"All the World's a Stage We Pass Through" R. Ayana

Showing posts with label martian. Show all posts
Showing posts with label martian. Show all posts

Tuesday, 2 August 2016

Martian Cataclysm: Impact energy analysis in support of the origin of multiple anomalies on Mars


Martian Cataclysm:
Impact energy analysis in support of the origin of multiple anomalies on Mars

 http://img.ceskatelevize.cz/program/porady/10391317150/foto09/212382553450025_06_srazky.jpg

 



In The Mars Mystery: A Tale of the End of Two Worlds (1998) Graham Hancock presented evidence of a hidden menace lurking in our solar system – the fragments of a giant comet that passed close to Mars and to the Earth some 20,000 years ago and that broke up into dozens of fragments kilometres across. Hancock argued that it was an intense bombardment of these fragments that “killed” Mars – not millions of years ago, as most scientists still suppose, but very recently – and that our own planet’s future may be threatened by the same orbiting cloud of debris.

Now in a new study aerospace engineer Gary R. Spexarth re-examines the evidence of the Martian cataclysm. The heavily-cratered surface of Mars is generally estimated to be over 3 billion years old, he notes: “But what if it isn’t 3 billion years old. What if the impacts did not occur slowly throughout the life of the planet but rather occurred suddenly, in a short amount of time. We may find that the current surface of Mars may only be thousands of years old instead of billions! Maybe in the near past it still had running water and an atmosphere! The implications of such are astounding!”


Background

 

Mars has several strange and unique features that have traditionally been explained based on standard geological processes thought to have taken place over billions of years (erosion, mantel convection, etc.) – thus suggesting that the planet has remained unchanged for three billion years. However, by analyzing Mars from an engineering perspective (rather than a geological one), a violent and cataclysmic past is unveiled. This paper looks at multiple anomalies of Mars, shows how they may be interrelated, and describes a very possible scenario, supported by analysis, that could have led to a violent and sudden transformation of the planet – possibly within a more recent timeframe.

In the Southern Hemisphere of the planet is a massive crater called the Hellas Impact Basin. It is approximately 2300 km in diameter and over 5 km deep. [1], [2]. This paper will show that the energy created by this impact was sufficient enough to destroy the planet and leave it in the cataclysmic state that we find it today.

Interestingly enough, there is a massive bulge in the planet exactly 180 degrees from the Hellas Basin [3] called the Tharsis Montes [1]. The Tharsis Montes is a region of “uplift” that rises 10 km above datum (average Mars elevation) and measures 4000 km across [1]. Additionally, located in the Tharsis region are several volcanoes, including Olympus Mons, the largest volcano in the solar system, at an elevation of over 20 km high. Adjacent to Olympus Mons is the Valles Marineris, a massive canyon system in the planet that is approximately 4000 km long and 7 km deep [1] (approximately the distance from California to New York). Another interesting region is the Northern Lowlands, which is located in the northern hemisphere and lies at 8 km below datum.

The above features can be seen in Figures-1 & 6, which were produced by the Mars Orbital Laser Altimeter instrument [4]. The maps are color-coded topography maps, with elevations shown in their legends.

In addition, the rate of rotation of Mars is much slower that expected, compared with the angular momentum of the rest of the terrestrial planets [5]. Also, Mars has a “deficient” magnetic field. It has been estimated that the magnetic field is two orders of magnitude less than is expected, based on its physical properties [6]. There are also evidence of past oceans that are now dried up, and a once-present atmosphere that no longer exist. Another strange feature is that 93% of craters greater than 30 km in diameter lie in the southern hemisphere [7].

Could it be that these anomalies are actually battle scars that have been caused by a massive impact (Hellas Basin) that destroyed the planet? This paper will show, and provide supporting mathematical analysis, that this may be the case.

Although the traditional geological explanation of these features state that Mars has essentially remained unchanged for billions of years, this paper will show that a violent and destructive transformation could have taken place in our near past and we may never know the exact timeframe until we visit and explore the planet firsthand.



Figure 1 Figure-1: MOLA Topography Globe with Items of Interest Labeled [4] (labels added by author)




Impact Energy of Hellas

 

First, let’s look at the impact energy of the Hellas Basin so that it may be determined if enough energy was transferred to the planet to cause massive destruction.

The calculation of the Hellas energy of impact is given in Appendix I and is shown to be 5.33×1026 Joules. By comparison, the impact energy of the K/T impact over 65 million years ago that extinguished 75% of life on Earth and excavated a crater at least 200 km in diameter (Chicxulum in Mexico) was 4.21×1023 Joules [12].

It can be seen that the energy imparted to the Mars system by the Hellas Impactor is over 1200 times more energy than was input into the Earth system by the K/T impactor, and Mars is only 1/8 the volume of Earth! It will be shown that this amount of energy is capable of extensive global transformations and destruction of Mars.

 

Formation of Valles Marineris and Tharsis Montes

 

The formations of the Tharsis Montes and the Valles Marineris are still a topic of debate. It has been suggested that they have been formed out of geological processes such as volcanism, erosion, etc [13].

However, Patten suggests that Valles Marineris is a rupture in the Mars surface due to massive multiple impacts in the Southern hemisphere [7]. Similarly, Williams, et. all proposed that the Tharsis Region is a formation of impact-induced features, which are created as the energy of the Hellas Impact is attenuated through the interior of the planet, and focused 180 degrees from the Hellas impact (Tharsis Montes) [3].

