The land of the Arabs on Mars,Water was there in ancient times

We've been studying Mars for a few decades, and at this point we have a huge backlog of data, we've started studying it at levels that are comparable to the ways we can study Earth.

In the course of studies that scientists are conducting to better understand the ancient environments on Mars, and to find out whether there are suitable climatic conditions for life on the Red Planet, scientists from Northern Arizona University and Johns Hopkins University in Maryland discovered that water was It exists for a short period in an area of ​​Mars called the land of the Arabs.

This region is located in the northern latitudes of Mars, and is estimated at an area of ​​about 4,500 square kilometers at its maximum extent, according to their study published in the journal Geology.

The land of the Arabs on Mars

According to the statement issued by Northern Arizona University, there is a region on Mars that the Italian astronomer Giovanni Schiaparelli named in 1879 AD the name "Arabia Terra", which is a Latin phrase meaning "the land of the Arabs or the Arab land."

This area is characterized by whiteness, meaning the presence of white spots in it ranging from light to dark and similar to the natural features of the Arabian Peninsula, as it contains craters and volcanic lakes, some of which are known as pedestal craters, which form a steep cliff.

The topography of this area also contains valleys and rocky bands that resemble layers of colored desert sedimentary rocks or badlands. According to the information received from previous studies, this terrain protects the raw materials beneath it from erosion.

The hills and piles formed on the surface of the area consist of accumulated layers, and it is believed that the reason for the formation of these layers is volcanic outbursts, winds or groundwater deposits.

The rocks of the Arab land on Mars

The layers of rocks in the Arabian Land region on Mars and how they formed were the focus of the study titled "A Fragile Record of Transiting Water on Mars" by NASA's Mars Data Analysis Program.

"We were specifically interested in using rocks on Mars to better understand past environments 3 to 4 billion years ago, and whether there were suitable climatic conditions for life on Mars," said study co-author Ari Koppel from Northern Arizona University.

The university statement says that in order to gain a better understanding of what happened to the formation of rock layers, scientists focused on thermal inertia, which determines the ability of a material to change temperature, as sand with small and loose particles quickly gains and loses heat, while solid rock remains warm for a long time after the darkness.

By looking at surface temperatures, the researchers were able to determine the physical properties of the rocks in the study area, enabling them to tell if the material was loose and eroded when it appeared to be solid.

On the other hand, Assistant Professor Christopher Edwards of the Department of Astronomy and Planetary Science at Northern Arizona University said, "No one has done an in-depth investigation into the thermal inertia of these interesting deposits that cover a large part of the surface of Mars."

Complete the research and analysis results

In order to complete this study and investigate the thermal inertia of the sediments, the scientific team used remote sensing tools in satellites.

In this regard, Kopel said that they looked at the rocks to try to learn about past environments on Mars, just as geologists do on Earth, and they relied heavily on satellite data, as there are a few satellites orbiting Mars, and each hosts a group of tools, and each tool plays its own role in helping scientists describe the rocks on the surface.

The university statement says that the research and analysis process was carried out using this data collected remotely, as the researchers looked at thermal inertia, in addition to evidence of corrosion, the condition of the drilling, and what minerals are present.

"We discovered that these sediments are much less solid than everyone had previously thought, and that the surface of Mars had only water for a short period, but this gives us the belief that there is a chance for life on Mars," says Koppel.

It is also exciting for us and raises some exciting questions, including: What are the conditions that can allow the presence of water for a short period? Could there be glaciers that melted quickly with massive floods? And could there be a groundwater system that leaked out of the ground for a brief period only to sink again?

"We've been studying Mars for a few decades, and at this point we have a huge backlog of data, we're starting to study it at levels that are comparable to the ways we can study Earth, and it's really an exciting time for Mars science," Coppel concludes.