Space/Science — HabitableZone

Space/Science » in reply to Not everyone means liquid H2O when they use the word water.

They do when they use radar.

Solid ice looks like rock to a radar wave. Only liquid water stands out, and it is literal liquid water that is being sought. I could link you to dozens of "blue mars" papers on radar and liquid water.

If it's salty, it's even more obvious but any liquid water will do...

My predictions (in case you forgot from the few dozen times I already said this):-

1) The radar energy will be attenuated much worse than ESA hope because Mars has lots of Fe-bearing minerals.

2) this will lead to limited penetration into the surface - <1 km rather than the hoped-for 5 km

3) No liquid water will be found anywhere on modern Mars

4) Nonetheless, some fascinating and odd things will be found about the subsurface, especially in the polar regions where the polecaps and the permafrost can be better penetrated than rock.

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