But, was there enough energy associated with the massive impact that created the Hellas Basin to bulge the planet on the other side and rupture the surface of the planet? Appendix II derives the equations for, and computes, the energy required to rupture Mars.


Figure 3

Figure-3: Formation of the Tharsis Montes and Valles Marineris
Credit: G. Hancock


For analysis purposes, Mars will be treated as a thin-walled spherical pressure vessel. When performing structural analysis of pressure vessels, the equations for thin-walled pressure vessels should be used when the ratio of the radius to the wall thickness is greater than 10 [14]. Willemann and Turcotte [15] show that the Mars lithosphere thickness is estimated to be anywhere from 110 km to 260 km. Therefore, the ratio of the radius of Mars (3375 km) to the lithosphere thickness may range from 30 to 13 and the equations for thin-walled pressure vessels apply.

Appendix II shows that the energy required to rupture the Martian lithosphere is calculated to be 1.90×1026 to 4.50×1026 Joules (depending on the lithosphere thickness assumed), which is 36% to 84% of the total energy input to the Martian system by the Hellas impactor. In other words, only 36% to 84% of the total energy created by the Hellas impact would be required to rupture the planet. So, yes, there was sufficient energy to rupture the planet and form the Valles Marineris!

Excessive yielding prior to ultimate failure would deform the lithosphere at the location of rupture; thus “bulging the planet” and forming the Tharsis Montes, which is located at the 180 degrees away from the Hellas Basin [3]. This has been discussed by Hancock [18] as illustrated in Figure-3 [18].




Failure Features at the Tharsis Montes


Figure 4 
Figure-4: Six-sided star pattern observed in the rupture of thin-walled pressure vessels in a laboratory experiment [19], [20].


Hypervelocity impact tests of thin-walled pressure vessels pressurized with liquid have shown that the failure modes of the vessels caused by internal pressure increase produce six-sided petal-shaped formations as shown in Figure-4 [19] [20]. Similarly, Figure- 5 [21] shows six and twelve-sided petal formations during the rupture of an apple due to the pressure build-up of a bullet’s shock wave passing through it.



Figure 5 
 Figure-5: Six and 12-sided star patterns observed in the rupture of an apple in a laboratory experiment [21].


The exact same type of six-petal shape formation can be seen in the Tharsis Montes region, as shown in Figures 6 and 7!

In fact, when analyzing the Tharsis Montes region, radial features originating at the center of the Tharsis Montes were discovered by de la Fuente [22]. The volcanoes and crustal fractures lie at 60-degrees to one another, thus forming a typical six-sided rupture formation! (This formation is also observed on 3- dimensional globes, and is not an artifact of 2- dimensional maps).

These radial fractures may have been the source of the massive volcanoes observed in the Tharsis region, as well as the initiation of the Valles Marineris as a rupture in the lithosphere.

In addition, several radial fractures extend to the south, west, and north of the Tharsis uplift that are a few kilometers wide and hundreds of kilometers long. Orientations of these structures are consistent with the stress distribution that is to be expected from regional doming. [23]



Figure 6 Figure-6: MOLA Topography Map of Mars with 6-Sided Petal Formation Shown. This pattern is typical during rupture of thin-walled pressure vessels [4] (radial lines and labels added by author) (formation best observed on color map)


The radial fractures identified in the Tharsis Montes region provide evidence that the Tharsis Montes region may have been formed due to an internal pressure build up, rather than through geological processes.



Figure 7 
 Figure-7: Six-sided star patter observed in the Tharsis region. This pattern is typical during rupture of thin-walled pressure vessels. [19], [20], [21] (radial lines added by author) (formation best observed on color map)


In other words, the internal pressure buildup due to the massive Hellas impact quite possibly ruptured the planet (Valles Marineris), bulged the planet (Tharsis Montes), and formed 60-degree radial fractures (typical of pressure failures) with massive volcanoes originating along these fractures.




Formation of the Northern Lowlands

 

The Northern region of Mars is a topic of much interest because it is 5 km below datum (“sea level”) and the Tharsis Bulge is 10 km above datum [1]. Why is almost half of the planet so much lower in elevation than the rest?

The Tharsis Bulge and the Northern Lowlands can be seen in the topography map and globe produced by MOLA (Figures 1 & 6). These two features have not been previously thought to be directly related. However, one must consider the possibility that the Northern Lowlands are actually a direct result of the planet bulging to create the Tharsis Montes.

The following analysis will show that “bulging” at Tharsis Montes may have actually “pulled” the adjacent region inward, thus forming the Northern Lowlands. Referring to Figure-8, the following arc-lengths are defined as:

A1 = Original arc-length of Tharsis Region (at original elevation of Mars Datum)
A2 = Arc-length of Tharsis Region after formation of bulge
B1 = Original arc-length of Northern Lowlands (at original elevation of Mars Datum)
B2 = Arc-length of Northern Lowlands after formation (due to formation of Tharsis Bulge)
Rdatum = 3375 km = Average diameter of Mars


A1 is 4000 km, which is the diameter of the Tharsis Bulge base [1].

Since the Lowlands occupy approximately 90o of the Mars surface, B1 can be calculated to be 5300 km.


25(25)

Similarly, by knowing A1=4000 km, the Tharsis angle is calculated to be 68o.


25(25)

By knowing the angle of the Tharsis Bulge (68o), and its elevation of 10 km above datum, the final arclength of the Tharsis Bulge (A2) was determined using a Computer Aided Design (CAD) program, and was found to be 4008 km. Therefore, the increase in length of the Tharsis region is 8 km.

Assuming that this increase in arc-length of the Tharsis Region is taken up by the deformation of the Northern Lowlands, 8 km can be subtracted from B1 to determine B2.

5300 km – 8 km = 5292 km = B2 (26)

The reduction in elevation due to the decrease in arclength of the Northern Lowlands can now be calculated.


27(27)

where:

Rnew = The radius of the Northern Lowlands due to the reduction of arc-length.

Rdatum – Rnew = 5 km, which is the average elevation that the Northern Lowlands lie below datum.

Therefore, the increase of arc-length required to form the Tharsis Bulge (A2-A1) corresponds exactly to the reduction of arc-length of the Northern Lowlands (B1- B2) as well as the lower elevation of the Northern Lowlands, as shown in Figure-8 where A1, A2, B1, and B2 are arc-lengths.

Thus, the Northern Lowlands may, in fact, be a direct result of the “bulging” of the Tharsis region! In other words, as the Tharsis Region “bulged” outward, the adjacent region was “pulled” inwards, thus forming the Northern Lowlands.




Figure 8 
 Figure-8: The increase of Arc-length in the Tharsis Region corresponds to the reduction of arc-length in the Northern-lowlands, (A2- A1)=(B1-B2). The solid line is the shape of Mars prior to impact. The dashed line is the exaggerated, deformed shape of Mars after the impact.




Reduction of Mars Rotation.

 

The rotational rate of Mars is slower than predicted when compared to the angular momentum of the rest of the terrestrial planets [4], [8].

Was the energy of impact at the Hellas Basin great enough to actually reduce the rate of spin of the planet?

By calculating the kinetic energy of the rotating Martian lithosphere, we can determine the amount of energy that would be required of the Hellas Impact to significantly reduce the Mars spin rate. Only the thickness of the lithosphere is taken into account since it is the only portion of the planet capable of sustaining load, and thus reacting to the force of impact.

Appendix III derives the equations for, and computes, the energy required to reduce the rotational rate of Mars.

The energy required to reduce the Mars spin rate by 20% (19.5 hr day to the current 24.5 hr. day) is computed to be between 4.42×1025 and 9.56×1025 Joules (depending on the thickness of lithosphere assumed, 110 – 260 km). This is only 8% to 18% of the total energy of impact of the Hellas Basin. In other words, there was sufficient amount of energy in the Hellas impact to slow the rate of rotation down by 20%.

Therefore, it can be seen that the Hellas impactor imparted enough energy into the Mars system to substantially reduce its rate of spin.




Loss of Planetary Magnetic Field.

 

If Mars had an active dynamo at one time, than at least parts of the surface of Mars should possess remnant magnetization [6]. Indeed, the Mars Pathfinder mission produced evidence of surface magnetization during its analysis of the Martian terrain [24]. In addition, the latest Mars Global Surveyor data has led researchers at the NASA Jet Propulsion Lab to conclude that Mars still has a liquid iron core, similar to Earth’s. [25]

Therefore, it is reasonable to conclude that Mars at one time likely had a functioning dynamo process, and in turn, a global magnetic field.

In order for the magnetic field to be sustained in the dynamo process, the contributions of the fluid motion that causes the field to grow must be balanced by the rate of decrease from diffusion [26]. This ratio is on the order of the magnetic Reynolds number [26].

Due to the dynamic nature of the Hellas Impact, one must speculate if the sudden reduction of Mars’ rotation, as well as intense pressure waves passing through the liquid core, may have disrupted the fluid flow of the liquid iron core, and thus alter the magnetic Reynolds Number to such a degree that the dynamo could no longer sustain itself.

Unless specific conditions are met, the planetary dynamo is non-regenerative [26]. Therefore, the planetary magnetic field would remain at a depleted level, and Mars would be in the state that we find it in today.

 

Loss of Atmosphere and Surface Water

 

The loss of a planetary magnetic field has planetary-wide implications. One of them is the loss of an entire atmosphere.

It has been estimated that at one time in its past, Mars must have had an atmospheric pressure of approximately 14.5 psi, which is the same as the current atmospheric pressure of Earth! However, without a magnetic field to protect Mars from the Sun’s solar wind, its atmosphere would have been “etched” away and “blown” into space and leave it with the minimal amount of atmosphere that it has today (0.10 psi) [28], [1].

In addition, due to its small radius and low gravitational field, Mars is vulnerable to impact erosion (the process in which the shock waves and/or vapor plumes from impacts etch away portions of the atmosphere). In fact, it has been estimated that the extensive bombardment that Mars has experienced is sufficient to etch away and deplete its atmosphere from 14.5 psi to its current state of 0.10 psi. [27], [29]

With such a low atmospheric pressure, all of the surface water that is believed to once existed, including massive oceans, would have boiled away.




Massive Cratering in the Southern Hemisphere.

 

The previous sections dealt only with the Hellas crater. But what if the entire Southern Hemisphere experienced massive bombardment in a relatively short period of time?

93% of craters greater than 30 km lie in the southern hemisphere [7]! Why is it that most of the craters lie in the Southern Hemisphere? Current theory suggests mantel convection as the cause [30]. In other words, it is believed that there used to be about the same density of craters in the North, just as in the South, but the mantel overturned due to convection and the craters were lost forever.



Figure 10 
 Figure-10: This image, taken in early September 2000 by the Mars Global Surveyor’s Mars Orbiter Camera, shows a group of sand dunes at the edge of a much larger field of dark-toned dunes in Proctor Crater. Such sand formations erosion patterns would make it difficult to distinguish between the ages of craters based only on the “sharpness” of their rim features.


