Marsquakes, Add Water and Shake

An anonymous reader writes "Analysis of Mars orbital data shows northern pit chains as evidence for relatively recent seismic activity. If marsquakes release water-ice to the surface, then such young features may be reshaping and eroding the landscape from below. No modern volcanic or seismic activity has ever been confirmed before. A long-standing mystery is why the northern hemisphere is smooth, while the martian south is so rugged."

No one here?

[lordmoose]

There's only one comment so far. That means nobody is reading this story. This looks like the perfect hiding place for those missle-launch codes. --Alpha--Delta--589--Charlie-- Ha ha!

Wrong.

[missing000]

I sunk your battleship.

I'm reading it -- but does it deserve comment?

[mooncaine]

Your logic is faulty, as I'm sure you realize. I read it, but I didn't think it called for comment.

Here's a comment for you, though:

Wow.

One answer to the myster ;)

[alphaFlight]

"A long-standing mystery is why the northern hemisphere is smooth, while the martian south is so rugged."

http://www.metaresearch.org/solar%20system/eph/e ph 2000.asp

(scroll down 3/4 the page) enjoy ;)

Re:One answer to the myster ;)

[adavies42]

Looks like warmed-over Velikovsky to me. Whether this is good or not depends on your opinion of Veliokovsky. :)

Pit chains

[Evil Pete]

Always wondered how they could be created. This is the first time I've read a plausible explanation, though to tell the truth it is not an issue I have relentlessly pursued. However, I think I first saw such 'pit chains' on lunar photos. I guess that could just be magma, gasses whatever ... probably one thing we will learn from the solar system is that sometimes similar geographical features can be produced by totally different media ... something like the way beaches (berms , cusps etc) can be made on Earth of sand, rock, shells, whatever.

But the bit about one hemisphere being so smooth ... isn't that one reason why it is hypothesised to be an ocean bed ?

Re:Pit chains

[theapodan]

Parts of Mars are smooth for the same reason that parts of our moon are smooth, and parts of our earth are smooth. Extrusive vulcanism, and fissure vulcanism in particular, cause the formation of wide lava plains. And because of the low gravity and ineffective cooling on mars and the moon, the lava flows are allowed to smooth out more, making it more noticable.

The Columbia River plateu is a big fissure eruption that still is extant as a rock unit, and the catoctin formation in the appalachians is a histo

It just makes you want to cry...

[jeephistorian]

This poor thread, so ignored and lost. I just felt I had to add a comment to help it feel wanted....

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