If Mars is as oxidizing as Quinn and Zent put it, then why is there so much magnetic material in the soil?

ET says: Maghemite it the low temperature oxidation form of magnetite. It still has 4/5th the possible magnetization of magnetite. The surface of micron and smaller sized particles of magnetite will revert to maghemite to a depth of 10s of nm when exposed to oxygen quickly here or slowly but inexorably on Mars. Nevertheless, the magnetization is for the most part unaffected.

This is another BIG clue that Mars wasn't a wet-warm wonderland. Warm water exposed to the same small particles will usually oxidize into hematite, a mineral with 1/200th the magnetization of magnetite.

Still wanna pretend I'm a bunny, you big bad wolf?

Aw, com'on ET, you aren't taking all this seriously now are you? Besides you are no bunny...just let me read the rest of the paper you got your info from above? No one has yet identified any oxidant on Mars, in the atmospehre or soil. Theorize all you want. But as you say, more data is needed. Still, the postulated amount of oxidant inferred by the Viking GEX experiment is by no means a threat to microbial life. "You and I could eat this amount of oxidants for breakfast" without harm. So why did NASA side for those that said Mars was a self sterilizing world because of putative oxidants? That is not how science operates. You send other scientific experiments to elucidate further. True MOx was a good idea. Did you know Gil Levin was a member of the MOx team? Yep.

There you go "you kwazy wabbit"

BD