Mars Had Floods From Time to Time

Mars had floods from time to time

Mars had floods from time to time, a new study has suggested.
Astronomers claim to have found evidence that ancient features on the surface of Mars, called valley networks, were carved by recurrent floods during a long period when martian climate may have been much like that of some regions on Earth.
"Precipitation on Mars lasted a long time -- it wasn't a brief interval of massive deluges," the study's lead author Charles Barnhart said.
In fact, in their study, Barnhart and colleagues at the University of California used sophisticated computer models to simulate the processes that actually formed these features on planet Mars. 
In fact, in their study, Barnhart and colleagues at the University of California used sophisticated computer models to simulate the processes that actually formed these features on planet Mars
"Our results argue for liquid water being stable at the surface of Mars for prolonged periods in the past," the 'Journal of Geophysical Research -- Planets' quoted Barnhart as saying.
The team has estimated that the valley networks on Mars were carved out more than 3.5 billion years ago.
Studies based on climate models earlier suggested that catastrophic events such as asteroid impacts could have created warm, wet conditions on Mars, causing massive deluges and flooding for periods of hundreds to thousands of years.
But the study has shown that those conditions would result in features not seen in the martian landscape, because water would accumulate inside craters and overflow, carving exit breaches that cut through the crater walls.
"Our research finds that these catastrophic anomalies would be so humid and wet there would be breaching of the craters, which we don't see on Mars. The precipitation needs to be seasonal or periodic, so that there are periods of evaporation and infiltration. Otherwise the craters overflow," Barnhart said.