Evidence of ancient rivers spotted on Mars, study says

They should be able to work out the amount of water that was there from erosion and other pointers.

Tau.Neutrino said:

Evidence of ancient rivers spotted on Mars, study says

They should be able to work out the amount of water that was there from erosion and other pointers.

Not really. We’re talking flash flooding here.

Um, didn’t we already know this?

Tau.Neutrino said:

Evidence of ancient rivers spotted on Mars, study says

They should be able to work out the amount of water that was there from erosion and other pointers.

The headline is a bit naff. Evidence of ancient rivers was spotted on Mars in the 1970s. It’s not remotely news.

This study is a detailed analysis of Martian stratigraphy and morphology to learn about the timing and nature of the flows.

Here’s the article:

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-020-15622-0

Sustained fluvial deposition recorded in Mars’ Noachian stratigraphic record

and here’s the wham:

The architectural interpretation of this so far unique sedimentary succession feeds into ongoing debates about the early Martian climate. Our interpretation of long-lived, deep, perennial or semi-perennial rivers necessitates a climate in which active water-conduits were maintained for 105 years or longer. For the first time, orbital data has allowed us to examine, through detailed high-resolution architectural analysis, a large (1500 m by 190 m) pre-late Noachian outcrop, and draw reliable paleoenvironmental interpretations based on sedimentary-stratigraphic evidence. Our observations and analysis favour steady water discharges that are most consistent with a precipitation-driven hydrological cycle. This conclusion aligns with previous arguments for the prolonged presence of water on the early Martian surface drawn from alternative geomorphological2,6,14,19 and mineralogical57,58 observations.

dv said:

Here’s the article:

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-020-15622-0

Sustained fluvial deposition recorded in Mars’ Noachian stratigraphic record

and here’s the wham:

The architectural interpretation of this so far unique sedimentary succession feeds into ongoing debates about the early Martian climate. Our interpretation of long-lived, deep, perennial or semi-perennial rivers necessitates a climate in which active water-conduits were maintained for 10⁵ years or longer. For the first time, orbital data has allowed us to examine, through detailed high-resolution architectural analysis, a large (1500 m by 190 m) pre-late Noachian outcrop, and draw reliable paleoenvironmental interpretations based on sedimentary-stratigraphic evidence. Our observations and analysis favour steady water discharges that are most consistent with a precipitation-driven hydrological cycle. This conclusion aligns with previous arguments for the prolonged presence of water on the early Martian surface drawn from alternative geomorphological2,6,14,19 and mineralogical57,58 observations.

OK. I surrender.