What two main routes did water molecules take to leave the Martian system following atmospheric breakdown?
Answer
Physical blowing into space by the solar wind and dissociation by UV radiation
The water that escaped the planet took several distinct paths. A portion of the water vapor was physically stripped away and blown directly into space by the force of the solar wind. Another significant route involved ultraviolet radiation high in the atmosphere breaking down the water molecules into their constituent parts, hydrogen and oxygen. The much lighter hydrogen atoms were then easily able to escape into space, while the heavier oxygen either reacted with surface rocks or slowly followed into space.
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