Did giant tsunamis rock the ancient oceans of Mars? Scientists say the evidence is there of not one but two massive tsunamis that swept through the oceans of Mars, leaving telltale signs that may hold the clues to life on the Red Planet.
The images that the world has seen of Mars as it is now consist largely of dry, red sand and a desert-like terrain, but researchers found the evidence of not one but two tsunamis that washed over Mars' northern hemisphere.
Their conclusions are published in a study in Scientific Reports, and involves an analysis of data from various missions that allowed scientists to create a detailed map of the northern region of Mars. J. Alexis P. Rodriguez, a senior scientist at the Planetary Science Institute in Tucson, is lead author of the study. He is quoted in Scientific American.
"Imagine this enormous red wave coming towards you, up to 120 meters high. It would have been pretty spectacular."
"However, we didn't find it and that kind of remained a paradox. Why do we have an ocean but we have no constant shoreline around the ocean?"