Mars Evolution from Wet to Dry for Planetariums

This is an artist's model of an early Mars — billions of years ago — which may have had oceans and a thicker atmosphere. It was created by filling Mars' lower altitudes with water and adding cloud cover. The locations for the ancient ocean are based on current altitudes and do not reflect the actual ancient topography. This animation transitions from an early, wet Mars to present-day dry Mars. This animation transitions from an early, wet Mars to present-day dry Mars, and back again. This artist's model shows where the landing sites are on Mars for Viking 1 & 2, Spirit, Opportunity, Phoenix, and Curiosity, in comparison to possible locations of an early ocean which may have existed billions of years ago. In this depiction, the atmosphere is thicker than the present-day Mars atmosphere, which is only about 1% of Earth’s. The locations for the ancient ocean are based on current altitudes and do not reflect the actual ancient topography. This is an updated map of landing sites on Mars that includes Viking 1 & 2, Pathfinder, Spirit, Opportunity, Phoenix, and Curiosity. This animation transitions from present-day dry Mars to an early, wet Mars. This is a map of current Mars, created using NASA mission data. It can be compared with the artists' rendering for an early, wet Mars and the landing sites on Mars. These 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 For More InformationSee [NASA.gov](https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/maven/main/index.html) Related pages

Infographic explaining the MAVEN argon results. Enlarge or click "download" for print-resolution versions. Also available in text-readable PDF for the visually impaired. Animations of the MAVEN spacecraft, sputtering, and the evolution of the Martian climate. This video file is in the standard NASA-TV broadcast format. Animations begin at 1:36. Solar wind and radiation are responsible for stripping the Martian atmosphere, according to results from NASA's MAVEN mission. By measuring light and heavy isotopes of argon in the Martian atmosphere, scientists have determined that the majority of the planet's air and water were removed to space by sputtering. In this process, ions from the Mars atmosphere get picked up by the solar wind and slammed into other atoms at the top of the atmosphere, knocking them into space. Scientists used measurements of light and heavy argon from MAVEN and NASA's Curiosity rover to determine that sputtering has removed 65% of Mars' argon to space, along with the majority of other gases like carbon dioxide. Over billions of years, this transformed Mars from a hospitable environment into the cold, dry planet that we see today.Learn more about the MAVEN argon loss finding. For More InformationSee [NASA.gov](https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/maven/main/index.html) Related pages

Scientists 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. The solar wind accelerates ions from the Mars upper atmosphere into space.Watch this video on the NASAexplorer YouTube channel. Movie without music and titles. Available for download in up to 4k resolution. The solar wind interacts with the Mars upper atmosphere, but is deflected past Earth by a global magnetic field (artist's concept).Credit: NASA/GSFC A solar storm approaches Mars (artist's concept). The Red Planet is thought to have lost much of its atmosphere to such extreme space weather.Credit: NASA/GSFC Artist’s rendition of a solar storm hitting Mars and stripping ions from the upper atmosphere.Credit: NASA/GSFC During a solar storm (right), Mars experiences a dramatic increase in atmosphere loss, compared with normal solar wind conditions (left). Artist's concept.Credit: NASA/GSFC Print resolution still of MAVEN observed O+ ion flux chart (with Mars) Print resolution still of MAVEN observed O+ ion flux chart (without Mars) Solar wind (moving from right to left) hitting Mars' induced magnetic field (in blue) Solar wind (moving from left to right) hitting Mars' induced magnetic field (in blue) Today, Mars is a global desert with an atmosphere far too thin to support bodies of flowing water, but evidence shows that Mars was considerably wetter in the ancient past. Scientists think that climate change on Mars was caused by the loss of an early, thick atmosphere, and NASA’s MAVEN mission is investigating whether it was driven into space.One of the prime suspects is the solar wind, a stream of electrically charged particles continuously blowing outward from the Sun. Unlike Earth, Mars lacks a global magnetic field to deflect the incoming solar wind. Instead, charged particles from the Sun crash into the Mars upper atmosphere, and can accelerate Martian ions into space. Now, MAVEN has observed this process in action – by measuring the velocity of ions escaping from Mars.The movies on this page compare simulations of ion escape with MAVEN’s observations of oxygen ion flux. The results closely fit the expected pattern, with the most energetic ions (in red) accelerated in a plume above Mars, while the majority of escaping ions (green) are lost along the “tail” region in the wake of the solar wind. MAVEN’s observations confirm that the solar wind is a significant contributor to atmosphere loss on Mars, and they bring scientists closer to solving the mystery of the ancient Martian climate. Read the full press release about this finding.Watch the November 2015 MAVEN Science Update. For More InformationSee [NASA.gov](http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/maven/main/index.html) Related pages

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

16x9 format Cinemascope format Billions 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. Related pages

SPUTTERING How did Mars, a once wet planet, lose its early atmosphere? One possibility is through a process called "sputtering," in which atoms are knocked away from the atmosphere due to impacts with energetic particles.For complete transcript, click here. NEUTRAL PROCESSES Scientists think that the collision of neutral hydrogen molecules may have helped to drive the Martian atmosphere into space over billions of years.For complete transcript, click here. PLASMA PROCESSES Mars's thick early atmosphere was likely lost to space, and the Sun is a potential culprit. When high-energy solar photons strike the upper Martian atmosphere they can ionize gas molecules, causing the atmosphere to erode over time. For complete transcript, click here. When 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! Related pages