Vienna Conference 1 - Mars i

[JonClarke]

Hi all<br /><br />I have just got back from an amazing European Geoscience Union conference in Vienna. There must have been 10,000 people there. The titles alone of the talks require some 440 pages. Subjects included hydrology, atmospheric sciences, geophysics, sedimentology, petrology, oceanography, and planetary science. The pressures of time precluded me from seeing all I wanted to, plus I was there for work, so could not go to as many planetary science sessions as I wanted. Those I did attend were mainly on Mars, but I got to a few on the moon, Iapetus and Titan as well. I will post a few threads on these in the next day or so, but will start with current Mars missions. Make of them what you will <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /><br /><br />Jon<br /><br />There were many papers on the results of Mars Express. Some highlights.<br /><br />OMEGA (first V-NIR spectrometer sent to Mars, 300 m resolution) sulphate mapping presented by Gendrin et al. Extensive hydrated sulphates identified at various location and Valles Marinaris, in the north polar dune sea, and of course Terra Meridiani. There is very strong correlation between sulphates and layered terrain, down to single pixels. However not all pale layered units are sulphates. Strong correlation exists regionally between sulphates and iron oxides, locally they occur in different but juxtaposed beds. Opportunity landed some 400 km away from the thickest sulphate deposits in terra Meridiani, which include at least 100 m of very pure epsomite. The locally high abundance of epsomite in the polar erg was unexpected, suggests that some of the dunes are cemented by sulphate, supported in a poster by Schatz et al.. At low latitudes there is a good correlation between high levels of hydrogen reported in neutron spectroscopy and sulphates. It is possible to explain all the hydrogen as being near surface hydrated sulphates, although this does not preclude the presence of ices at depth, consistent with other eviden <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>

 

[thechemist]

Welcome back Jon !<br /><br />And thanks for the Vienna summaries, they are much appreciated. <br />I'll have a good look at them now <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /><br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <em>I feel better than James Brown.</em> </div>

 

[alokmohan]

Is thee any rise in methane level?Did they conclude about that point?

 

[silylene old]

thanks Jon for these trip reports and summaries! <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature" align="center"><em><font color="#0000ff">- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -</font></em> </div><div class="Discussion_UserSignature" align="center"><font color="#0000ff"><em>I really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function.</em></font> </div> </div>

 

[telfrow]

Jon:<br /><br />Thank you for postings. Very interesting information. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <strong><font color="#3366ff">Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will to strive, to seek, to find and not to yeild.</font> - <font color="#3366ff"><em>Tennyson</em></font></strong> </div>

 

[centsworth_II]

It's great to have a "friend in the business"! <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[JonClarke]

The only paper on methane did not find a rise, nor did it find evidence for the localised high concretations of 300 ppb reported by Mumma and his team. it fid find some evidence for short term fluctuations of between 10 and 20 ppb, suggesting that higher concentrations are transitory. Nothing about there origin was discussed, but IMHO this points more to an internal source, if correct<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>

 

[JonClarke]

Sorry, no mention of dark streaks in the presentations I went to.<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>

 

[JonClarke]

I should also mention that there was some awesome imagery where HRSC data (with 15 m resolution) was used to provide a topographic base over which MOC images (with 3 m resolution) were draped. The HRSC team are working on doing the same using THEMIS and OMEGA data.<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>

 

[jmilsom]

It astounds me how much our knowledge of the red planet has grown in recent years, thanks to the orbiters and the two rovers. Of course, it is a whole new world, with more land area to explore than earth - and while our knowledge seems to be growing exponentially so are the questions. Choosing new targets for the upcoming missions must be getting increasingly difficult as various sites compete for exploration!<br /><br />Re: Methane. It is interesting that it is now okay, to speculate on the life question again. Is it due to bacteria breathing? geothermal effects? a comet impact? I look forward to the debate and science that emerges on this question! <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>