Tag Archives: early Mars

Weathering on early Mars bad for forming carbonates

Posted on July 11, 2019 by rburnham

[Editor’s note: From a paper by Fabien Baron and three co-authors recently published in the Journal of Geophysical Research.] New Constraints on Early Mars Weathering Conditions From an Experimental Approach on Crust Simulants • Chemical weathering in mildly acidic conditions … Continue reading →

Posted in Reports | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off

Mars: not as dry as it seems

Posted on December 21, 2017 by rburnham

When searching for life, scientists first look for an element key to sustaining it: fresh water. Although today’s Martian surface is barren, frozen and inhabitable, a trail of evidence points to a once warmer, wetter planet, where water flowed freely. … Continue reading →

Posted in Reports | Tagged , , | Comments Off

Did bursts of methane warm early Mars?

Posted on January 25, 2017 by rburnham

The presence of water on ancient Mars is a paradox. There’s plenty of geographical evidence that rivers periodically flowed across the planet’s surface. Yet in the time period when these waters are supposed to have run — three to four … Continue reading →

Posted in Reports | Tagged , , , | Comments Off

Ancient Mars was icy and cold

Posted on June 16, 2015 by rburnham

The high seas of Mars may never have existed. According to a new study that looks at two opposite climate scenarios of early Mars, a cold and icy planet billions of years ago better explains water drainage and erosion features … Continue reading →

Posted in Reports | Tagged , , | Comments Off

‘Early Mars’ topical website launched

Posted on July 1, 2014 by rburnham

The Lunar and Planetary Insitute in Houston has launched a new website on the subject of early Mars. It will provide links to new papers, conference programs and abstracts, field-trip guides, and more. The site’s introduction states, “The influx of … Continue reading →

Posted in Reports | Tagged , , | Comments Off

Was nitrogen in the early Mars atmosphere a key to ancient habitability?

Posted on June 5, 2013 by rburnham

Scientists have long suspected that ancient Mars had a thicker atmosphere and temperatures warmer and far more habitable than at present. But modelers have difficulties making the numbers come out right,

Posted in Reports | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off

Mars’ explosive childhood

Posted on December 14, 2012 by rburnham

Mars is widely understood to be a volcanic planet — its surface shows abundant evidence of volcanic activity, both ancient and more recent. Spacecraft detect lava flows in many locations, and spectroscopic evidence of volcanic rocks lies almost everywhere. The … Continue reading →

Posted in Reports | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment