Scientists have revealed the cause behind mysterious landslides on Mars surface. According to a study, the Red Planet is experiencing Marsquakes. This is keeping the planet seismically active. The massive recurring slope line on Mars has caught the attention of scientists over the past few years. A detailed analysis of the data collected during NASA’s InSight mission showed the recurring slope lines are located on sun-facing slopes. These lines continue to appear and expand over time. These lines are so mysterious that scientists decided to interpret the data collected from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. These lines are similar to landslides. The cause of these landslides is yet unknown.
Scientists previously thought that recurring slope lines are related to chlorine salts and located in regions of the high surface. But scientists widened their observation and discovered similar activities on the Red Planet’s slopes facing Sun. According to the SETI Institute in California, geologists thought that the dark streaks on Mars are related to melting ice. However, it is observed that these streaks mainly occur in regions with little ice. What is interesting is that these streaks increase after dust storms. They later fade away. Scientists decided to replicate the behavior of chlorine salts and sulphates in a laboratory. They created a temperature similar to Mars. Scientists arrive to the conclusion that microscale liquid water migrates underground.
It is worth mentioning that Earth too is experiencing similar activities Atacama desert, Antarctica, and the Dead Sea. The first quake on Mars was detected by NASA’s InSight lander. The rover recorded the sound of the quake. Mars is a topic of research and study for scientists for a long. It is similar to Earth in terms of basic makeup. Both are terrestrial planets. But they are very different from each other in temperature, size, and atmosphere. Mars has a thin atmosphere compared to Earth’s. Past studies have suggested that it has both water and oxygen, but in a less quantity. NASA is planning to send a human mission to Mars by end of the decade.
