While evidence of ancient rivers, streams and lakes may support the idea liquid water once flowed on the surface of Mars, a recent study claims the presence of water on Mars was episodic and likely related only to early volcanic activities.

The study conducted by a team of scientists from Brown University and Israel's Weizmann Institute of Science investigated how the brief periods of volcanic eruptions that spewed significant amount of greenhouse-inducing sulfur dioxide gas into Mars' atmosphere could have altered the climate on Mars enough to allow water to pool and flow on the surface early in its history. 

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Current climate models of ancient Mars propose an atmosphere too thin to eliminate any possibility it could heat the planet enough for water to flow.  What's also notable is that the Sun was much dimmer billion of years ago than it is today, further obscuring the whole notion of a warmer early Mars.

Now, the new study provides geological evidence liquid water existed on the surface of Mars about 3.7 billion years ago, a time when enormous volcanoes brought massive eruptions and outpourings of lava.

Widespread volcanism on Earth, however, often leads to cooling rather than warming. Sulfuric acid particles with thick ash can lower the temperature by reflecting the rays of sun.

But scientists thought the effects of sulfur on the atmosphere of Mars were different.

To confirm this, the team created a new climate model of how sulfuric acid might react with Mars' dusty atmosphere.

The findings suggest the capacity of sulfuric acid particles to reflect sunlight on ancient Mars would be diminished when mixed with atmospheric dust. Thus, sulfur dioxide gas would generate enough greenhouse effect to warm the equatorial regions to the point liquid water could then exist on the surface.

"In a similar manner, we find that volcanism can bring the temperature on early Mars above the melting point for decades to centuries, causing episodic periods of stream and lake formation," said co-author James Head from Brown University.

But when the early active volcanism on Mars stopped, so did the likelihood of warmer temperature and flowing water.

The study about the possibility of liquid water in ancient Mars was published in the journal, Nature Geoscience. 

TagsMars, Water on Mars, Volcanism, Volcanic Activity on Mars