One of the biggest mysteries in planetary science is etched into Mars’ landscape. The planet’s vast river-carved canyons reveal it was once warm enough to support flowing liquid water. So how did it transform into the dry, lifeless desert we see today—and why?
A new study led by University of Chicago planetary scientist Edwin Kite offers a fresh explanation for why Mars has struggled to maintain warm, life-supporting conditions.
Study Suggests Mars Briefly Warmed by Sunlight Surges—But Its Climate Was Always Destined to Dry Out Again
Published in Nature, the research proposes that Mars’ occasional periods of liquid water were likely triggered by increases in solar brightness. However, due to the planet’s unique characteristics, it naturally drifts back toward dry, desert-like conditions—unlike Earth, which has remained consistently habitable.
The study builds on recent findings from NASA’s Curiosity rover, which in April discovered rocks containing carbonate minerals. These may hold clues to what happened to Mars’ lost atmosphere.
“For years, we’ve wondered why Earth has remained habitable while Mars hasn’t,” said Kite, a geophysical sciences professor and scientist on the Curiosity mission. “Our models indicate that Mars’ habitability has been rare and short-lived—its default state is that of a desert world.”
Despite Earth-Like Qualities, Mars Became a Frozen Wasteland—Leaving Scientists to Ask Why Life Chose This Planet Instead
Mars shares many similarities with Earth—it’s a rocky planet rich in carbon and water, and it orbits close enough to the Sun to receive warmth without being scorched. Yet, despite these traits, Mars is now a frozen desert, while Earth supports abundant life. For decades, scientists have sought to understand why we evolved here and not on Mars.
The mystery of Mars’ frozen, arid state deepened when scientists found ancient riverbeds and lakebeds—evidence of a once warmer climate with flowing water.
“We’re in a golden era of Mars research,” said planetary scientist Edwin Kite, citing data from rovers and orbiters that reveal signs of a past environmental collapse.
Unlike Earth, Mars Lacks Volcanic Recycling—Causing Its Atmosphere to Collapse After Brief Warm Spells
Earth stays habitable thanks to a stable carbon cycle, where CO₂ is recycled through volcanic activity. Mars, however, lacks active geology. However, Kite’s team suggests that brief warm periods—triggered by the Sun’s gradual brightening—lead to CO₂ being locked into rocks, cooling the planet again with no volcanic activity to replenish it.
Simulations show Mars likely experienced short warm spells separated by up to 100 million years of deep freeze—making long-term habitability unlikely.
Curiosity rover’s recent discovery of carbonate-rich rocks on Mars has provided a long-sought clue to the planet’s lost atmosphere.
Mars would have needed a thick, carbon dioxide-rich atmosphere to support liquid water, yet today it has only a thin one—prompting the question: where did all the carbon go?
“People have been searching for the burial site of Mars’ atmosphere for a long time,” said lead researcher Edwin Kite.
Early missions found little evidence of carbonate rocks, but that changed when Curiosity climbed Mt. Sharp and detected them. Ongoing tests will reveal how widespread these deposits are.
“You can’t uncover this kind of evidence without a rover on the ground,” said co-author Benjamin Tutolo.
The study involved researchers from UChicago, NASA, Caltech, Brown University, and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
Read the original article on: Phys Org
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