On the surface of Mars, dried up river beds are clearly traced and, in principle, their presence proves the presence of water on the ancient planet of red color. But astronomers still cannot understand where all the water from the streams went. A team of specialists from the United States decided to put forward a new and fresh theory that explains the reason for the disappearance of water from Martian rivers.
According to astrophysicists, the water has evaporated due to the greenhouse effect. Scientists came to this conclusion during their exploration of Mars. Previously, the occurrence of a greenhouse effect was considered unlikely in relation to this planet, because it is located much farther from the Sun than Earth, and the temperature on it should be much lower. In addition, in theory, there should not even be water on Mars - however, it certainly was, so the possibility of a greenhouse effect cannot be ruled out either.
This effect arose not because of the high temperature of Mars, but because of the large amount of methane it emitted. When heated, gas molecules begin to divide, and a huge amount of water appears on the planet's surface, which has accumulated over millions of years. As a result of such a process, channels and potholes formed on the surface of the Red Planet.
The hypothesis looks harmonious, but experts cannot explain where methane came from on Mars, since it is an organic product. At the moment, they intend to study in detail the celestial body in order to find methane of inorganic origin on it and to prove their theory.