What condition must have been present billions of years ago to allow liquid water to remain stable on the Martian surface?
Answer
A much thicker atmosphere capable of trapping heat
The current Martian environment is too cold and has too low pressure for liquid water to persist; therefore, ancient stability required an atmosphere thick enough to retain heat and maintain water in its liquid phase.
#Videos
US, China Scientists Discover Presence of Oceans and Beaches on ...
Related Questions
What geological characteristic is cited as a hallmark indicating water sorting of sediment particles?How do pebbles shaped by sustained wave action on Mars contrast with rocks eroded purely by wind?What does the identification of a region described as a 'gulf' suggest about the ancient Martian water system?What condition must have been present billions of years ago to allow liquid water to remain stable on the Martian surface?According to the provided data table, what is the approximate estimated age for the Ancient Shores/Beaches features?Why are the ancient Martian shorelines significant targets for astrobiologists searching for life?What does the persistence of beach deposits, dating older than some earliest water evidence, imply about the Martian climate shift?What critical planetary protection mechanism did Mars lose much earlier than Earth, which influenced the fate of its atmosphere?What specific geological feature, besides rounded clasts, is consistent with deposition by flowing water currents?What is suggested by the sheer volume of material transported and deposited to create these ancient layered beach features?