However, an alternate option must be considered as well.

Recently, it has been proposed that the Southern Hemisphere was bombarded in a relatively short period of time due to an object that broke up prior to impact [7]. It is interesting to note that the two moons of Mars are not spherical, but rather potato shaped. Are they remnants of the object that broke up and impacted the Southern Hemisphere?

Also, the boundary of the Southern Craters forms a great circle (a circle with a circumference that is equal to the distance around the equator). In other words, if Mars were a wet beach ball and a handful of sand was thrown at it, the sand would stick on only one side of Mars. The boundary of the sand would form a great circle. In fact, the boundary of the Southern Craters form a great circle! This can partially be seen in Figure- 1.

In addition, Mars has over 170 elliptical craters greater than 3 km (compared to only 4 or 5 on the Moon). Elliptical craters are formed when an impact occurs at a shallow angle. [31] Shallow angle impacts would be expected if the Southern Hemisphere was bombarded during one massive “blast” of impacts. In fact, many of the elliptical craters are orientated along great circles. [32]

Critics argue that the Southern Hemisphere could not have been bombarded at the same time because some of the crater rims are sharp, while others are eroded. It is thought that this is a clear sign that the impacts occurred at vastly different times, since the older craters would have more of an eroded rim than newly formed craters.

However, shouldn’t different rim patterns be expected on a planet that has dust storms, even if the craters are the same age? The Mars dust storms would surely form all kinds of different erosion formations along crater rims over thousands of years, independent of their true age. In fact, recent Mars photos have shown various erosion patterns and “sand dunes” due to the Mars winds as shown in Figure-10. This type of surface process could conceal the actual age of the craters.

The age of planet surfaces are estimated based on the number of craters that are counted. In other words, the surfaces with the more craters are older. By counting craters on the moon and measuring the amount of solar radiation in the craters during the Apollo missions, the age of the lunar surface was estimated. By assuming that projectiles impacted Mars with the same frequency that they hit the moon, it has been estimated that the surface of Mars is over 3 billion years old [31].

But, what if it isn’t 3 billion years old? What if the impacts did not occur slowly throughout the life of the planet, but rather, they occurred suddenly, in a short amount of time, and the surface erosion is masking their true age to us distant observers? Then we have no way of dating the surface without actually going there and investigating. We may find that the current surface of Mars may only be thousands of years old instead of billions! Maybe in the near past it still had running water and an atmosphere! The implications of such are astounding!




10. Conclusion

 

Are we sure we understand the cloudy past of Mars? Are we sure we are not making profound mistakes in our assumptions? At one time we were so sure that the Earth was flat, then we were convinced that the Earth was the center of the universe, then we were sure that the Sun was the center of the universe. And now we are “sure” that the features of Mars were formed from geological processes and the surface has been dead for over 3 billion years…

This paper has just laid out an alternative, cataclysmic history of Mars, one in which the implications are profound.

We must explore Mars and challenge our current perceived truths! Only then will we unlock its secrets! The answers that we find may be more surprising than we could ever imagine!

Appendix I (pdf)
Appendix II (pdf)
Appendix III (pdf)

Author: Gary R. Spexarth
gspexarth@gmail.com





Graham Hancock THE MARS MYSTERY Interview
(1:22:28)




References

 

