Several studies have suggested that ancient craters on Mars could hold some crucial data to find out whether life existed on the planet. Researchers have now claimed to discover a new crater lake on the planet. It is an unknown type of ancient crater lake. The crater is different from the previously known craters on the Red Planet. They believe that it could reveal clues about Mars’ early climate. Researchers from Brown University said that the unnamed crater has characteristics that are puzzling. They said that its floor has geologic evidence that suggests stream beds and ponds on the planet. However, there is no evidence of inlet channels that could suggest where water entered.
Researchers said that the crater was mainly fed by runoff from a glacier. They said that water flowed atop the Martian glacier into the crater. This means that water flowed on the Martian surface and no valley was left behind. The water likely emptied into a crater that is low-lying and left a geological mark on the soil there. This Martian lake is different in characteristics from other crater lakes. Researchers said that signs of drainage are present. Everything happened inside the crater. This makes the newly discovered crater lake different from others. This is something that has never been characterized in past studies. NASA is currently exploring the Gale and Jezero craters. The agency is looking for signs of life in Martian soil.
The study said that the crater could provide clues that could tell about Mars’ early climate. Researchers managed to map the details about the ancient crater lake using images sent by Reconnaissance Orbiter. NASA sent the orbiter on Mars more than a decade ago to study the planet’s geology and climate. It is still a mystery that how Mars lost its atmosphere and whether the planet’s climate was similar to the neighboring Earth’s. Scientists estimate that there are 43,000 impact craters on Mars with each having 3 miles of diameters.
