Nature 326, 30 - 35 (05 March 1987); doi:10.1038/326030a0

Water on Mars

Michael H. Carr

US Geological Survey, Menlo Park, California 94025, USA

Estimates of the amount of water outgassed from Mars, based on the composition of the atmosphere, range from 6 to 160 m, as compared with 3 km for the Earth. In contrast, large flood features, valley networks, and several indicators of ground ice suggest that at least 500 m of water have outgassed. The two sets of estimates may be reconciled if early in its history, Mars lost part of its atmosphere by impact erosion and hydrodynamic escape.

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