Simulations Show Liquid Water Could Exist on Mars / New Phoenix Lander results

[bonzelite]

these rocks look like shale. <br /><br />i like john's comment "beautiful ripples!" <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" />

 

[jatslo]

I suggested that a few posts up, but I also thought the 30-foot crater would make a great habitate biosphere with subsurface water that are teams could stock with fish, and plants.

 

[jatslo]

The blast will fuse the walls, and the glass can be easily fabricated on Mars, so that just leaves the framework for the dome, and some kind of compressor to pressurize the dome. The Sun, or what little of Sun there is should start condensation, in which that condensation will amplify the sun to create heat. The temperature inside is greater. Anyway, the ice will melt and fill the hole, and robots can excavate the walls, or tunnel into the walls for laboratories, sleeping quarters, etc. Anyway, the biology, like fish, or realistically algae blooms, can generate Oxygen. We could use some artificial lightning to manufacture nitrogen for fertilizer.<br /><br />No numbers in my hypothesis though, so good luck quantifying it. <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" /> Oh, purification of water, if salts are a problem would involve freezing the ice, which is a simple matter on Mars, or evaporation works well too. No bulky equipment needed. <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" />

 

[rlb2]

<font color="orange">They sure took a lot of time lapse images of this spot. No doubt, mini-TES data as well...... it will be really interesting to get the results/ interpretations of these data!<font color="white"><br /><br />I can't wait myself. They stopped again at Oppys site, to check it out see image below. <br /><br />Something interesting is going on here folks; they are spending so much time checking this small crater out, about 2 months. They blew right by the other craters on there way to Endurance. Here's the latest sol.<br /><br />1F191489490ER0M1.7<br /><br /></font></font> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> Ron Bennett </div>

 

[rlb2]

Some of us agreed earlier that this may be a volcanic vent. With more and more fairly new looking volcanic rocks around it hopefully it is, boy what a kick that would be...... <br /><br />2P192325574EL5M1 <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> Ron Bennett </div>

 

[rlb2]

1P192544178EL5M1 <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> Ron Bennett </div>

 

[rlb2]

Still checking it out folks. <br /><br />Opportunity spent more time in this little patch of Mars than anywhere else except for Endurance. Hopefully good things will come out of it.... <br /><br />1F192731463EM1 <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> Ron Bennett </div>

 

[centsworth_II]

<font color="yellow">"Something interesting is going on here folks; they are spending so much time checking this small crater out, about 2 months."</font><br /><br />The area is interesting, but that is not why they have spent so much time there. The rover would have been long gone from that area if not for the instrument arm malfunction that took over a month to resolve. In that time they did have the opportunity to devote much more time to examining the area than they would ordinarily have done. All-in-all a much better place to have been stuck than Purgatory!<br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[rlb2]

<font color="orange">All-in-all a much better place to have been stuck than Purgatory!<font color="white"><br /><br />I agree.<br /><br />Here are some interesting outcrops. <br /><br />2P192589426EL5M1.5</font></font> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> Ron Bennett </div>

 

[centsworth_II]

<font color="yellow">"Here are some interesting outcrops."</font><br /><br />Now <b>that's</b> an understatement! It's terrible that Spirit will have only about three weeks to study them, not to mention the rest of Home Plate. Then it's a mandatory dash to the slopes of McCool Hill to try and survive another winter. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[rlb2]

<font color="orange">It's terrible that Spirit will have only about three weeks to study them, not to mention the rest of Home Plate. Then it's a mandatory dash to the slopes of McCool Hill to try and survive another winter.<font color="white"><br /><br />By the initial looks of it, I can see them spending half a Martian summer there. Hopefully it will last another winter then they can go back if they need too.<br /><br /></font></font> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> Ron Bennett </div>

 

[rlb2]

Thanks<br /><br /><font color="orange">I hope that the mission planners marched the rover right up to these rocks for a close look <font color="white"><br /><br />From the looks of things homeplate may be mind-boggling.<br /><br />Here is a little teaser from Opportunities site. Is that mud on the wheels???<br /><br />Hazcam- - sol 728</font></font> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> Ron Bennett </div>

 

[rlb2]

