New research has revealed that ridges on the surface of Mars may be the fossilized remains of a web of water. Researchers from Brown University conducted the study, which was published in the Geophysical Research Letters on Tuesday, by analyzing data from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, the Los Angeles Times reported.
According to the LA Times, the researchers examined over 4,000 ridges on Mars in the Nilosyrtis highlands and Nili fossae area. The team, which looked at the ridges' orientations and rock composition, concluded that the ridges probably began as cracks from impact craters.
The study also found that the ridges appeared in areas where the rocks were rich in iron-magnesium clay-a mineral that appears after the presence of water, the LA Times reported.
Slate reported that scientists then believe the cracks were filled with water, leaving behind the mineral as it flowed through. The mineral deposit would then withstand erosion, unlike the softer rocks around the mineral-filled cracks, and leave behind ridges.
In order to confirm the team's findings, a probe would have to be landed in the area to study the chemical composition of the ridges, Slate reported. However, it writes that "may not happen any time soon." According to the LA Times, this study comes shortly after a paper in the journal Nature Geoscience studied a possible ancient crater that could hold signs of life beneath Mars' surface.
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