Water vapour from Mars is sent high into atmosphere where it gets lost in space
Mars continues to lose water today as vapour is transported to high altitudes after sublimating from the frozen polar caps during warmer seasons. They added that Mars continues to lose water today as vapour is transported to high altitudes after sublimating from the frozen polar caps during warmer seasons. Study author Shane Stone said that they were all surprised to find water so high in the atmosphere, adding, “The measurements we used could have only come from MAVEN as it soars through the atmosphere of Mars, high above the planet’s surface.” Stone and his colleagues based their findings on data from MAVEN’s Neutral Gas and Ion Mass Spectrometer. The warm summer temperatures and strong winds associated with dust storms help water vapour reach the uppermost parts of the atmosphere where it is broken into hydrogen and oxygen which escapes to space.
Mars, already largely desert, is losing water quicker than expected, study says
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