  1. Cattermole, P. 1992. Mars, The Story of the Red Planet. Chapman & Hall, London.
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  3. Williams, D.A. and Greely, R. 1994. Assessment of Antipodal-Impact Terrains on Mars. Icarus 110, 196-202.
  4. Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA), NASA/GSFC, http://ltpwww.gsfc.nasa.gov/tharsis/mola.html.
  5. Fish, F. 1967. Angular Momenta of the Planets. Icarus 7, 251-256.
  6. Luhmann, J.G., et al. 1992. The Intrinsic Magnetic Field and Solar-Wind Interactions of Mars. In: Kieffer, H.H., Jakosky, B.M., Snyder, C.W., Mathews, M.S., Mars, The University of Arizona Press, Tuscon, pp. 1090- 1134.
  7. Patten, D.W. 1991. The Scars of Mars. In: Luckerman, M.A., Catastrophism and Ancient History, Vol. 13, Part 1.
  8. Chabai, A.J. 1977. Influence of Gravitational Fields and Atmospheric Pressures on Scaling of Explosion Craters. In: Roddy, D.J., Pepin, R.O., Merrill, R.B., Impact and Explosion Cratering, Pergamon Press, pp. 1191-1214. [9] Holsapple, K.A. and Schmidt, R. M. 1982. On the scaling of Crater Dimensions 2. J. Geophys. Res. 87, 1849- 1870.
  9. Remo, J.L. 1994. Classifying and Modeling NEO Material Properties and Interactions. In: Gehrels, T., Hazards Due to Comets & Asteroids, The University of Arizona Press, Tuscon, pp. 551-596 (avg. values listed).
  10. Neukum, G., Ivanov, B.A. 1994. Crater Size, Distributions, and Impact Probabilities on Earth from Lunar, Terrestrial-Planet, and Asteroid Cratering Data. In: Gehrels, T., Hazards Due to Comets & Asteroids, The University of Arizona Press, Tuscon, pp. 359-416.
  11. Sharpton, V.L. and Grieve, R.A.F. 1990. Meteorite Impact, Cryptoexplosion, and Shock Metamorphism: A Perspective on the Evidence at the K/T boundary. In: Sharpton, V.L., Ward, P.D., Global Catastrophes in Earth History, Geological Soc. Of America Special Paper 247, Boulder, Colorado, pp. 301-318.
  12. Schubert, G., et al, 1992. Origin and Thermal Evolution of Mars. In: Kieffer, H.H., Jakosky, B.M., Snyder, C.W., Mathews, M.S., Mars, The University of Arizona Press, Tuscon, pp. 147-183.
  13. Young, W.C., 1989. Roark’s Formulas for Stress and Strain. McGraw-Hill, Inc.
  14. Willemann, R.J., Turcotte, D.L. 1982. The Role of Lithosppheric Stress in the Support of the Tharsis Rise. J. Geophys. Res. 87 No. B12, 9793-9801.
  15. Shigley, J.E., Mischke, C.R, 1989. Mechanical Engineering Design, Fifth Ed. McGraw-Hill, Inc.
  16. Comer, P.R., et al. 1985. Mars: Thickness of the Lithosphere From Tectonic Response to Volcanic Loads. Rev. of Geophys. 23, 61-92.
  17. Hancock, G. 1998. The Mars Mystery. Crown Publishers, Inc., New York.
  18. Whitney, J.P. 1993. Hypervelocity Impact Tests of Shielded and Unshielded Pressure Vessels. NASA-JSC 32294.
  19. Friesen, L.J. 1985. Hypervelocity Impact Tests of Shielded and Unshielded Pressure Vessels, Part II. NASA Johnson Space Center, JSC 27081.
  20. Kirkwood, J. 2001. Ways of Seeing. Discover 22 No. 5, 78-79.
  21. de la Fuente, H. (2000), NASA, Johnson Space Center, Structural Engineering Division, Personnel Interview.
  22. Carr, M.H., 1974. Tectosism and Volcanism in the Tharsis Region of Mars. J. Geophys. Res. 79, 3943-3949.
  23. Results from Mars Pathfinder Magnetic Experiment, NASA/JPL.
  24. Yoder, C.F., Konopliv, A.S., Yuan, D.N., Standish, E.M., Folkner, W.M., 1993. Fluid Core Size of Mars from Detection of the Solar Tide. Science 300, 299-303.
  25. Russell, C.T. 1986. Solar and Planetary Magnetic Fields. In: Kivelson, M.G., The Solar System, Observations and Interpretations, Prentice-Hall, New Jersey, pp. 311-358.
  26. Meosh, H.J., Vickery, A.M., 1989. Impact Erosion of the Primordial Atmosphere of Mars. Nature 338, 487- 489.
  27. Luhmann, Janet G., 1996. Solar Wind Effects on the Atmospheres of the Weakly Magnetized Bodies: Mars, Titan, and the Moon. NASA Contractor Report 202224.
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  29. Wise, D.U., Golombek, M P., McGill, G.E. 1979. Tharsis Province of Mars: Geologic Sequence, Geometry, and a Deformation mechanism, Icarus 38, 456-472.
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  31. Schultz, P.H., and Lutz-Garihan, A.B. 1982. Grazing Impacts on Mars: A Record of Lost Satellites. Proceedings of Lunar and Planet. Sci. conf. 13, J. Geophys. Res. Suppl 87, pp A84-A96.



For more information about Mars see http://nexusilluminati.blogspot.com/search/label/mars 
For more information about our unstable solar system see http://nexusilluminati.blogspot.com/search/label/comet%20venus
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Tuesday, 7 October 2014

There IS Plenty of Water on Mars: Curiosity Rover Makes Big Water Discovery in Mars Soil, a 'Wow Moment'

There IS Plenty of Water on Mars
Curiosity Rover Makes Big Water Discovery in Mars Soil, a 'Wow Moment'

https://farm7.staticflickr.com/6209/6118335563_18149f252b_b.jpg


by Mike Wall



Mars Rover Curiosity on Sol 85

NASA's Mars rover Curiosity is a mosaic of photos taken by the rover's Mars Hand Lends Imager taken on Sol 85, the rover's 85th Martian day, as Curiosity was sampling rocks at a stop dubbed Rocknest in Gale Crater. Image released Sept. 26, 2013.
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Malin Space Science Systems

Future Mars explorers may be able to get all the water they need out of the red dirt beneath their boots, a new study suggests.

NASA's Mars rover Curiosity has found that surface soil on the Red Planet contains about 2 percent water by weight. That means astronaut pioneers could extract roughly 2 pints (1 liter) of water out of every cubic foot (0.03 cubic meters) of Martian dirt they dig up, said study lead author Laurie Leshin, of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, N.Y.

"For me, that was a big 'wow' moment," Leshin told SPACE.com. "I was really happy when we saw that there's easily accessible water here in the dirt beneath your feet. And it's probably true anywhere you go on Mars." [The Search for Water on Mars (Photos)]

The new study is one of five papers published in the journal Science today (Sept. 26) that report what researchers have learned about Martian surface materials from the work Curiosity did during its first 100 days on the Red Planet.





Soaking up atmospheric water

Curiosity touched down inside Mars' huge Gale Crater in August 2012, kicking off a planned two-year surface mission to determine if the Red Planet could ever have supported microbial life. It achieved that goal in March, when it found that a spot near its landing site called Yellowknife Bay was indeed habitable billions of years ago.

But Curiosity did quite a bit of science work before getting to Yellowknife Bay. Leshin and her colleagues looked at the results of Curiosity's first extensive Mars soil analyses, which the 1-ton rover performed on dirt that it scooped up at a sandy site called Rocknest in November 2012.

