Was Mars doomed to be a desert? Study proposes new explanation

The secret of why Mars grew cold and dry may be locked away in its rocks

As the sun grew hotter, so did Mars, prompting much of its atmospheric carbon dioxide to rain out and ultimately get locked up in rocks.

Was Mars doomed to be a desert? Study proposes new explanation

One of the great unsolved problems in modern planetary science is written on the surface of Mars. Mars has canyons that were carved by rivers, so it was once warm enough for liquid water. How—and why—did it become a barren desert today?

Was Mars Doomed To Be A Desert? Study Proposes A New Explanation - Astrobiology

One of the great unsolved problems in modern planetary science is written on the surface of Mars. Mars has canyons that were carved by rivers, so it was once warm enough for liquid water. How—and why—did it become it a barren desert today? A study led by University of Chicago planetary scientist Edwin Kite puts […] The post Was Mars Doomed To Be A Desert? Study Proposes A New Explanation appeared first on Astrobiology.

Why Did Mars Turn Into a Desert?

By David Meijer Mars, our neighbouring planet, is now a cold and dusty desert. But billions of years ago, it looked a lot different, covered in rivers and lakes that left behind canyons and valleys. What changed Mars from a potentially habitable world into the barren planet we see today? Scientists at the University of Chicago have taken a significant step toward understanding this mystery. A barren wasteland now, but it might have looked very …