Comments on: Evidence For Vast Oceans On Ancient Mars

By: edz

edz — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 14:16:26 +0000

Here is an interesting article that shows tantalizing evidence that the original heavy atmosphere of Mars was lost through a process in which sections of the magnetic field of Mars connect with the Solar Wind's magnetic field. Then, a piece of magnetic field gets pinched off and carries off a bubble of atmosphere.

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2008/21nov_plasmoids.htm?list1043461

By: Oscar

Oscar — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 17:44:57 +0000

Yes you have been proved wrong. It is not wishful thinking, just look at the evidence, Humans would never have left their caves if they follwed your approach to science.Trying to correct other peoples writing is also extremely ignorant and rude, especially when you're wrong and it has nothing to do with the subject..

By: Deebs

Deebs — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 14:14:03 +0000

Whoops! Sorry, Oscar, I jumped the gun.

Proved has apparently been added as a proper form of the verb "prove," so "proved" OR "proven" are acceptable.

Damn, I hate the regularization of verbs.

By: Deebs

Deebs — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 14:08:32 +0000

Oscar Says: If you don't believe that we will find life on Mars and Titan, then print your name and declare it , because you will be proved wrong.

That would be "proven wrong" and you're assuming a lot. That there is the possibility of life on Mars and perhaps a larger possibility that there was ONCE life on Mars, to call the matter a certainty is a leap no rigorous scientist should take.

Life on Titan is an even longer shot. While as a betting man I'd take the wager that eventually we will find evidence of life somewhere in the solar system (that is to say, either life or fossil evidence on Mars, Titan, Europa, or elsewhere) outside of the Earth, to say with such absolute certainty that we WILL find life on Mars AND Titan is wishful thinking. The proper approach is to sit back and wait for the data to come in. One might also continuously update expectations as the data comes in. Expectations are not, however, the certainty to tell anyone that they will be proven right or wrong.

By: Oscar

Oscar — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 21:41:33 +0000

Mr Obivious
These worlds are earthlike because they share similarities and have or once had varied geology which we can relate to here on earth. With this amount of variety in our own solar system with at least three ocean type worlds Europa, Titan, The Earth not to mention the rest, all which are likely to have some sort lifeforms. Evidence of methane on Mars, Titan, outer solar system full of methane and water. Lifeforms found on earth in similar exterme enviroments. All of this in our solar system. I call that pretty good odds. If you don't believe that we will find life on Mars and Titan, then print your name and declare it , because you will be proved wrong.

By: Mike Meradith

Mike Meradith — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 01:31:31 +0000

What would happen if we introduced lychens (however it is spelled) into the martian soil then grasses to begin a small atmosphere?

By: alandee

alandee — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 21:50:38 +0000

Are we still debating Mars oceans?
I thought we found layered ( sedimentary ) rocks ?

By: edz

edz — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 15:45:42 +0000

Escape velocity depends on mass M and radius r:
ve = sqrt(2GM/r)
The average gas velocity depends on temperature T, and molecular weight of the atom/molecule.
v = sqrt(kT/m).
Lighter molecules escape quickly, like H2; heavier ones take longer.
Although most of the escaping molecules are at the high velocity tail of the distribution, not at the average.
Far from Sun, it is easier to retain an atmosphere.

By: LLDIAZ

LLDIAZ — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 15:19:14 +0000

Mr Obvious – I've heard that same statement before that atmosphere's have to do with size and gravity. My question is then what about Titan it's small and holds its own atmosphere.

By: Fst

Fst — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 15:17:52 +0000

Isn't the lack of atmosphere on Mars due to it's lack of a magnetosphere?

By: Mr Obvious

Mr Obvious — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 13:21:27 +0000

OSCAR common in what way? There are some similarities, yet there are many many differences as well, especially if you only look at them externally. Internally they are quite different, and not just because they are located in 3 different areas of the solar system.

Lack of atmosphere on Mars is generally believed to be due to its mass… or lack there of. There isn't enough gravity to hold a large/deep atmosphere.
It is possible Mars once held a larger moon, but as of yet, there is no evidence.

By: oscar

oscar — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 11:55:12 +0000

This proves that earth like planets are common. In our own solar system we have the Earth, Mars, Venus probably was at some time, Europa, Titan and maybe even Ganymede.

By: Yael Dragwyla

Yael Dragwyla — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 07:08:24 +0000

Something just occurred to me about Mars's lack of a large moon, because of which there would have been no appreciable tides on those ancient Martian seas. Some believe that Mars once had a much thicker atmosphere than it has now, and a giant impact stripped it of most of that atmosphere and, perhaps, its large oceans. What if Mars once had a fairly large moon, a moon which was destroyed or hurled away from Mars by such an impact? Is there any evidence for tidal forces on ancient Mars that could only have arisen due to the influence of a significantly large Martian moon? If we ever turn up such evidence, it would drastically alter our models of the evolution of the Martian atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere, and any biosphere that primordial Mars might have had.