NASA Curiosity rover hints at ancient mega flood in Mars

In 2020, space probes from a wide variety of nations were on their way to Mars to carry out a wide range of measurements and investigations. It was especially NASA’s Mars Mission Mars 2020 that became a major focus of interest. Research Source

The goal of these investigations is, above all, to find out whether life exists on Mars or could have existed at one point. However, the evaluation of older missions also continues to yield interesting news.

For example, the analysis of data collected by the Mars Rover Curiosity shows that four million years ago a so-called megaflood took place on the red planet. This event greatly increases the probability that life once existed on Mars.

Credit to NASA / JPL-Caltech.

Today you'll get all the information about curiosity and the recently analyzed data, but we will also take a brief look at NASA’s current Mars mission to Mars 2020 and ventures planned for the future.

Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) Mission:

The probe that carried the Mars Rover Curiosity into space was launched in the summer of 2012. The probe successfully landed on Mars, and the rover began its work soon after landing, with the first images transmitted to Earth since then. The rover has been in continuous operation since then, despite being designed for a much shorter run time. Research Source

Credit to NASA / JPL-Caltech.

Curiosity is The autonomous vehicle is equipped with 10 different instruments, which are primarily used to measure the climate radiation and geochemical processes on the planet.

However, the autonomous vehicle can also take and analyze rock samples. These sophisticated measurements could, in a best-case scenario, identify possible building blocks of life in the samples.

The primary focus of the investigations, however, is the analysis of sediment samples. This is to detect whether water was present on the planet and whether it was only solid as in ice or also in liquid form.

Gale Crater:

The Mars Rover Curiosity's investigation area is under the investigation of the Mars Rover Curiosity. the target of curiosity's investigations is the so-called Gale Crater. This is a huge impact crater with a diameter of about 100 miles. Research Source

A gigantic mountain, the Aeolis Mons, also called Mount Sharp, protrudes from the center. The mountain is four miles high and even towers above the edge of the crater. This is a zone where a massive meteor impact took place a long time ago.

Credit to NASA / JPL-Caltech.

At least a hundred different sedimentary layers are said to have been deposited both in the crater itself and on Aeolis Mons, thus providing a unique opportunity to study the evolution of Mars for up to four billion years. Previous theories about how these layers were formed are the subject of much controversy.

There are theories that they were wind-blown debris where volcanic rocks and ash were deposited or that the crater was once a frozen lake filled with ice and the sediments were deposited under the protection of the ice without a detailed investigation. It's impossible to verify, disprove, or confirm these theories.

This consideration was key to the choice of Gal crater as the curiosity rover's deployment site. The analysis of the data could indeed provide new insights into what happened in the area of the crater. A megaflood is believed to have occurred here 4 million years ago.

Evidence of Water:

Early on, thanks to data obtained from sediments, it became clear that the gale crater was indeed at least partially filled with water. The sediments showed places where water moved in streams but also stagnant waters, which could be reconstructed with the discovery of clay minerals. Research Source

The existence of water on Mars was confirmed because these can form only with the help of water. Measurements of the atmosphere and planetary radiation also aided in the reconstruction of early Mars.

Credit to NASA / JPL-Caltech.

More research and sediment samples were required to determine how these streams and waters functioned on Mars. Undulating Sediment Deposits The fact that water once flowed through the gale crater was already clear, but to what extent was unknown until a larger-scale analysis was conducted.

Wave-shaped sediment deposits were identified. These suggest that the water moved at an enormous speed of up to 30 feet per second. Impressively, this power can also be explained by the distance of the sediment waves.

Some of them are more than 300 feet apart and have a height of up to 30 feet. It's difficult to imagine the water masses necessary for the formation of such sediments. Similar sediment deposits are formed when large amounts of ice melt abruptly on Earth, according to comparisons. Another Meteor Impact on Mars?

The most obvious hypothesis is that a meteor impact occurred; if this theory is correct, this would be the second massive meteor impact on Mars. Additionally, a significant amount of carbon dioxide and methane were released into the martian atmosphere.

The melting ice turned into water, some of which began to evaporate, releasing water vapor into the atmosphere. The result could have been a brief, very warm, and especially humid climatic period on Mars.

What Effects?

This warm wet climate period certainly continued after the tsunami-like flood, but for how long is not clear. However, it can be assumed that this climate change had a massive impact.

Even rainfall across the whole planet can be assumed. An indication of this can also be found in other areas where sediment deposits show that entire rivers and lakes were filled with water from rainfall.

The emergence of life could have occurred very easily under such conditions. High temperatures and a highly gaseous atmosphere provide the perfect conditions for microbial life.

Past Active & Future Mars Missions:

To find life on Mars Curiosity has done much to better understand the history of Mars. The existence of water on the planet, as well as perfect climatic conditions, makes life on Mars very likely. However, this Mars rover is not perfectly equipped to find and detect life. The 2020 Mars mission, in particular, is designed to further this search for life. Research Search

Numerous rock samples will be taken by the Mars Rover Perseverance, which will land in February 2021, and analyzed directly on the alien planet. However, because there is always the risk that the equipment will have minimal impurities that could falsify samples and lead to misinterpretations, researchers also plan to send rock samples to the earth for this purpose. A realistic timetable suggests that the samples will not arrive on earth to be analyzed until 2036.

More than 4 billion years ago, there was a megaflood on Mars that was triggered by the impact of a meteor. Because of that, the climate changed massively and there was heavy rainfall in such an environment, at least microbial life was likely formed. Could it be that perhaps even evolved life forms have emerged?

We're curious about the results of Nasa's further investigations. Just the slightest proof of the smallest life forms on Mars would be an unbelievable success. Mankind has dreamed of this for ages, even if it's not usually bacterial life that we're thinking of. What's your opinion? Do you believe there is life on Mars?

Do you consider the megaflood on Mars to be a serious indication of the possibility of microbial life forms? Or do you think we're wasting too much money exploring alien planets with no short-term worthwhile goals in mind?