MRO Data Suggests Early Mars Wetter Than Thought

摘要

New observations made by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Or-biter (MRO) have shown that more martian rocks were altered by water than scientists originally thought, suggesting that Mars was a very wet place early in its history. Data from MRO, which currently is circling the planet, revealed evidence that vast regions of the southern highlands of Mars were altered by water in a variety of environments billions of years ago. Water is a key condition for the formation of life, and there is no firm evidence that Mars has ever harbored life; knowing that the planet was once wet suggests that it was at least habitable in the past.