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Tag Archives: water
Home Plate’s volcanic bomb landed with a splat
One of the unusual features that Mars Exploration Rover Spirit discovered at Home Plate, a former hydrothermal vent in the Columbia Hills, was a “bomb sag,” complete with its partially embedded volcanic bomb. To geologists, volcanic bombs are rocks or … Continue reading
Posted in Reports
Tagged atmosphere, bomb sags, climate, climate change, Home Plate, hot springs, Mars Exploration Rovers, Spirit, water
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Polar gullies erode from carbon dioxide flows
Gullies on Martian slopes form by flowing water, most probably trickles of snowmelt or groundwater. But what about the gullies found in places such as the high latitudes and polar regions where temperatures never rise above the freezing point for … Continue reading
Valley networks were eroded quckly
Networks of valleys cross much of the ancient surface of Mars, and along with deltas and other features these all show that the environment once warm and wet enough to sustain liquid water at the surface. But when? And for … Continue reading
Jarosite: key to ancient temperatures?
The water-related mineral jarosite is occurs both on Earth and in sediments on Meridiani Planum, Mars. Scientists have found that by measuring the isotope ratio of argon-40 to argon-39 in the rock — a technique that can be applied to … Continue reading
Posted in Reports
Tagged climate, jarosite, Mars Exploration Rovers, MER, Opportunity, temperature, water
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Did lake-effect storms make Martian snowbelts?
Numerous places on Mars show erosion by precipitation, whether as rainfall or runoff from melting snow. The precipitation could have come from a thicker atmosphere or a temporary boost in atmospheric temperature and density following a large impact. Both scenarios … Continue reading
Posted in Reports
Tagged atmosphere, climate, Echus Chasma, Juventae Chasma, lakes, rain, snow, storms, Valles Marineris, water
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Can melting snow make small holes in Mars rocks?
Many rocks on the surface of Mars show pits and small holes. One way such pits can form is when gas-rich lava erupts; the pits, called “vesicles,” form when gas escapes from the lava as it’s cooling. Wind-driven sand can … Continue reading
Posted in Reports
Tagged Mars Exploration Rovers, Mars Pathfinder, Mars Phoenix, Viking landers, water, weathering
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Seasonal flows of water on Mars
Finding water on Mars is nothing new. Scientists have known for years that water (as ice) lies in the polar caps and underground in high latitudes. However images from the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera on NASA’s Mars … Continue reading
Posted in Reports
Tagged brines, carbon dioxide, gullies, HiRISE, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, recurring slope lineae, RSL, water
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