Water confirmed on Mars
Water confirmed on Mars
G'day lads,
NASA states that water on Mars has been confirmed by Phoenix' TEGA experiment. That means an end to all speculations and educated guesses about the nature of the Martian ice: CO_2_ or H_2_0.
NASA states that water on Mars has been confirmed by Phoenix' TEGA experiment. That means an end to all speculations and educated guesses about the nature of the Martian ice: CO_2_ or H_2_0.
Regards,
Henk
21 cm: the universal wavelength of hydrogen
Henk
21 cm: the universal wavelength of hydrogen
Early in it's life, Mars had water and a much thicker atmosphere. This is a likely scenereo for what happened to Mars' water:
Over a period of about 1.5 billion years, the martian atmosphere was slowly stripped away and lost to space but was replaced by the waters' gradual evaporation in an effort to replace its density. As the atmospheric density decreased, the boiling point of water also decreased causing a quicker evaporative process. Eventually the atmosphere reached a point where stable warm temperatures could not be sustained and the surface temperature reached a point where the remaining water froze. Now the tenuous remaining atmosphere became a haven for fierce wind storms (global sand storms) which shifted sands and soil to cover the remaining ice. A couple billion years worth of storms later later and those sand grains were smashed and pulverized into the sticky dust we see today (likely held together by Ionic charge much like the dust sticking to the anodes in an ionic air purifier) Just an hypothesis though.
Over a period of about 1.5 billion years, the martian atmosphere was slowly stripped away and lost to space but was replaced by the waters' gradual evaporation in an effort to replace its density. As the atmospheric density decreased, the boiling point of water also decreased causing a quicker evaporative process. Eventually the atmosphere reached a point where stable warm temperatures could not be sustained and the surface temperature reached a point where the remaining water froze. Now the tenuous remaining atmosphere became a haven for fierce wind storms (global sand storms) which shifted sands and soil to cover the remaining ice. A couple billion years worth of storms later later and those sand grains were smashed and pulverized into the sticky dust we see today (likely held together by Ionic charge much like the dust sticking to the anodes in an ionic air purifier) Just an hypothesis though.
-
- G'day G'day G'day G'day
- Posts: 2881
- Joined: Fri Nov 18, 2005 8:04 am
- Location: Sydney Australia
G'day from the land of ozzzz
MakC is right is 1.5 Gyrs enough to form life.
Earth is about 5 Gyrs and the first evidence for life came about 3 Gyrs.
My problem is how did water form on Mars to begin with?
If its Mass is too small to hold onto it now, why should it be different than?
A bird in the hand is worth 10 in the bush.
Thats what we say down under.
MakC is right is 1.5 Gyrs enough to form life.
Earth is about 5 Gyrs and the first evidence for life came about 3 Gyrs.
My problem is how did water form on Mars to begin with?
If its Mass is too small to hold onto it now, why should it be different than?
A bird in the hand is worth 10 in the bush.
Thats what we say down under.
Harry : Smile and live another day.
The Cyanobacteria Fossil Record is the oldest known fossils found to date (that I am aware of) These bacterium were forming Stromatolite mounds dating back to when the earth was only about 700m yrs old and had formed over the course of only 300m yrs
http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/bacteria/cyanofr.html
http://www.emc.maricopa.edu/faculty/far ... tml#origin
According to fossil records the earth was 2.5-2.7b yrs old when multicellular life formed
http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/bacteria/cyanofr.html
http://www.emc.maricopa.edu/faculty/far ... tml#origin
According to fossil records the earth was 2.5-2.7b yrs old when multicellular life formed