Using its Sample Analysis at Mars instrument, or SAM, Curiosity heated this dirt to a temperature of 1,535 degrees Fahrenheit (835 degrees Celsius), and then identified the gases that boiled off. SAM saw significant amounts of carbon dioxide, oxygen and sulfur compounds — and lots of water on Mars.

SAM also determined that the soil water is rich in deuterium, a "heavy" isotope of hydrogen that contains one neutron and one proton (as opposed to "normal" hydrogen atoms, which have no neutrons). The water in Mars' thin air sports a similar deuterium ratio, Leshin said.

"That tells us that the dirt is acting like a bit of a sponge and absorbing water from the atmosphere," she said.


Mars Rock Target Rocknest
At left, a closeup view of the Mars rock target Rocknest taken by the Curiosity rover showing its sandy surface and shadows that were disrupted by the rover's front left wheel. At right, a view of Mars samples from Curiosity's third dirt scoop after it was seived. Image released Sept. 26, 2013.
Credit: Science/AAAS



Some bad news for manned exploration

SAM detected some organic compounds in the Rocknest sample as well — carbon-containing chemicals that are the building blocks of life here on Earth. But as mission scientists reported late last year, these are simple, chlorinated organics that likely have nothing to do with Martian life. [The Hunt for Martian Life: A Photo Timeline]

Instead, Leshin said, they were probably produced when organics that hitched a ride from Earth reacted with chlorine atoms released by a toxic chemical in the sample called perchlorate.

Perchlorate is known to exist in Martian dirt; NASA's Phoenix lander spotted it near the planet's north pole in 2008. Curiosity has now found evidence of it near the equator, suggesting that the chemical is common across the planet. (Indeed, observations by a variety of robotic Mars explorers indicate that Red Planet dirt is likely similar from place to place, distributed in a global layer across the surface, Leshin said.)

The presence of perchlorate is a challenge that architects of future manned Mars missions will have to overcome, Leshin said.

"Perchlorate is not good for people. We have to figure out, if humans are going to come into contact with the soil, how to deal with that," she said.

"That's the reason we send robotic explorers before we send humans — to try to really understand both the opportunities and the good stuff, and the challenges we need to work through," Leshin added.


A wealth of discoveries

This image depicts the science result from the Mars rover Curiosity's CheMin instrument, showing an X-ray diffraction of the rover's fifth scoop of Martian dirt. The black semi-circle at the bottom is the shadow of the beam stop. Image released Sept. 26, 2013.
Credit: Science/AAAS


The four other papers published in Science today report exciting results as well.

For example, Curiosity's laser-firing ChemCam instrument found a strong hydrogen signal in fine-grained Martian soils along the rover's route, reinforcing the SAM data and further suggesting that water is common in dirt across the planet (since such fine soils are globally distributed).

Another study reveals more intriguing details about a rock Curiosity studied in October 2012. This stone — which scientists dubbed "Jake Matijevic" in honor of a mission team member who died two weeks after the rover touched down — is a type of volcanic rock never before seen on Mars.

However, rocks similar to Jake Matijevic are commonly observed here on Earth, especially on oceanic islands and in rifts where the planet's crust is thinning out.

"Of all the Martian rocks, this one is the most Earth-like. It's kind of amazing," said Curiosity lead scientist John Grotzinger, a geologist at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. "What it indicates is that the planet is more evolved than we thought it was, more differentiated."

The five new studies showcase the diversity and scientific value of Gale Crater, Grotzinger said. They also highlight how well Curiosity's 10 science instruments have worked together, returning huge amounts of data that will keep the mission team busy for years to come.

"The amount of information that comes out of this rover just blows me away, all the time," Grotzinger told SPACE.com. "We're getting better at using Curiosity, and she just keeps telling us more and more. One year into the mission, we still feel like we're drinking from a fire hose."


The road to Mount Sharp

The pace of discovery could pick up even more. This past July, Curiosity left the Yellowknife Bay area and headed for Mount Sharp, which rises 3.4 miles (5.5 kilometers) into the Martian sky from Gale Crater's center.

Mount Sharp has been Curiosity's main destination since before the rover's November 2011 launch. Mission scientists want the rover to climb up through the mountain's foothills, reading the terrain's many layers along the way.

"As we go through the rock layers, we're basically looking at the history of ancient environments and how they may be changing," Grotzinger said. "So what we'll really be able to do for the first time is get a relative chronology of some substantial part of Martian history, which should be pretty cool."

Curiosity has covered about 20 percent of the planned 5.3-mile (8.5 km) trek to Mount Sharp. The rover, which is doing science work as it goes, may reach the base of the mountain around the middle of next year, Grotzinger said.


From Space.com @ http://www.space.com/22949-mars-water-discovery-curiosity-rover.html

 

Free-flowing water discovered on the equator of Mars

 


Photo credit: Nature Geoscience / Alfred McEwen et al.


by Lisa Winter


Before it lost its atmosphere Mars was covered with liquid water. There is now evidence that certain areas of the red planet may still have free flowing water during certain times of the year. The results come from Alfred McEwen of the University of Arizona and were published in Nature Geosciences

In 2011, NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) provided images that showed dark streaks in the soil in areas near the equator. Though they faded over time, the streaks return at the warmest part of each year. The most likely answer is that there could very well be liquid water flowing on the surface of Mars under certain circumstances; an unprecedented discovery, since the atmosphere is much too thin to retain liquid water for long periods of time.

