So how about some speculation?

Space/Science » in reply to Sabkha or playa, take your pick...

Gary — 12/14/2004 6:05:00 AM (archived)

Nick,

It looks like it will be official cannon that Meridiani was a sabkha or playa. It also appears the water driving this sabkha or playa was essentially battery acid (dilute sulfuric acid) and the hematite "blue berries" were an accretion from this acidic solution.

So are you prepared to do some speculation?

Do you think there was ever any free standing water or was it just moist sand?

How long ago did this sabkha or playa exist before it dried up?

Some Archaea bacteria-like organisms can thrive in sulfuric acid. If some Archaea had found their way into this sabkha or playa a zillion years ago, could they have continued living? Is there any likelyhood that micro-fossils would remain recognizable in such an acid environment?

Gary

The whole thread (24 posts)

Sabkha or playa, take your pick... - Nick Hoffman - 12/14/2004 2:23:08 AM
- re: salt flat, alternately wet and dry - bruced - 12/15/2004 7:05:45 AM
  - More uniform than random spheres - Philip Simon - 12/16/2004 2:42:50 AM
- Slowly changing opinions, or take a deep leap. - Philip Simon - 12/15/2004 4:14:17 AM
- I pick playa. - jms - 12/14/2004 5:26:38 PM
  - re: Being the way I am, the little bitty step pyramid - BRF - 12/14/2004 6:23:22 PM
- Or also an ancient deep water environment. - Robert Clark - 12/14/2004 3:38:38 PM
- re: Compared to what? - BRFelix - 12/14/2004 3:34:24 PM
- Whoa! Frost on the solar panels? - Robert Clark - 12/14/2004 3:32:38 PM
  - Rain on the parade, but Liquid impossibility - Philip Simon - 12/15/2004 2:22:38 AM
    - At every landing site pressure NEVER fell below 6.1 mbars. - Robert Clark - 12/15/2004 2:30:16 AM
      - My mistake Bob, you're right - Philip Simon - 12/15/2004 4:27:45 AM
  - Liquid not likely - dtb - 12/14/2004 5:09:35 PM
    - re: Liquid not likely - Robert Clark - 12/15/2004 1:48:12 AM
  - re: Whoa! Frost on the solar panels? - Robert Clark - 12/14/2004 4:22:08 PM
  - re: Frost - Tom Brosz - 12/14/2004 4:21:37 PM
    - Cool, and lots more than a "few microns" - Philip - 12/15/2004 4:33:48 AM
      - re: At the time... - BRFelix - 12/15/2004 5:24:22 AM
        
        You might be seeing it now, - Philip Simon - 12/18/2004 1:43:25 AM
- re: Yup, you really got us going there. - Aunt Bea - 12/14/2004 6:37:51 AM
  - re: I suppose you have proposed better theories that have now been vindicated? - Scott Evil - 12/15/2004 6:10:17 PM
    - Better theories that have now been vindicated? - water - 12/16/2004 12:39:43 AM
  - Re: In defense of Nick... - Vince - 12/15/2004 3:02:51 AM
- So how about some speculation? - Gary - 12/14/2004 6:05:00 AM

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The whole thread (24 posts)