An international team of scientists led by Christian Schröder from the University of Stirling found that Mars lost its liquid water tens of millions of years ago. The researchers' findings are presented in an article published in the journal Nature Communications.
Planetologists have determined the rate of weathering processes on Mars by assessing the physicochemical state of the iron-stone meteorites that fell on its surface. To do this, they studied data obtained by the Opportunity rover on the Meridian Plateau, a plain south of the equator of the Red Planet. Scientists have found out how long the meteorites were under the influence of the Martian atmosphere, as well as how much iron oxides they contained.
The iron oxide content can be used to determine how quickly rust is formed by comparing meteorites to metal-containing earth rocks. It has been established that this process, dependent on the presence of water, occurs on Mars 10-10,000 times slower than on Earth. This, in turn, indicates that the surface of the Red Planet is almost completely devoid of water for at least 20 million years.
In September 2016, American researchers suggested that the Tavmasia plateau on Mars might be habitable. High concentrations of sulfur and potassium were found, which indicates the possible presence of water in this region in one of its aggregate states.
