A team of Japanese researchers described the water that once existed on Mars 3.5 billion years ago as salty as noodle soup.
By using the data gathered by the U.S. Mars probe Curiosity, the team, which included Kanazawa University associate professor Keisuke Fukushi and Tokyo Institute of Technology professor Yasuhito Sekine, were able to restore the conditions of water on Gale Crater, according to Japan Times.
In their analysis published on Nature on Oct. 25, researchers found that the water on Mars had salt content that was about a third of the level of saltwater on Earth. It was also rich in minerals like magnesium.
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Sekine said the water was “as salty as miso soup and ramen noodle soup.”
The team believes the salt level rose as the water evaporated over a period of 1 million years and after it flowed into the crater.
“Salinity, pH, and redox states are fundamental properties that characterize natural waters,” the researchers said in their report. “These properties of surface waters on early Mars reflect palaeoenvironments, and thus provide clues on the palaeoclimate and habitability.”
Feature Image via NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU (Left)
