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Scientists discovered that even small, localized dust storms on Mars can hurl water vapor into the atmosphere, where it breaks apart and escapes into space. The finding suggests that Mars' watery past wasn't lost gradually but was blasted away by powerful storms. The process explains why Mars appears as a frozen desert today.

Mars may look like a frozen desert today, but new evidence suggests its watery past didn’t simply fade away quietly—it may have been blasted into space by powerful dust storms. Scientists have discovered that even relatively small, localized storms can hurl water vapor high into the atmosphere, where it breaks apart and escapes.