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NASA planetary scientists Geronimo Villanueva and Michael Mumma discuss their findings regarding the ancient ocean of Mars.Watch this video on the NASAexplorer YouTube channel.For complete transcript, click here. Mars Ancient Ocean, short versionWatch this video on the NASAexplorer YouTube channel.For complete transcript, click here. El Océano Antiguo de Marte, vídeo en EspañolVer este vídeo en el canal NASAexplorer YouTube.Para una transcripción completa, presione aquí. Animation - Mars present-day to 4.5 billion years ago Animation - The ancient ocean of Mars retreats toward the polar ice caps, which are the main reservoirs of water on the planet today. Animation - Hydrogen atoms escape from the Mars upper atmosphere, while water containing heavy hydrogen (deuterium) remains trapped on the planet. The escape of hydrogen helped to turn Mars from a wet planet 4.5 billion years ago into a dry world today. Video Resource Reel - contains interviews with NASA scientists Geronimo Villanueva (pictured) and Michael Mumma Image - a print-resolution still Image - a print-resolution still on a transparent background For decades, planetary scientists have suspected that ancient Mars was a much warmer, wetter environment than it is today, but estimates of just how much water Mars has lost since its formation vary widely. Now, new isotopic measurements by researchers at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center reveal that an ocean once covered approximately twenty percent of the Martian surface. This new picture of early Mars is considerably wetter than many previous estimates, raising the odds for the ancient habitability of the Red Planet. Related pages