Science, Technology and Society 361: "Mars Exploration" -- Fall 2010

Friday, December 21, 2007

Were Martian oceans born in brimstone?

New evidence suggests that the formation of oceans on the surface of Mars may have to do with the activity of ancient volcanoes. Research believe that it is possible that ancient Martian volcanoes released huge levels of sulfur that in turn warmed the red planet enough to establish huge liquid oceans on the surface of Mars. These oceans would have been formed while Mars was still young. Evidence of liquid water dates back almost 4 billion years, suggesting that the current frigid planet was once actually fairly warm. The atmosphere there likely trapper greenhouse gases which helped in the warming of the planet and result in liquid oceans. This would have also lead to massive deposits of limestone and other carbonic rocks on the Martian surface. The absence of these rocks on the Martian surface, though, is a mystery to the scientists investigating their theory. Further implications into the possibility of life on Mars examine where or not, due to the high levels of sulfur on the Martian surface, the oceans were too acidic to support life.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22345266/

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