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Exploring Martian Features and Water Evidence from Recent Missions

This overview highlights key features of Mars as discussed in the Astronomy 340 lecture (Fall 2007). Mars, with a radius of 3,396 km, has a unique environment characterized by a thin atmosphere composed of 95% CO2 and low pressure (0.006 bar). Current missions, such as Spirit and Opportunity rovers, and the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, aim to determine past water presence, geology, and potential for life. Investigations include meteorology, surface composition, and evidence of ancient water channels, revealing Mars' complex climatic and geological history.

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Exploring Martian Features and Water Evidence from Recent Missions

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  1. Astronomy 340Fall 2007 2 October 2007 Class #9

  2. Salient Martian Features • RMars = 3396 km (REarth = 6378 km) • Higher surface area to mass ratio • More efficient cooling • Lower internal heat flow, less volcanism • No plate tectonics • Atmospheric Composition • 95% CO2 (same as Venus) • Pressure = 0.006 bar (Earth = 1, Venus = 89) • TSurface hey, it’s cold! • Mean solar constant  0.431 (Earth =1) • Summer  T ~ 273K (max) • Winter (polar)  T ~ 150K  ground is permanently frozen to 1 km

  3. Soil Composition

  4. Mars Missions • Current Missions • Spirit and Opportunity (rovers) • 2001 Mars Odyssey (orbiter) • Mars Global Surveyot (orbiter) • Mars Express (polar orbit) • Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (just launched) • Planned • Phoenix • Mars Science Laboratory • Past • Mariner flybys/orbiters • Viking landers • Pathfinder

  5. NASA Mars Missions -- Goals • Determine whether life ever arose on Mars • Characterize the Climate of Mars • Characterize the Geology of Mars • Prepare for Human Exploration

  6. Where to land? • Equatorial  maximum solar radiation • Low elevation  maximum atmosphere to slow descent, low shear • Relatively flat to preserve airbag • Radar-reflective, hard surface for rovers

  7. Where to land? • Parachute to slow descent, followed by bouncing airbag….

  8. Gusev Crater

  9. Spirit Landing SiteGolombek et al 2005 Nature 436 44 • Nice and flat….

  10. Opportunity landing site – and some space junk

  11. Rock size distribution on landing sites

  12. Surface CompositionBibring et al. 2005 Science 307 1576 • Ices/Frosts • CO2 veneers over polar ice caps • H2O ice w/ dust • Hydrated Minerals/Ferric Oxides • Significant presence – detected via 3μm feature • Primarily in older craters (younger craters lack hydrated minerals) • Igneous Rocks • Standard olivines

  13. Water on Mars • Canals? • Background  origin of H2O on Earth • Outgassing via internal processes  volcanic • Formation via accretion of hydrated protoplanetary material • External origin via hydrated impactors (comets?) • Maintaining liquid H2O on surface…. • Temperature • Liquid H2O unstable at 150 K < T < 220 K • But ice on stable at poles • Pressure • Sublimation of polar ice  atmospheric pressure insufficient to maintain water in atmosphere • Dissociation of H2O, loss of H • Current conditions not favorable for liquid H2O on Martian surface or significant H2O in atmospere • But…..

  14. Water on Mars • Polar Ice Caps • Mariner 9 (1972)  images of obvious channels that look like river beds  major amounts of surface water in past • Atmospheric chemistry • Trace H2O content via outgassed volatiles • 80-160m of water outgassed North Polar Ice Cap in summer

  15. Water on Mars • Water channels • Outflow channels • Catastrophic floods (108 m3 s-1 vs 104 m3 s-1) • “sudden” appearance • Volcanism, internal pressure, ??? • Valley networks • Look like river systems • groundwater • Fretted channels • Remote sensing/imaging

  16. Possible water flow as seen by Global Surveyor.

  17. Gusev Crater Haskin et al 2005 Nature 436 66 • Gusev plain  an old lake bed? • Primarily igneous rock (olivine basalt) • Veins/plugs  aqeous solutions plausible • Composition measured via near-IR spectrometer

  18. Gusev crater Haskin et al 2005 Note inclusions – need water to form

  19. Gusev Crater Haskin et al 2005 Nature 436 66 • Veins/plugs  aqeous solutions plausible • Composition measured via near-IR spectrometer • Various geochemical effects of aqeous solutions • E.g. ratio of Al2O3 vs SO3 • Increased ratio of salts, oxidation of Fe2+ • Conclusions: running water, but no pools/oceans Inverse correlation – mixing with evaporative component with high S content

  20. Gusev Crater Haskin et al 2005 Nature 436 66 • Gusev plain  an old lake bed? • Primarily igneous rock (olivine basalt) • Veins/plugs  aqeous solutions plausible • Composition measured via near-IR spectrometer • Various geochemical effects of aqeous solutions • E.g. ratio of Al2O3 vs SO3 • Increased ratio of salts, oxidation of Fe2+ • Conclusions: running water, but no pools/oceans

  21. Frozen Equatorial Sea?Murray et al. 2005 Nature 434 352 • What are these cracked “plates”? Lava? The authors think not… • Edges much younger than rest of plate – lava doesn’t do this • Crater density suggests age ~ 5Myr • Resemblance of plates to pack-ice in Arctic

  22. a. Mars 13.7m resolution b. Antarctica c. Martian ice raft?

  23. But is there water there now? Diagram showing possible fossil water flow from subsurface source. Images from Global Surveyor. See handout.

  24. Phobos & Deimos • Low inclination, equatorial orbits

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