Mars Evolution from Wet to Dry for Planetariums
Ancient regions on Mars bear signs of abundant water - such as features resembling valleys and deltas, and minerals that only form in the presence of liquid water. Scientists think that billions of years ago, the atmosphere of Mars was much denser and warm enough to form rivers, lakes, and perhaps even oceans of water. As the planet cooled and lost its global magnetic field, the solar wind and solar storms eroded away to space a significant amount of the planet’s atmosphere, turning Mars into the cold, arid desert we see today. The goal of MAVEN is to determine how much of Mars’ atmosphere and water have been lost to space, and how these processes have changed the climate on the Red Planet over its history.
Credits
Please give credit for this item to:
The Lunar and Planetary Institute
NASA's MAVEN mission
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Animator
- John Blackwell (LPI)
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Producer
- John Blackwell (LPI)
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Project support
- Christine Shupla (LPI)
- Tom Mason (LASP)
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Support
- Dan Gallagher (KBR Wyle Services, LLC)
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Technical support
- Aaron E. Lepsch (ADNET Systems, Inc.)
- Adam Barnes (HMNS)
- Tony Butterfield (HMNS)
Missions
This visualization is related to the following missions:Series
This visualization can be found in the following series:Related Pages
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ID: 13016 Produced Video
Mars Evolution from Wet to Dry
Read moreThese animations were originally created to accompany Invisible Mars, a Science-on-a-Sphere live presentation for the MAVEN mission. The animations have been rendered for use in other formats, including the NASA Hyperwall. Learn more about MAVEN and about the Lunar and Planetary Institute.Credit: Created for the MAVEN mission by the Lunar and Planetary Institute ||
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ID: 12557 Produced Video
MAVEN Reveals Mars Argon Loss to Space
Read moreInfographic explaining the MAVEN argon results. Enlarge or click "download" for print-resolution versions. Also available in text-readable PDF for the visually impaired. || MAVEN_Argon_Infographic_print.jpg (1024x450) [159.1 KB] || MAVEN_Argon_Infographic.jpg (7500x3300) [4.1 MB] || MAVEN_Argon_Infographic.png (7500x3300) [27.0 MB] || MAVEN_Argon_Infographic_searchweb.png (320x180) [72.3 KB] || MAVEN_Argon_Infographic_thm.png (80x40) [5.0 KB] || MAVEN_Argon_Infographic.tif (7500x3300) [27.2 MB] ||
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ID: 4370 Visualization
Solar Wind Strips the Martian Atmosphere
Read moreScientists have long suspected the solar wind of stripping the Martian upper atmosphere into space, turning Mars from a blue world to a red one. Now, NASA's MAVEN orbiter is observing this process in action, providing significant data on solar wind erosion at Mars.Watch this video on the NASA Goddard YouTube channel.Complete transcript available.This video is also available on our YouTube channel. || MarsAtmoLossExplainPreview.jpg (1920x1080) [993.6 KB] || NASA_TV_4370_MAVEN_Mars_Atmo_Loss.mpeg (1280x720) [369.5 MB] || APPLE_TV_4370_MAVEN_Mars_Atmo_Loss_appletv_subtitles.m4v (1280x720) [53.7 MB] || WEBM_4370_MAVEN_Mars_Atmo_Loss_APR.webm (960x540) [44.7 MB] || 4370_MAVEN_Mars_Atmo_Loss_appletv.m4v (1280x720) [53.7 MB] || 4370_MAVEN_Mars_Atmo_Loss_APR.mov (3840x2160) [5.9 GB] || YOUTUBE_HQ_4370_MAVEN_Mars_Atmo_Loss_youtube_hq.mov (3840x2160) [2.2 GB] || LARGE_MP4_4370_MAVEN_Mars_Atmo_Loss_large.mp4 (3840x2160) [111.3 MB] || 4370_MAVEN_Mars_Atmo_Loss_APR_Output.en_US.srt [2.3 KB] || 4370_MAVEN_Mars_Atmo_Loss_APR_Output.en_US.vtt [2.3 KB] ||
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ID: 11796 Produced Video
Mars' Ancient Ocean
Read moreNASA 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_Ocean_still_print.jpg (1024x576) [113.5 KB] || Mars_Ocean_still.png (1920x1080) [3.0 MB] || Mars_Ocean_still_web.jpg (320x180) [16.0 KB] || Mars_Ocean_still_searchweb.png (320x180) [86.4 KB] || Mars_Ocean_still_thm.png (80x40) [8.2 KB] || G2015-011_MarsOcean_MASTER_prores.mov (1280x720) [4.0 GB] || G2015-011_MarsOcean_MASTER_youtube_hq.mov (1280x720) [187.8 MB] || G2015-011_MarsOcean_MASTER_appletv.m4v (960x540) [116.1 MB] || G2015-011_MarsOcean_MASTER_1280x720.wmv (1280x720) [136.4 MB] || G2015-011_MarsOcean_MASTER_appletv.webm (960x540) [30.9 MB] || G2015-011_MarsOcean_MASTER_appletv_subtitles.m4v (960x540) [116.0 MB] || G2015-011_MarsOcean_MASTER_nasaportal.mov (640x360) [112.8 MB] || G2015-011_MarsOcean_MASTER_ipod_lg.m4v (640x360) [46.0 MB] || G2015-011_MarsOcean_MASTER.en_US.srt [4.4 KB] || G2015-011_MarsOcean_MASTER.en_US.vtt [4.4 KB] || G2015-011_MarsOcean_MASTER_ipod_sm.mp4 (320x240) [24.8 MB] ||
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ID: 20201 Animation
Mars Transition
Read moreBillions of years ago when the Red Planet was young, it appears to have had a thick atmosphere that was warm enough to support oceans of liquid water – a critical ingredient for life. The animation shows how the surface of Mars might have appeared during this ancient clement period, beginning with a flyover of a Martian lake. The artist's concept is based on evidence that Mars was once very different. Rapidly moving clouds suggest the passage of time, and the shift from a warm and wet to a cold and dry climate is shown as the animation progresses. The lakes dry up, while the atmosphere gradually transitions from Earthlike blue skies to the dusty pink and tan hues seen on Mars today. ||
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ID: 11037 Produced Video
MAVEN: Mars Atmospheric Loss
Read moreWhen you take a look at Mars, you probably wouldn't think that it looks like a nice place to live. It's dry, it's dusty, and there's practically no atmosphere. But some scientists think that Mars may have once looked like a much nicer place to live, with a thicker atmosphere, cloudy skies, and possibly even liquid water flowing over the surface. So how did Mars transform from a warm, wet world to a cold, barren desert? NASA's MAVEN spacecraft will give us a clearer idea of how Mars lost its atmosphere (and thus its water), and scientists think that several processes have had an impact.Learn more about these processes in the videos below! ||
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