Around Mars there are many satellites that observe the Red Planet day after day in search of clues and discoveries. Recently, in fact, NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) has observed “mysterious forms” inside some huge craters found on the surface of the barren world.
Obviously the discovery intrigued the scientists, who were able to observe high-definition images thanks to MRO’s HiRise camera. The lines engraved on the Martian surface could represent i permanent marks left by the ice heated by the Sun, which tell us a past history of the water present on the planet.
Not all craters in this area have shown the remains of these mysterious deposits, but only those large 600 meters or more in the northern lowlands of Arabia Terra which lies north of the equator. “The deposits have horizontal laminations which could be strata or terraces”, writes MRO team member Paul Geissler. ”The deposits also have radial streaks formed by small bright ridges.“
The disappearance of Martian ice, simply put, is causing all kinds of fascinating landscapes to form over time. On Mars, think, a few billion years ago an asteroid crash caused a mega tsunami that generated gigantic waves (and evidence can still be observed today). Meanwhile, NASA’s Orbiter, despite being launched more than 17 years ago, shows us these incredible sceneries.
