Substance Found In Antarctic Ice May Solve a Martian Mystery (sciencemag.org) 15
sciencehabit shares a report from Science Magazine: Researchers have discovered a common martian mineral deep within an ice core from Antarctica. The find suggests the mineral -- a brittle, yellow-brown substance known as jarosite -- was forged the same way on both Earth and Mars: from dust trapped within ancient ice deposits. It also reveals how important these glaciers were on the Red Planet: Not only did they carve valleys, the researchers say, but they also helped create the very stuff Mars is made of.
Jarosite was first spotted on Mars in 2004, when the NASA Opportunity rover rolled over fine-grained layers of it. The discovery made headlines because jarosite needs water to form, along with iron, sulfate, potassium, and acidic conditions. The work suggests jarosite forms the same way on Mars, says Megan Elwood Madden, a geochemist at the University of Oklahoma who was not involved with the research. But she wonders whether the process can explain the huge abundance of jarosite on Mars. "On Mars, this is not just some thin film," she says. "These are meters-thick deposits."
[Giovanni Baccolo, a geologist at the University of Milan-Bicocca] concedes that the ice core contained only small amounts of jarosite, particles smaller than an eyelash or a grain of sand. But he explains that there's much more dust on Mars than in Antarctica, which only receives small amounts of airborne ash and dirt from northern continents. "Mars is such a dusty place -- everything is covered in dust," Baccolo says. More ash would favor more jarosite formation under the right conditions, he says. Baccolo wants to use Antarctic cores to investigate whether ancient martian ice deposits were cauldrons for the formation of other minerals. He says jarosite shows how glaciers weren't just land carving machines, but might have contributed to Mars's chemical makeup. "This is just the first step in linking deep Antarctic ice with the martian environment." The researchers reported their findings this month in Nature Communications.
Jarosite was first spotted on Mars in 2004, when the NASA Opportunity rover rolled over fine-grained layers of it. The discovery made headlines because jarosite needs water to form, along with iron, sulfate, potassium, and acidic conditions. The work suggests jarosite forms the same way on Mars, says Megan Elwood Madden, a geochemist at the University of Oklahoma who was not involved with the research. But she wonders whether the process can explain the huge abundance of jarosite on Mars. "On Mars, this is not just some thin film," she says. "These are meters-thick deposits."
[Giovanni Baccolo, a geologist at the University of Milan-Bicocca] concedes that the ice core contained only small amounts of jarosite, particles smaller than an eyelash or a grain of sand. But he explains that there's much more dust on Mars than in Antarctica, which only receives small amounts of airborne ash and dirt from northern continents. "Mars is such a dusty place -- everything is covered in dust," Baccolo says. More ash would favor more jarosite formation under the right conditions, he says. Baccolo wants to use Antarctic cores to investigate whether ancient martian ice deposits were cauldrons for the formation of other minerals. He says jarosite shows how glaciers weren't just land carving machines, but might have contributed to Mars's chemical makeup. "This is just the first step in linking deep Antarctic ice with the martian environment." The researchers reported their findings this month in Nature Communications.
Is It? (Score:2)
My Favorite Martian mystery?
Re:Is It? (Score:5, Funny)
The most Illustrious Council of Elders has issued an update concerning the activity from the Blue World. K'Breel, Speaker for the Council, spake thus.
"It can now be revealed that our highly-classified programmes in envenomming the Blue World have borne fruit. Our Jarosite spores have landed on the blue planet and have entered into science facilities through cores. Soon the lead scientists will be envenommed, thus slowing down their research program, our Dear Planet is safe once more."
When a junior member was heard wondering whether the Blue World's citizens are even susceptible to the poisons of Jarosite, his gelsacs were ordered tickled and remanded to Valles Marineris for further training.
Re: (Score:2)
You should accumulate K'Breel's pronouncements into one place, a new Little Red Book for the Martians hiding among us. Keep up the good work of informing us of their nefarious plans!
Re: (Score:2)
Great news (Score:2)
It's a great discovery, thanks for sharing.
Looking forward for more insights about “On Mars, this is not just some thin film,” she says. “These are meters-thick deposits.”
Also worth mentioning that the ice-core was 1620m long.
Re: (Score:2)
Someone didn't have a morning coffee I see, or just a general grudge?
They should have been looking for (Score:1)
Re: (Score:1)
They must be somewhere right? No on has found them yet. Keep looking ! It's never too late. Maybe they are on mars. Increase funding and we can find them !
Or... (Score:1)
Or, maybe the material is just ejectum from Mars, which has been found elsewhere on earth.
Martian Mystery (Score:1)