The trouble is, researchers don’t know enough about Martian geology and composition to definitively say where the water could be coming from. There could be pockets of ice underneath the surface that liquify when warmed, but the emergence pattern of the dark streaks doesn’t seem to suggest that. There is also a possibility that the streaks are caused by water vapor being pulled from the atmosphere and condensed into the soil.

For life as we know it to exist, liquid water is a must. The fact that there is still liquid water on the surface of Mars is very exciting, but space agencies need to proceed carefully. Any probes that visit these potentially watery areas must be completely sterilized which is a complicated and expensive procedure. If there were any traces of Earth microbes on the probe, it could easily contaminate that which it was sent to study. The Committee on Space Research (COSPAR) is part of an international organization that defines good research practices in space and would shut down any mission that did not ensure the utmost of cleanliness for the spacecraft.

Of course, completely eliminating microbes is incredibly expensive. To completely prevent contamination, the probe would need to be heated using hydrogen peroxide vapor or ionized radiation to kill anything that might be stuck on the space craft. Similar treatments were performed on Voyager 1 & 2 and were about 10% of the entire budget that has spanned over 35 years. For a probe that would be able to land on Mars and analyze potential liquid water samples, the sterilization price tag could be too great to overcome for any one agency. Eventually, though, the mission will be done correctly, and having accurate and meaningful data will be well worth the investment.




From IFL Science @ http://www.iflscience.com/space/free-flowing-water-discovered-equator-mars

The Real Mars
http://img.gawkerassets.com/img/18dxcajvbgqdnjpg/original.jpg
 by Joseph P. Skipper
I intend for this report to hopefully shake things up a bit. It is made on my deceased wife Sandi's birthday and of course is dedicated to her. She was such a wonderful person and the light of my life.

It is also a companion to my book "The Hidden Truth: Water & Life on Mars." Like the book, this report presents much of the core better hard verifiable surface water in a liquid state evidence and living forest life evidence thought to be impossible on the Mars surface. Also all this evidence is presented here in plentiful enough sample numbers so as not to be regarded as aberrations or denied or ignored. Please access the book for more details and insight.

It is the hidden Mars demonstrating a shockingly different view that will astound some who only thought they knew this our sister world. Please understand that all of the evidence here is thoroughly documented and verifiable in the MGS official science data at the links I've provided under each image below. Link to this report and let your friends and others judge the evidence objectively for themselves.

The visual evidence is presented here in two sampling blocks representing the better of the discoveries. In the first block you'll see quite a few different bodies of water in a liquid state with some of these surrounded by the bonus of very conventional looking forests. The second block is all about samples of large form forest life Mars style none of which are by official consensus supposed to exist at all on this world.

Remember that the Mars surface is officially supposed to be completely dry and devoid of life. Further, the atmosphere is supposed to be 95.35% carbon dioxide (CO2) with only a very tiny .03% of water vapor and super hard frozen to the tune of as much as –220º Fahrenheit or –140º Celsius. In other words it would be a race as to whether an unprotected Earth human out in the open there would be speedily killed by too much poisonous CO2 gas by many times over or quickly frozen to death.

Note that, even though all of the following evidence is in the official science data and available there for verification, you have never heard a peep out of NASA or JPL as to its existence. So this amounts to the hidden Mars that it appears someone in control does not wish you and I to know about or at least also ignore. Also note that I have added a slight bit of false color to these online images to increase clarity and the viewing comfort level. In any case, the high drama visual evidence is as follows.
MARS SURFACE WATER
in a liquid state
 ....

Google 29 12 03.59 N— 81 53 24.79 W....................Verify M0902042 at MSSS and USGS.....................Verify E0801033 at MSSS and USGS
....
Verify E0801033 at MSSS and USGS......................Verify M0901354 at MSSS and USGS......................Verify M2100302 at MSSS and USGS

...... 
 Verify M2101233 at MSSS and USGS......................Verify M1201191at MSSS and USGS......................Verify M1300009 at MSSS at and USGS

...... 
 Verify E0301938 at MSSS and USGS......................Verify M1401647at MSSS and USGS......................Verify M1500073 at MSSS and USGS

MARS FOREST BIO- LIFE
......
Verify M0804688 at MSSS and USGS.......................Verify M0703768 at MSSS and USGS........................Verify S0600607 at MSSS and USGS
.......
Verify S0800425 at MSSS and USGS
.......................Verify M0902835 at MSSS and USGS........................Verify S0702300 at MSSS and USGS

...... 
 Verify M0804110 at MSSS and USGS.......................Verify E0900320 at MSSS and USGS........................Verify S0800782 at MSSS and USGS

...... 
 Verify S0702623 at MSSS and USGS.......................Verify S0801170 at MSSS and USGS........................Verify S0800050at MSSS and USGS


As you can see in the first block, the real Mars is a planet with quite a bit of surface water in a liquid state and some of the water sites are surrounded by what clearly appears to be massive super dense old growth conventional looking forests. The second block backs this up with samples of a large variety of forest life most of which may appear a bit strange to us simply because it is unique to this world and different. Now, remember, this is on a planet that is not supposed to have even one example of any of this must less these 23.

When we see surface water in a liquid state this tells us that Mars surface conditions cannot be as hard frozen down to as much as –220º Fahrenheit (–140º Celsius) as NASA, JPL, and the official consensus would have us believe. Further, this many samples of it tells us that the relative multitude of evidence you see here is not an aberration and is quite real. It also tells us that the critical instrument data that says that the Mars atmosphere is 95.35% carbon dioxide (CO2) with only a very tiny .03% water vapor is obviously very wrong. Scientists dependent on computer modeling feeding such erroneous base data into their models will not achieve truth but only what others by intent and design manipulate and wish them to see.

