctoral researcher at Princeton University, Robeson underscored the significance of their findings.
“We want to implement this into [an integrated model] of how the water and land evolved together over millions of years to the present state,” – Mohammad Afzal Shadab.
The scientists wanted to determine exactly what happened to all that water on Mars. It will examine how this water influenced the evolution of life on our planet. Hiatt, who recently graduated with a doctoral degree from the UT Jackson School of Geosciences, shared his perspective on early Martian water.
“The way I think about early Mars is that any surface water you had—any oceans or large standing lakes—was very ephemeral,” – Eric Hiatt.
This fascinating finding means that water must have been present at some point, in enormous amounts. It couldn’t remain over geological time scales.
Implications for Future Exploration
Most of Mars’s water is now either locked in the crust or has been lost to space along with the planet’s atmosphere. Figuring out the old water cycle provides hope for the great desert discoveries still ahead. This approach gives astronauts and scientists an important insight. Their pioneering search for buried water resources on Mars will bring about sustainable human settlements.
Shadab mentioned that having this foundational understanding will go a long way in creating a picture of the Martian water history.
“That will bring us very close to answering what happened to the water on Mars,” – Mohammad Afzal Shadab.
This quest for knowledge about Mars’s hydrological history aligns with ongoing missions to explore the planet’s surface and subsurface environments.
The Broader Context of Martian Research
Recent discoveries only further the increasing evidence that shows a once wet and warm climate history on Mars. They provide insights into whether the planet can have life. We’ve known for ages that Mars’ surface today is very dry. By investigating its ancient hydrosphere, we can learn indispensable details about the planet’s development and potential for alien life.
Shadab and Hiatt’s work demonstrates the powerful role of advanced modeling techniques to illuminate complex planetary processes. Their scholarship raises the public appreciation and knowledge of science. Beyond that, it lays the groundwork for future exploration focused on seeking out Mars’s buried resources.