What physical process is implied by the evidence for wave-formed ripples on ancient Mars?
Answer
Weather systems powerful enough to generate significant waves
The discovery of features resembling terrestrial beaches, including wave-formed ripples and sediments, necessitates the presence of significant dynamic action on the ancient Martian surface. Specifically, this points to weather systems that generated powerful waves capable of moving and sorting rock and mineral particles across the landscape. On Earth, waves require wind driving across a substantial surface of liquid. The scale inferred from orbital data suggests an ocean vast enough to support such energetic wave mechanics, confirming that physical forces similar to those shaping Earth's coasts were once active on Mars.
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