<font color="orange">but in this case, I have to agree with the dry talcum powder interpretation <font color="white"><br /><br />I acepted the past logic on talcum but to me this one seems a bit different. <br /><br />The reason I question the talcum effect in this case is: the wheels are on dry pavement (rock) and because of<br /> this the talcum should not have adhered to the wheels after one turn.<br /><br />At any rate, as you said above, the spectro readings from mini TES should be able to verify this.<br /> <br />Talking about the science instruments look where it is right now. Ive never seen it in this position before -<br />hopefully its OK....<br /><br />After the latest images came in, the science package has been moved and all seems to be OK with the arm.<br /> Curious to what they were checking out at that angle???<br /><br />sol 730 - 1F193002577EL0M1</font></font> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> Ron Bennett </div>

 

[bonzelite]

i'd like to see the rover happen upon a cliffside gully being formed.

 

[rlb2]

That would be something, but don't think that would happen however Spirit does look like it is in a past wash or glacier area.<br /><br />Here is one of the latest images, notice the layered rock impressions on the large rock. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> Ron Bennett </div>

 

[rlb2]

Notice the small three layered circular rock top left.<br /><br />2P192767004EL5M1.5 <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> Ron Bennett </div>

 

[centsworth_II]

<font color="yellow">"Notice the small three layered circular rock top left."</font><br /><br />And the "slice of pie" just to the lower right of that one.<br /><br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[bonzelite]

these rocks must have absolutely formed in flowing water. they are shale-like and sedimentary in structure. we're looking at the remains of a riverbed. i'd bet the house on that. <br /><br />i'd also speculate that mars' surface and near subsurface is an icy dirtball. <br /><br />

 

[rlb2]

<font color="orange">Keep on looking, the images you select always seem to be among the most curious ones, particularly from a search for water approach.<font color="white"><br /><br />Thanks</font></font> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> Ron Bennett </div>

 

[rlb2]

<font color="orange">And the "slice of pie" just to the lower right of that one.<font color="white"><br /><br />Home plate already looks interesting and we haven't even scratched the surface yet. What a photo <br />opportunity for Spirit when it finally stands on home plate and realize after analyzing the data it just hit a home run.<br /></font></font> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> Ron Bennett </div>

 

[rlb2]

<font color="orange">i'd also speculate that mars' surface and near subsurface is an icy dirtball.<font color="white"><br /><br />Don't know, it was something that was speculated about for some time, we will see after the mountains of data from the science instruments is finally thoroughly analyzed.<br /></font></font> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> Ron Bennett </div>

 

[JonClarke]

Tuffs and other airfall deposits are also well layered. I would wait to see more evidence of water laided deposition.<br /><br />Jon <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><em>Whether we become a multi-planet species with unlimited horizons, or are forever confined to Earth will be decided in the twenty-first century amid the vast plains, rugged canyons and lofty mountains of Mars</em>  Arthur Clarke</p> </div>

 

[centsworth_II]

What about the "base surge" explanation put forth to explain the layers at Meridiani. Steve Squyres rejects that theory in favor of the evaporite theory for an explanation of the layers at Meridiani. But is base surge a good theory for the layers at Home Plate? <br /><br /><i>"After a large explosion or impact, a cloud of debris spreads out and deposits layers in what is called a 'base surge'."</i><br /> http://www.geotimes.org/dec05/WebExtra122305.html <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[rlb2]

See weekly update at: http://arrow-space-innovations.com/_wsn/page5.html for the latest images.<br /><br />2P192768075EL5M1.5<br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> Ron Bennett </div>

 

[bonzelite]

hmm. i read the base surge idea. it is very compelling. i'm not a geologist even in the most amateur of ways, so this is out of my area entirely. i can only go on intuitive guessing that what i see looks of fluvial origin. especially the shale-like strata that has curved features running the lengths of the edges, the wavy edges. the shale-like rock plates look less similar to the impact-created cliff wall structures and more like common sediments. <br /><br />i suppose they would have to reconstruct, en masse, the fossilized river or creekbed to determine if it follows a standing body pattern. the pro side of the water idea is that there is definitive fossilized outflow structures at the eastern mouth of Valles Marineris, dumping onto Margaritifer Terra, Ares Valles, up to Chryse Planitia. so water outflow is not out of the picture even if Terra Meridiani is nothing but a dust bowl forevermore and foreverbefore. <br /><br />and i still say those rocky strata plates and blueberries are sedimentary, despite the mixed up particulate structures of them, as cited in the article.