The "Dead Seas" of Mars Discovered?

[Gene Steinberg]

Do "significant amounts of water" possibly signify life support under the surface of Mars, and even the presence of microbes?

'Significant amounts of water' found in Mars' massive version of the Grand Canyon

A European orbiter has detected "significant amounts of water" in Mars' version of the Grand Canyon.

www.cnn.com

 

[Richard Hawkins]

So it shows at least that the building blocks for life could exist on other planets.

 

[Trajanus]

Water is a necessary but not a sufficient condition. There must be an energy source. Sunlight at the surface may be no good because of exposure to radiation, and extreme cold. Underground life might utilize internal planetary heat but a possible problem is exhaustion of the heat due to massive volcanism in the past. Lastly, even if there is sufficient water, heat and carbon for life, there may not be enough nitrogen, given inability of this gas to persist on Mars, where gravity is too weak to retain it over geologic time. Most of it appears to be gone.

 

[Richard Hawkins]

Water is a necessary but not a sufficient condition. There must be an energy source. Sunlight at the surface may be no good because of exposure to radiation, and extreme cold. Underground life might utilize internal planetary heat but a possible problem is exhaustion of the heat due to massive volcanism in the past. Lastly, even if there is sufficient water, heat and carbon for life, there may not be enough nitrogen, given inability of this gas to persist on Mars, where gravity is too weak to retain it over geologic time. Most of it appears to be gone.

You should contact NASA and let them know what to look for they probably don't realise.

 

[Richard Hawkins]

Water is a necessary but not a sufficient condition. There must be an energy source. Sunlight at the surface may be no good because of exposure to radiation, and extreme cold. Underground life might utilize internal planetary heat but a possible problem is exhaustion of the heat due to massive volcanism in the past. Lastly, even if there is sufficient water, heat and carbon for life, there may not be enough nitrogen, given inability of this gas to persist on Mars, where gravity is too weak to retain it over geologic time. Most of it appears to be gone.

You should contact NASA and let them know.

 

[Trajanus]

You should contact NASA and let them know what to look for they probably don't realise.

Lol, they or their science advisors know darn well. What I said was for the benefit of people here.

 

[henris42]

It seems frozen. Nice place for an expedition, yes?

 

[Richard Hawkins]

Let us explore

 

[Trajanus]

It seems frozen. Nice place for an expedition, yes?

Essentially the whole planet is frozen and has been for nearly 4 billion years.

 

[Richard Hawkins]

Well there was a story last week that a frozen Walt Disney was going to to be thawed and re animated