So, does any of the above evidence look like simple rock and soil geology to you that you've seen countless images of on TV? This is pretty simple and obvious stuff isn't it? Yes the rock and soil geology is there but it is hidden under this super dense and massive cover of life thought to be so impossible. While it may take some rocket science mentality to get equipment to another planet to take exploration images, all it takes to interpret the images presented here on the question of life is a little common sense. Do you have that? Do you really care?

So why isn't NASA and JPL pointing the evidence presented here out to scientists and the public and encouraging deeper inspection instead of ignoring it like it didn't exist at all thereby effectively suppressing it? For that matter why aren't the science communities eagerly and aggressively pursuing this on their own instead of just blindly following NASA and JPL's lead like domestic cattle in taking the position that it’s impossible and just can't be? Also, why isn't the mainstream public up in arms about this being ignored and pushing hard for some real truth instead of meekly and submissively pretending like nothing is wrong?

Something is most definitely wrong people .....really wrong! The truth is that for all of the massive tax money spent on space exploration by the public over the years and decades, the public gets very little in return for it in the way of truths that I suspect are ultra important to us all. The real truths go to someone else coveting them who then make decisions affecting our countries, our world, and our people but with impunity remaining illusive in the shadows with sacrificial identities placed between them and the proverbial chopping block of responsibility and consequence.

Yes the evidence shown here are samples from my book The Hidden Truth: Water & Life on Mars and nothing new. There is of course more evidence in the book not shown here and also more enlightening. I've put in extra effort to make these online images as clear as possible but you'll need to refer to the book to get my take on this visual evidence including that you see here.

I appeal to you to purchase the book and spread the word about the evidence there and in this report. Not only is this badly needed by everyone, frankly book sales are now the only effective support for me and this work. With the passing of my wife, I now have no other source of income other than my own completely inadequate far below poverty level Social Security that doesn't even cover my very conservative monthly living expenses must less any cost of this work itself.
  
I'm often asked the why of the secrecy? For many, including many scientists, it just doesn't make sense. However, that's because most of you going about your everyday lives just can't identify with the psychology of those consumed by megalomania and their addiction to control and power. These types want to control any environment they find themselves in and expediency becomes their guide in doing so. This requires a great deal of money to buy influence that leads to power. Further, in case things go wrong, which often is the case where expediency rules and blinds, they wish to avoid any consequences. That requires their being hidden out of sight in the shadows and that in turn requires secrecy.

Secrecy comes to rule and then becomes the unquestioned social norm permeating our everyday lives. At the root of it all is flawed crass human nature. However, just above that is a very wrong but practical level cherished by the power/control addicted. Consider this scenario.

Alien technology far more advanced than our own but observed over time from a distance is determined to really exist. An occasional crashed or shot down alien ship provides a much closer hands on view of that advanced technology and those who weld it. The knowledge gained provides the difference in advantage of nations over other nations and ideologies. It is perceived that this advantage must be preserved and protected at all cost and so secrecy on this on a national level takes shape as well as power and influence and the exclusivity of the individuals who participate in it. Early lessons learned is that secrecy is very difficult to maintain and mistakes are made.

So evolving large scale secrecy is clamped down on ever tighter and tighter into smaller and smaller isolated circles excluding even leaders. Strong resourceful leaders object and start worming their way in. Strong independent resourceful leaders with courage are not desired from the power/control addicted point of view and it becomes increasingly advantageous to keep them out of the process and sidelined promoting only "cooperative" leaders conveniently vulnerable to manipulation. Over time the top is more and more stacked with "cooperatives" that are ruled by expediency and so bad things start to happen because their handlers have their eyes on different prizes of acquisitions elsewhere.

Any of this beginning to sound familiar? When addicted parasitic types run to much of the show, it can come as no surprise that things will eventually go in the toilet simply because they are parasitic addicts and can't stop themselves. They are at the root of the problem but no patchwork "fix" of their making is ever going to impact them negatively. So "self" always rules!

Because of the deeply ingrained secrecy and as long as it rules, the inaccurate perception of Mars as a dry dead world may prevail to the point of undermining our social destruction. On the other hand, simply because the Mars secrecy is based on lies and yet connected to 2+2=4 science, it is possible to turn this around starting with the visual evidence you see here as leverage. If this can happen, then secrecy all over the place will quickly be in trouble and mankind may be able to come out from under this smothering cover of pretence and deception.

Evidence like that you see here is the leverage to make this happen but it requires you in the public to get involved as it is never going to start at the top where suave smooth mediocrity prevails. Bring this report and the book evidence links to the attention of everyone you can think of all around the world including the media and regardless of language. Push and push until it gives! Make this go viral! Help yourself by helping your fellow man to wake up to the danger or we will all reap the consequences.


Joseph P. Skipper, Investigator
J. P. Skipper can be contacted at: jskipper@marsanomalyresearch.com

From Mars Anomaly Research @ http://www.marsanomalyresearch.com/evidence-reports/2012/221/real-mars.htm

http://static.bbc.co.uk/solarsystem/img/ic/640/collections/life_on_mars/life_on_mars_large.jpg


For more information about the mysterious world of Mars see http://nexusilluminati.blogspot.com/search/label/mars
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