Water on ancient Mars? Maybe so.
Its funny how easily the media can be hyped to a frenzy about the certainty of some scientific finding, yet when I actually read the press release on the NASA site, it isn’t all that definitive.Evidence of Jarosite by the onboard spectrometer is pretty good evidence since it normally forms (on Earth) by the reaction of sulfuric acid in ground water.
The rest of the release concentrates on the rock’s “appearance” which is surely much more subjective an issue. Regarding the observed spherules distribution, the release states “Opportunity’s observations that the spherules are not concentrated at particular layers in the outcrop weigh against a volcanic or impact origin, but do not completely rule out those origins.”
Regarding the crossbedding thought to be made by water action, the release states that the crossbedding might have been due to the action of wind, and that “The images obtained to date are not adequate for a definitive answer”
Don’t forget that Mars Global Surveyor found “large expanses” of Olivine which appears to be plentiful on Mars. Olivine wears away in the presence of water!
Don’t get me wrong, I can’t wait till we find evidence of life on Mars (its my new blog tag line after all!), but enough with the hype already.
Comment posted on 3-4-2004
Now opportunity/20040303a.html" class="external">this release offers a much more
definitive language. Spectrometer analysis of the sedimentary
rocks at the “El Capitan” area indicates that “… the rocks are made
up of types of sulfate that could have only been created by
interaction between water and martian rock.”
Comment posted on 3-4-2004
Are you really questioning if there is water on the red planet.
\"…Today there remains some water vapor in the Marian atmosphere, as well as significant amounts of water ice at the poles and underground at high latitudes…\"
Besides, remember Flash Gordon, he used to hang there and after romping in that red dust I know he hit the shower because he was always clean for the flight back to earth.
Comment posted on 3-4-2004
Well, there’s no
liquid water in evidence today on the surface of Mars, but the
investigation currently ongoing is looking for evidence of the PAST
action of possible liquid water in forming the geology we see there
today. We have a pretty good handle on the past geologic history
of the Earth, and earth scientists are finally able to start applying all
they have learned about those geologic processes to an entirely
foreign world which is really cool.
How many times did Flash actually visit Mars? I only remember him
going to battle Ming the Merciless who was trying to suck all the
Nitrogen out of the Earth’s atmosphere with a funky light beam. I
never really dug Flash - his hair was too perfect.
Comment posted on 3-5-2004
Let\’s face fact. The real question here is not that of water, but if there
was ever life on Mars. See, if there was life then there could be oil! Why
else would Bush think exploration of Mars is more important than
maintenance of space telescope?
Comment posted on 3-23-2004
I suppose you would have to have taken a lot more geology than I
have to look at the images in \"the upper dells\" rock found on Mars
and say \"Yup, that was definitely made through the action of
water!\". Peering at an admittedly excellent closeup digital image of
the exposed surface of a rock does not do it for me. I want to pick
that rock up, look at all the rocks around it, break it open, feel the
ridges with my fingertips! Cool, but frustrating in a geeky way.
The discovery of bromine is a pretty good indicator of past water
though. There aren\’t many other ways to create the kind of
sedimentary deposits Opportunity is finding other than an
evaporating salty sea. To produce the ripples, you need to have
sediment moving so the water wasn\’t frozen which points to a
warmer Mars sometime in the past. Bring on the fossils!
Hopefully there will be a more complete geological record visible at
the next stopping point, an outcropping about 700 meters away
from where the \"upper dells\" were located.
Comment posted on 3-23-2004
oops, forgot the link to the “official” press release:
20040323a.html" class="external">http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/newsroom/
pressreleases/20040323a.html