A US spacecraft orbiting Mars has provided evidence of an ancient crater lake, fed by groundwater, adding further support to theories that the Red Planet may once have hosted life.
NASA says spectrometer data from its Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter shows traces of carbonate and clay minerals, usually formed in the presence, of water at the bottom of the two-point-two kilometre-deep McLaughlin Crater.
NASA says the observations suggest the formation of the carbonates and clay in a groundwater-fed lake within the closed basin of the crater.
Scientists say since the crater lacks large inflow channels, the lake was likely fed by groundwater.
Link to Article: http://bigpondnews.com/articles/Technology/2013/01/21/Scientists_find_evidence_of_Martian_lake_837675.html?cid=ZBP_NEWS_L_L1_Scientists_find_evidence_of_Martian_lake_210113
NASA says spectrometer data from its Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter shows traces of carbonate and clay minerals, usually formed in the presence, of water at the bottom of the two-point-two kilometre-deep McLaughlin Crater.
NASA says the observations suggest the formation of the carbonates and clay in a groundwater-fed lake within the closed basin of the crater.
Scientists say since the crater lacks large inflow channels, the lake was likely fed by groundwater.
Link to Article: http://bigpondnews.com/articles/Technology/2013/01/21/Scientists_find_evidence_of_Martian_lake_837675.html?cid=ZBP_NEWS_L_L1_Scientists_find_evidence_of_Martian_lake_210113
