Ancient River on Mars carried rounded pebbles 30 miles, research suggests

An ancient river on Mars carried rounded pebbles discovered by the American space agency Nasa’s Curiosity rover a distance of some 30 miles, new research has shown.

Ancient River on Mars carried rounded pebbles 30 miles, research suggests

An ancient river on Mars carried rounded pebbles discovered by the American space agency Nasa’s Curiosity rover a distance of some 30 miles, new research has shown.

Scientists came up with the estimate after developing a new technique based on the shape and mass loss of river bed stones.

The finding provides more evidence that billions of years ago Mars had extensive river systems and conditions suitable for life.

Rocks flowing in rivers knock and scrape against each other, causing them to take on a smoother, rounder shape over time.

Laboratory experiments and field trips to Puerto Rico and New Mexico, US, helped the researchers develop a mathematical model that can be used to calculate how far river pebbles have travelled, irrespective of what they are made from.

Professor Gabor Domokos, from Budapest University of Technology and Economics in Hungary, said: “An object’s shape can itself tell you a lot.

“If you go to the beach, natural history is written underneath your feet. We started to understand that there is a code that you can read to begin to understand that history.”

The scientists, whose research is reported in the journal Nature Communications, applied their technique to images of rounded pebbles on Mars beamed to Earth by Curiosity.

They found that the pebbles had lost roughly a fifth of their volume. Making a correction that factored in the reduced Martian gravity, the team estimated that the small stones had travelled roughly 50 kilometres (30 miles) from their source – thought to be the rim of a crater.

Co-author Dr Douglas Jerolmack, a geophysicist from the University of Pennsylvania, said: “Thousands of years ago, Aristotle pondered the question of pebbles on the beach and how they become rounded. But until recently, descriptions of pebble shape have been qualitative, and we lacked a basic understanding of the rounding process.

“Now we have a new tool we can use to help reconstruct ancient environments on Earth, Mars and other planetary bodies where rivers are found such as (Saturn’s largest moon) Titan.”

more courts articles

Man (25) in court charged with murdering his father and attempted murder of mother Man (25) in court charged with murdering his father and attempted murder of mother
Man appears in court charged with false imprisonment of woman in van Man appears in court charged with false imprisonment of woman in van
Man in court over alleged false imprisonment of woman Man in court over alleged false imprisonment of woman

More in this section

Child, 8, the only survivor as 45 killed in South Africa bus crash Child, 8, the only survivor as 45 killed in South Africa bus crash
Russia ‘abolishes’ monitoring of sanctions on North Korea with UN veto Russia ‘abolishes’ monitoring of sanctions on North Korea with UN veto
UN top court orders Israel to open more land crossings into Gaza UN top court orders Israel to open more land crossings into Gaza
Cookie Policy Privacy Policy Brand Safety FAQ Help Contact Us Terms and Conditions

© Examiner Echo Group Limited