Space/Science — HabitableZone

Space/Science » in reply to Old ideas and new images

hydrocarbons on Mars
E.P. — (archived)

Hi Nick -

Hi Bick -

You know, it is pretty much impossible to find Huxley's accurate assessment of Mars from what 1908, 1909? on the web. I think I read it years ago in the book "Mars in the Mind of Man". So what, nearly 100 years? Progress comes slow: these people drink freeze dried coffee, and still no understanding.

Good luck getting the out-gassing area that you found several years ago re-imaged. The last MGS image releases still featured water hype.

At least Mars Express is run pretty much free from this nonsense, which brings us to today's topic: We know that some comets contain long chain hydrocarbons, and we know that some of these hit Mars. It is a very important question as to how many of these comets have hit, and when.

What happened to those hydrocarbons? Where are they on Mars, and what role do they play in the CO2 clathrates? It seems to me that the hydrocarons aren't going to outgas, and they aren't going to be gathered together by "drift" stress forces. They might pool in fractures around impact structures. How much of them, and where on Mars are they?

It looks to me like the channels in the lower gullies are settled dust, but we lack depth information right now - perhaps this might by obtainable by re-imaging with different sun angles. How far down below the surface are the gully heads?

E.P. Grondine
Man and Impact in the Americas

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