Guess game on water possibility on Mars hots up

[Dem!god]

The debate over the presence of water on red planet has got a new dimension, with scientists now digging deep on the mysterious, possibly water-related streaks that appear and disappear on the planet's surface.


The answer may lie in features called Recurring Slope Lineae (RSL) because of their shape, annual reappearance and occurrence generally on steep slopes such as crater walls.

RSL, dark flow like features, emanate from bedrock exposures at Palikir crater on Mars during southern summer.

These flows are observed to form and grow during warm seasons and fade or completely disappear in cold season.

Now, Lujendra Ojha of Georgia Institute of Technology and Georgia Tech assistant professor James Wray looked at 13 confirmed RSL sites using Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars (CRISM) images.

They did find distinct and consistent spectral signatures of ferric and ferrous minerals at most of the sites.

The minerals were more abundant or featured distinct grain sizes in RSL-related materials as compared to non-RSL slopes.

"We still don't have a smoking gun for existence of water in RSL, although we're not sure how this process would take place without water," said Ojha.

"Just like the RSL themselves, the strength of the spectral signatures varies according to the seasons. The signatures are stronger when it's warmer and less significant when it's colder," he explained.

"NASA likes to 'follow the water' in exploring the red planet, so we would like to know in advance when and where it would appear," added Wray.

"RSL have rekindled our hope of accessing modern water, but forecasting wet conditions remains a challenge," he said.

The findings indicate that predicting where RSL would appear is, at best, a guessing game, said the study published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters.

- See more at: Guess game on water possibility on Mars hots up - Hindustan Times

@levina @chak de INDIA @Parul @Indischer @scorpionx @DRAY @BDforever @thesolar65 @Roybot @INDIC @Hermione
and all others.....

 

[dray]

Mars had water in the past.

 

[Dem!god]

Mars had water in the past.

yes that is why we can still see the valleys, ravines and rivulets on the surface...
who knows may be still there is ice hidden inside the surface covered with dust and earth......

 

[liall]

And most probably life as well in the past that is.

 

[Levina]

I found a pic of these finger like shapes
Or the water streaks.

"Dark, seasonal flows emanate from bedrock exposures at Palikir Crater on Mars in this image from the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter." (Photo : NASA/JPL-Caltech/Univ. of Arizona)

"This image combines a photograph of seasonal dark flows on a Martian slope with a grid of colors based on data collected by a mineral-mapping spectrometer observing the same area."
Photo Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/UA/JHU-APL

The flow of water even briny water anywhere on Mars today would be a major discovery impacting our understanding of present climate change on Mars and possibly indicating potential habitats for life near the surface on modern Mars....if thats possible

 

[faisal6309]

Mars had water in the past.

Yes and now it has become ice. All we need to do is to find it.

 

[Levina]

Yes and now it has become ice. All we need to do is to find it.

Well if you are talking about polar ice on mars then it is dry ice or mostly composed of CO2.Some researchers in the 1960s showed that winter temperatures could drop to a bitter –125°C on mars. At that point, the Martian atmosphere itself (composed primarily of carbon dioxide, CO2) should begin to freeze out. Ergo the seasonal ice caps of Mars ought to be composed primarily of CO2 rather than water ice.

 

[Dem!god]

I found a pic of these finger like shapes
Or the water streaks.

View attachment 16744

"Dark, seasonal flows emanate from bedrock exposures at Palikir Crater on Mars in this image from the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter." (Photo : NASA/JPL-Caltech/Univ. of Arizona)


View attachment 16745
"This image combines a photograph of seasonal dark flows on a Martian slope with a grid of colors based on data collected by a mineral-mapping spectrometer observing the same area."
Photo Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/UA/JHU-APL

The flow of water even briny water anywhere on Mars today would be a major discovery impacting our understanding of present climate change on Mars and possibly indicating potential habitats for life near the surface on modern Mars....if thats possible

Hmmm...nice pics....
first one definitely shows the flow pattern of some liquid....at high speed as we can see the narrow valleys and bed rock exposure suggest may be the erosion of the soil was high...
if water is found on it it will be a major discovery and may be our future home

 

[Levina]

if water is found on it it will be a major discovery and may be our future home

Nooooo

I will not leave my home..my earth.

I dont want a MARTIAN calling me an ALIEN from earth.

 

[scorpionx]

If proved true then World war IV will be held on the Red planet.

 

[Dem!god]

Nooooo

I will not leave my home..my earth.

I dont want a MARTIAN calling me an ALIEN from earth.

ha ha ha.....
don't worry we are bound to die here....it's not possible currently.....
or do you still believe that we can reach mars in next decade......
(I hope there is a major change in your views this time..)

but being on mars would be fun you know.....with low gravity..we would be like semi-flying when jumping.....

btw..this is one cool smiley...

 

[Levina]

ha ha ha.....
don't worry we are bound to die here....it's not possible currently.....
or do you still believe that we can reach mars in next decade......
(I hope there is a major change in your views this time..)

What was my prediction??? that we'll reach mars by end of this decade?? Or in next 5years??
I forgot
But I bet we'll be on mars before I die(I meant natural death not an accidental death)

but being on mars would be fun you know.....with low gravity..we would be like semi-flying when jumping.....

Yeah and then it will be easy for our Bollywood guys to shoot songs in slow motion .

If proved true then World war IV will be held on the Red planet.

Shubh shubh bolo....why do you guys always think of wars and invasions???

 

[scorpionx]

Shubh shubh bolo....why do you guys always think of wars and invasions???

Because next world war will be fought for water. And Mars is a planet of warriors so more we go close to it more the chances of war.

 

[Dem!god]

What was my prediction??? that we'll reach mars by end of this decade?? Or in next 5years??
I forgot
But I bet we'll be on mars before I die(I meant natural death not an accidental death)

ha ha ha....
we had this bitter argument first over moon and then mars....on the isro mission to mars thread.....
you predicted we will reach there, next decade and chinese will have a base on moon by 2030 ....and may start mineral excavation by that time....
and don't talk of dying we have yet to enjoy life....

Yeah and then it will be easy for our Bollywood guys to shoot songs in slow motion .

ya, it will be like typical south indian movie....

 

[thesolar65]

yes that is why we can still see the valleys, ravines and rivulets on the surface...
who knows may be still there is ice hidden inside the surface covered with dust and earth......

It's all deductions and assumption till mankind set foot on the planet. But then man set foot on moon several times and yet we again now find water on moon. And water as we know consists of H2O. But on mars that may be of other formation..who knows?
Because on Titan (moon of Saturn) Scientists assume there is sea of liquid methene!!