Stripes on Mars: Mysterious patterns discovered without water!

Stripes on Mars: Mysterious patterns discovered without water!

A new study by researchers from the University of Bern and Brown University has revolutionized the understanding of the strange stripes on the slopes of Mars. These stripes, which were discovered by the Viking spaces in the 1970s, could not, as previously suspected, develop through flowing water. Instead, the results indicate that they are caused by dry processes in which wind and dust play a decisive role.

Planet researchers agree that water once existed on the surface of the Mars, but there is disagreement as to whether water still reaches the surface today. The striking bright and dark strips that are visible on mountain and crater slopes are heavily discussed in the scientific community. Recent observations, including through the European Exo-Mars mission, have shown similar patterns, for example on the Olympus Mons. These structures appear and disappear seasonally, change color and brightness.

study and results

The study published in the specialist magazine "Nature Communications" used an algorithm for machine learning to analyze over 86,000 recordings of Mars probes. The researchers catalogized more than 500,000 slope strips. The analysis showed that the strips are more made of fine dust, which slips from steep slopes than being caused by water -containing processes.

dr. Valentin Bickel, one of the researchers, explains that no evidence of water has been found in the strip so far. The majority of the strips can be found in areas with increasing terrain, where they exist for years or can quickly disappear. Interestingly, geostatistic analyzes show that these changes are not connected to water conditions. Rather, they occur more often in regions with high wind speed and dust deposits.

context and controversy

These new knowledge raise questions about the previous interpretations that interpreted the strips as references to fluid flows that could indicate a possibly habitable environment. In the past, other research, such as those of Alfred McEwen from the University of Arizona, have associated waterways with water -containing salts that suggest the possibility of an active water deposit on Mars. These salts, known as perchlorates, could be able to bind water molecules in their crystal structures.

It is believed that these perchlorates could come from the atmosphere and absorb water vapor, which ultimately leads to liquid solutions. While it is certain that water existed on Mars in the past and shaped the landscape, there are only a few indications that it is currently reaching the surface. The debate about the existence of water on Mars and its role for possible life forms remains exciting and is of great importance for future Marsforschung.

The current findings that are underpinned by the study by the University of Bern and Brown University could also influence the assessment of the risk of contamination by earthly microbes in areas with slope strips. If the strips are actually not caused by flowing water, the risk of this contamination could be estimated as low.

Overall, research shows that our understanding of Mars and its dynamic processes is still changing. The question of whether and where water flows on Mars remains one of the central challenges of planetary research.

More on the results of the study can be found on the website of the FAZ href = "https://newsbern.ch/news/140134/wissenschaft/neue-studie-studie-streifen-streif-dem-mars-through-drocken-s-s-zwasser-standen"> Newsbern and National Geographic .