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NASA reveals impressive news about Mars: possible waterfall discovered on the red planet could be bigger and more impressive than the famous Niagara Falls.
Mars, the closest rocky planet to Earth, is a fascinating and enigmatic place, marked by unique geological formations. Unlike Earth, where erosion and vegetation cover many traces of planetary history, the surface of Mars reveals a “raw” landscape, allowing a clear view of its formation over billions of years. Recently, NASA satellites captured intriguing images that reveal a structure that resembles a waterfall, fueling the imagination of scientists and enthusiasts about the watery past of the red planet. Such discoveries could provide new clues about the geological and climatic history of Mars, and perhaps even signs of ancient life.
NASA probes reveal unique features on Mars
The red planet is dry and there is not enough water concentration in the atmosphere or on the surface to justify the existence of an active waterfall, so the formations found by NASA satellite show a historical record, something that dates back to a distant past.
At first you might wonder what the chances are that a dry, cold, desert and dusty place could have accumulated enough water on the surface for a similar scenario to have existed.
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As incredible as it may seem, the current appearance of Mars is something completely different from what it was in the distant past. NASA space probes have already revealed geological features that resemble ancient coastlines and riverbeds, in addition to having already found rocks that appear to have suffered from the constant passage of water.
The visual characteristics of this evidence, in addition to chemical analysis, when possible, leave no doubt that these points on the red planet once had water. According to records made by orbiters on the red planet, waterfalls on Mars may have been a reality in the distant past.
Does Mars have the necessary characteristics to form a waterfall?
In addition to liquid water, suitable relief would be needed to form a waterfall on Mars. The planet has numerous geological features that indicate the existence of deep valleys and canyons and, just like on Earth, geological formations resulting from volcanic processes could have created these abrupt differences in the surface, after all, the Martian water would need to fall from a considerable height for us to call it a waterfall.
To have a waterfall on Mars in constant operation would require a very large amount of uninterrupted water and there is evidence of this, but the sad part of the story is that the atmosphere of Mars became increasingly rarefied for a reason that is still little understood, that is, the water disappeared and so did these ideal conditions.
Waterfall on Mars could have a 500m drop
Images of Earth's waterfalls from space, when compared with the geological features of Mars, can be revealing. In the case of Kasei Valley, we have a region that stretches for 2400 km along the surface of the red planet. At any point along its path, we can check detailed images from NASA orbiters and find a wealth of features made by the passage of water in an incredible way.
The dry waterfalls found at Kasei have a vertical drop of 400 to 500 m, where the edge of the falls can be followed for 100 km across the Martian surface. For comparison, Niagara Falls here on Earth is only 50 m high, with a total length of approximately 1 km, including the US and Canadian parts.
To imagine Kasei in full activity, with streams of water cascading down these gigantic drops, would be to witness one of the most magnificent spectacles on any planet, surpassing even the most impressive natural formations here on Earth. Today it is completely dry, but the history is there on the completely dusty red planet.
