The planet Mars is full of life

[Catastrophe]

From Google:

QUOTE
Can you feel wind on Mars?

Mars' atmosphere is less than one percent of Earth's. So a 150-km/hour wind would feel like about a 1-km/hour wind does on Earth. It wouldn't do any damage to anything.

QUOTE

Cat

 

[Catastrophe]

Encyclopaedia of the Solar System Academic Press 1999:

"Subsurface Life on Mars
Although there is currently no direct evidence to support speculations about extant life on Mars, there are several interesting possibilities that cannot be ruled out at this time."

Suggests subsurface niches associated with hydrothermal activity
Liquid water bvo heat or geothermal or volcanic activity
Gases from volcanic activity deep in the planet enabling
development of a microbial community based on chemolithoautotrophy.

Cat

Chemolithoautotroph | SpringerLink

 

[Clovis]

The atmospheric pressure at the bottom of the Carlsbad Caverns changes. And in other caves Ive been in, but it's a lot thinner than the surface. That's one reason we always carried an oxygen bottle, that and a gas detector. Just in case.

 

[Clovis]

From Google:

QUOTE
Can you feel wind on Mars?

Mars' atmosphere is less than one percent of Earth's. So a 150-km/hour wind would feel like about a 1-km/hour wind does on Earth. It wouldn't do any damage to anything.

QUOTE

Cat

That's what the scientist said about The Martian movie during that wind storm.

 

[Clovis]

Pockets of methane can be in caves. So don't smoke lol. A very large cavern doesn't have a lot of ventilation down deep.

 

[Clovis]

Catastrophe, if you were here I'd take you down into Cotton Wood cave. It's to far into the woods to be a tourist attraction. First get you suited up. You just don't go willie nillie down there. And you would have to spend the night down there, and bring some food and water. It's a long climb, which takes about one day one way. We use little markers, and collect them on the way out. But there is an underground lake in there. Ive never tried to cross it, but my lamps ( big flashlights) can't reach out far enough to see the other side.

 

[Catastrophe]

Clovis, Thank you for the kind invitation. but please forgive me if I respectfully decline, as I am 82.

Best wishes,

Cat

 

[Terra Australis]

Catastrophe, if you were here I'd take you down into Cotton Wood cave. It's to far into the woods to be a tourist attraction. First get you suited up. You just don't go willie nillie down there. And you would have to spend the night down there, and bring some food and water. It's a long climb, which takes about one day one way. We use little markers, and collect them on the way out. But there is an underground lake in there. Ive never tried to cross it, but my lamps ( big flashlights) can't reach out far enough to see the other side.

Sounds like an amazing place Clovis

 

[Catastrophe]

The planet Mars is full of life

No it isn't.

But see post #52.

Cat

 

[Clovis]

Sounds like an amazing place Clovis

It's a big place, and it hasn't been changed like Carlsbad has. Caves are often refered to as inner space. Yup, but if we ever have to check out the Mars Caverns it's going to need to explored by some very brave, hardy people. I wouldn't try it, we know nothing about them, or if they even remotely resemble anything like we have here on the Earth.

 

[Clovis]

If we did find evidence of life, we may not like it. It may not like us either. Something like a deadly fungus, or a microbe. We know nothing about.
Some of our Caverns have their own little Eco systems. Things not seen on the surface.

 

[techman1]

If we did find evidence of life, we may not like it. It may not like us either. Something like a deadly fungus, or a microbe. We know nothing about.
Some of our Caverns have their own little Eco systems. Things not seen on the surface.

Good point you've made! I think despite all the troubles they will manage to find evidence of life if there is so. And ofc caverns will be explored by the brave people. I have no doubt about it!

 

[Clovis]

The surface radiation won't pose as much of a problem in there. Still, it's a dangerous situation. For a lot of reasons, depending on how deep they go. But the atmosphere will still be deadly and thin. So they will need to wear
a specialized suit which may be cumbersome, which isn't adgile and flexible.
Like is needed for Caveing explorations. So, I would guess that any cliff or wall climbing would be out of question. And you would need to be in excellent physical condition. And tethered to each other.

 

[Clovis]

I wonder if they would find any ice down there. Our caves don't freeze over, but that's our caves. Another thing that may be different. So would rock formations, if there ever was any liquid water the deeper they get.

 

[Pogo]

If there are deep caves, they would take the ambient subterranean temperature, any water down there could be ice or water, but likely somewhat saline, not fresh.

 

[Clovis]

Not potable water like we would hope to find. But perhaps we could make it that way.

 

[Clovis]

Hollywood has made a few monsters in caves movies. Even one about Mars.
But Ive never seen any monsters in them, and I never have heard anyone else say they did.

 

[Clovis]

Underwater cave exploration is the most dangerous. And why. But we wouldn't have to worry about that on Mars. From what we know. She is a bit weird though. And that is inner Space and they are called Aquanauts.

View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Sic1fxVDklo

 

[Clovis]

There is Outer Space and Inner Space. Even NASA acknowledges that.

 

[Terra Australis]

Yes! Who can forget the drama involved with the cave rescue of the Thai soccer team, that got trapped because of rising river levels?

 

[Clovis]

Still, let's talk about a possible Mars HAB. Seal off a large portion of it.
And set up life support systems. No radiation, no meteorites .

 

[Catastrophe]

OK:

Mars habitat - Wikipedia

So let's assume we have protection from radiation and meteorites . . . . . . how about food self-sufficiency?

"Taken to an extreme, the question remains just how a low a pressure could a plant survive in and still be useful.[14]

A Mars habitat may need to focus on keeping a certain type of plant alive, for example, as part of supporting its inhabitants.[15]"



Cat

 

[voidpotentialenergy]

OK:

Mars habitat - Wikipedia

So let's assume we have protection from radiation and meteorites . . . . . . how about food self-sufficiency?

"Taken to an extreme, the question remains just how a low a pressure could a plant survive in and still be useful.[14]

A Mars habitat may need to focus on keeping a certain type of plant alive, for example, as part of supporting its inhabitants.[15]"



Cat

Most plants start to disappear 1/2 way up a mountain so that is probably the limit of useful pressure for growing plants.
Not many edibles at those pressures so maybe 1/4 way up a mountain will have useful pressure to grow edibles.
Using a concrete structures and mirrors for light it's pretty easy to make growing habitats for plants and keep it radiation a micro meteorites safe .

Soil on mars another big question as to it's nutrients and chemical makeup.
Might be fine or might be toxic and need a plant just to convert soil in safe soil.

Hydroponics i think are the way to go.
If we use hydroponics it also opens the door to fish/crayfish/shrimp etc as food sources
Pressure my guess about 1/4 bar minimum and probably more like 1/2 bar.

Rover trails/digging seem to show Mars has lots of ice just under the surface so water i don't think will be a big issue on Mars.
Lets not forget a decent power source for heat.
Mars is a pretty chilly place with lots of nights far colder that Siberia in the winter.

 

[Clovis]

Mars concrete? Humm thats another interesting topic. Another one that scientist are working on is transparent aluminum. SciFi movies have mentioned it many times. Think what a revolution like that will do.

 

[Clovis]

We might be able to go Hydroponics which would be pressurized. But we don't know if the sunlight on Mars would be Sufficient enough for growing.
We wouldn't want a colony starving out.