Science

What Happened To The Water On Mars?

As most of us know, water is a pretty darn essential part of existence on this planet. In fact, it is believed that liquid water was a critical aspect that led to the spark of life on Earth. Now, however, humanity has turned its eyes to the stars, or at least to the other planets in our solar system. Colonizing Mars used to be the stuff of science fiction, but it may become a reality by the end of this century.

Besides knowing that Mars is red, dusty, and Matt Damon’s home away from home, we also know that it’s a rather barren place. That being said, researchers and astronomers also know that Mars wasn’t always such a wasteland. In fact, there used to be rivers, lakes and seas on the fourth planet from the sun. Therefore, as we debate whether human beings could ever live there, the question is… What happened to all the water?

Short Answer: Due to the lack of a magnetic field surrounding Mars, the harsh solar wind and radiation gradually stripped away Mars’ atmosphere, along with (almost) all of its liquid water.

Mars Through History

For those who don’t know, much of our solar system formed around (roughly) the same time. For example, Earth is approximately 4.543 billion years old, and Mars is basically our little brother, coming it at 4.503 billion years – a different of about 40 million years. Back then, Mars may have actually looked quite a bit like Earth, with a full atmosphere that was able to keep the planet warm, and plenty of water on the surface, which could have possibly had life spark within it, just as it did on Earth.

Unfortunately, the fate of Earth and Mars were very different, at least to this point. After about 300 million years of existence, a very peculiar thing happened to Mars – it lost its magnetic field. Yes, approximately 4.2 billion years ago, the magnetic field of Mars simply stopped working, which marked the beginning of the inevitable end for the young planet’s chances of a calm, easy life.

To understand why this happened, and what this all means, it is important to understand magnetic fields. Earth, for example, has a powerful magnetic field that protects it from brutal cosmic radiation and solar wind, as well as flares and other incredibly dangerous bursts of energy. Our magnetic field exists because of the composition of the Earth’s core.

There is a solid iron core at the heart of our planet, which exists at a blistering 5,700 degrees Celsius (~10,300 degrees Fahrenheit – about the temperature of the Sun’s surface). However, the incredible pressure around it prevent that iron from becoming a liquid. Surrounding that central core is the outer core, which is […]