The Mars Oasis

[conradk1]

I am posting a link to some images that may provide evidence of the existence of running water and vegetation on the surface of Mars. <br /><br />http://64.70.34.77/<br /><br />(Edited in response to Fossils post)<br />

 

[fossils]

Conrad, there is no "proof" of water and vegetation in the photos, but you present interesting observations. I wonder what the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter will show in this area, provided it has a safe journey...

 

[radarredux]

I agree that this is no "proof", but it is interesting. As was shown with the pre-war intelligence on Iraq, photo reconnaissance can be misleading. Ground truth (or at least multiple independent lines of evidence) are necessary to build confidence.<br /><br />However, these and other pictures certainly point to areas for additional research.<br /><br />PS. Don't forget about the "banyan tree" photos:<br /><br />http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/solarsystem/clarke_mars_banyon_010709-1.html

 

[toymaker]

I doubt this is life-but what is the possible <br />geological "Banyan trees" explanation ?

 

[conradk1]

I recently posted some images showing what appears to be a river on Mars around 27.3`W and 80.8`N. <br />The page below show a very interesting frost melting pattern.<br />http://64.70.34.77/page0.cfm<br />Can anyone think of any other explanation for this?

 

[alokmohan]

I fully agree with you .From space photo it can be concluded that there is no life on earth.

 

[termite]

OK i'll grant you they do look intresting, but as a complete skeptic i aint going to believe in rivers and forests on mars until i'm paddling in them and useing the wood for my bbq.<br />

 

[conradk1]

crazyeddie,<br /><br />I do agree that the vegetation is a bit of a stretch and I too would be amazed if it actually is however if there is liquid water in the basins then who knows. On the other hand I remain convinced about the prospect of liquid water existing in the basins. I found this water vapor chart that shows a very high concentration of water vapor in the atmosphere above Chasma Boreale. If you look at the latitude and the Ls (Solar longitude) they corresponds to the latitude and Ls in MOC image M21-01415 which I believe to be a section of the river. Now if the atmospheric pressure is high enough, which it is at that altitude of 5km below the Martian mean altitude, then for water ice to become the water vapor we see in the chart it has to exist as a liquid for a period of time. MOC image E03-01758 appears to show a number of 45 to 55 feet wide holes in the ice cap above the basin. It is unlikely that anything made those holes from the outside so they have to have come from below the surface which in my mind can only mean that some kind of vapor is escaping from the ice pack. Which gets me back to a subsurface heat source which gets me back to liquid water draining from the ice pack. There are just too many things adding up here.