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Friday, June 22, 2012

A cosmic collision might fade away the water

A cosmic impact might have been the cause of a temporary warming of Mars and, therefore, the disappearance of water on its surface, according to a study published in international 'Astrobiology Magazine. Experts have said that this discovery could help explain how a planet so cold and dry ever could contain liquid water and potentially favorable conditions for life.



The largest craters are still visible on Mars were created more than 3,700. Its origin coincides approximately with the date on which they formed many of the ramifications of so-called 'River Valley' Martian.
Given this coincidence of dates, scientists believe that Mars suffered a major cosmic impact that created the craters releasing an extraordinary amount of energy, much larger than that of a bomb made by mankind. In this sense, the study is considering the possibility that it is a similar asteroid that ended the era of the dinosaurs on Earth 65 million years ago.
Specifically, talk about an explosion between 10 and 26 joules, a figure that would be the multiplication of the temperature of Mars by hundreds of degrees.
Now these researchers are trying to find out how long it lasted this warming. Some people suggest that it was fleeting, but that may have lasted for a time when the planet was kept stable in a hot state. "It would be a sort of long-term greenhouse runaway" explain the authors.

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