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Early Mars was warm and wet for millions years, a perfect place of life development, according to a new study. Scientists made use of Mars Reconnaissance orbiter belonging to NASA to observe closely the clays on the surface of the planet, which is associated with water. The study appears in this week’s issue ( July 2008) of Nature.

The clays, known as phyllosilicates, were scattered across the surface of the planet in craters, delta formations, valleys and dunes. This implies that water existed in the terrain, according to the scientists.

Planetary geologist Jack Mustard of Brown University claims that Mars was not as hot as it is now. It was rich with water for considerable period of time. One would think of lakes and ocean, but it was in the crust that tons of water was found percolating. The watery era on Mars came to end very abruptly.

The study held the view that the watery period came to an end at the close of the Noachian epoch, which was the earliest geologic age of the planet. This would imply that Mars was wet about 4.6 billion to 3.8 billion years ago.

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