Submission + - Solar Wind Rips Up Martian Atmosphere (nasa.gov)
IHateEverybody writes: "Scientists have found evidence that the solar wind is ripping off chunks of the Martian atmosphere which could possibly explain why Mars has such a thin atmosphere today. The chunks are being ripped up along "magnetic umbrellas," which are bubbles of magnetic fields which rise from the ground and extend above the Martian atmosphere. This is surprising because scientists previously thought that these magnetic umbrellas protected the Martian atmosphere. Now it looks like exactly the opposite might be true."
