Expert: Jayendra Upadhye - 9/28/2005

Question
Is it true that the latest data tends to indicate that large quantities of liquid water (amounts suficient to support life) nolonger existed on mars by the time the planet was just 1 billion years old?

Answer
Hi,
Yes that is true..even carl sagan in his book cosmos has dealt at great length on the subject and why the earth and mars evolved so separately.
Its gravity was not strong enough to hold attrition thru the upper reaches of its atmosphere, of water into space.
also the relatively early cooling off of its core, killed the magnetic field that shielded it from the solar radiation (wind and UV).
All that in the end resulted in a gradual loss of water vapour ( a green house gas) to space.

Ofcourse trapped primeival subterranean water (like petroleum), could still occasionally spout every once in a while, only to be still dissipated into space quickly in matter of days.


Secondly the riverine valley systems seeen etched on its surface, and the guyot like "ocean shore" marks on flattened shelves of highlands..indicate the presence of old shore lines of seas from byegone eras.
If you look at Olympus mons the volcano, its base clearly shows a vertical cliff all around it implying it was the "line" where water once lapped its shores.
Jayen