Mars' Long-Lost Atmosphere Might Be Hiding in Plain Sight (newsweek.com) 15
Newsweek writes that the missing atmosphere of Mars "may be locked up in the planet's clay-rich surface, a new study by MIT geologists has suggested."
According to the researchers, ancient water trickling through Mars' rocks could have triggered a series of chemical reactions, converting CO2 into methane and trapping the carbon in clay minerals for billions of years...
The dominant explanation relies on an interaction between the sun's rays and gases in the atmosphere. Mars lost its protective magnetic field billions of years ago, likely allowing high-energy solar particles to strike the upper atmosphere, kicking molecules off into space, according to NASA... But this might not be the whole story. The researchers focused on a type of clay mineral called smectite, known for its ability to trap carbon. These minerals, abundant on Mars, contain tiny folds that can store carbon molecules for aeons. The study was published in the journal Science Advances.
"There is plenty of evidence for a thick clay layer on the Martian surface. Almost 80 percent of satellite spectra detect these high-surface-area clay minerals on the Martian surface. Clay has been detected in craters as deep as 17 kilometers [10.5 miles]," [lead author Joshua] Murray said... Their model suggested that Mars' surface could contain up to 1.7 bar of CO2 — roughly 80 percent of its early atmospheric volume — sequestered as methane within clay deposits. This methane could still be present today, lying beneath the planet's dry and barren crust. "We know this process happens, and it is well-documented on Earth. And these rocks and clays exist on Mars," Oliver Jagoutz, the study's author, said in a statement. "So, we wanted to try and connect the dots."
The discovery that Mars' ancient atmosphere could be hidden within its surface clays offers a new perspective on the planet's history and raises intriguing possibilities for future exploration. For example, if the sequestered carbon could be recovered and converted, it could serve as a propellant for future space missions between Earth, Mars and beyond.
"In some ways, Mars' missing atmosphere could be hiding in plain sight," says the study's lead author — and the article adds that this raises some interesting possibilities.
"For example, if the sequestered carbon could be recovered and converted, it could serve as a propellant for future space missions between Earth, Mars and beyond..."
The dominant explanation relies on an interaction between the sun's rays and gases in the atmosphere. Mars lost its protective magnetic field billions of years ago, likely allowing high-energy solar particles to strike the upper atmosphere, kicking molecules off into space, according to NASA... But this might not be the whole story. The researchers focused on a type of clay mineral called smectite, known for its ability to trap carbon. These minerals, abundant on Mars, contain tiny folds that can store carbon molecules for aeons. The study was published in the journal Science Advances.
"There is plenty of evidence for a thick clay layer on the Martian surface. Almost 80 percent of satellite spectra detect these high-surface-area clay minerals on the Martian surface. Clay has been detected in craters as deep as 17 kilometers [10.5 miles]," [lead author Joshua] Murray said... Their model suggested that Mars' surface could contain up to 1.7 bar of CO2 — roughly 80 percent of its early atmospheric volume — sequestered as methane within clay deposits. This methane could still be present today, lying beneath the planet's dry and barren crust. "We know this process happens, and it is well-documented on Earth. And these rocks and clays exist on Mars," Oliver Jagoutz, the study's author, said in a statement. "So, we wanted to try and connect the dots."
The discovery that Mars' ancient atmosphere could be hidden within its surface clays offers a new perspective on the planet's history and raises intriguing possibilities for future exploration. For example, if the sequestered carbon could be recovered and converted, it could serve as a propellant for future space missions between Earth, Mars and beyond.
"In some ways, Mars' missing atmosphere could be hiding in plain sight," says the study's lead author — and the article adds that this raises some interesting possibilities.
"For example, if the sequestered carbon could be recovered and converted, it could serve as a propellant for future space missions between Earth, Mars and beyond..."
This echo thing.... (Score:2)
Is getting to be ridiculous...
Whatever AI is greenlighting this stuff .... should go back to the training puddle....
Re: (Score:1)
Disagree, this whole Total Recall subplot is fascinating.
Re: (Score:2)
I approve of having the dupe in the blurb instead of posting it twice.
dupe (Score:1)
known I'm sayin?
Hiding in clay (Score:2)
Hiding in clay ... again?
Re:Hiding in clay (Score:4, Funny)
Different clay in this version. Slightly pinker with a lingering berry after-taste and a hint of coffee aroma...
Dupe. Dupe. Dupe-bee-dupe. Dupe. Dupe.
Re: (Score:2)
To be fair, it might be one of those clay hide and clay seek scenarios. Or a clay peek and clay boo type deal.
Quaid... (Score:5, Funny)
Start the reactor.
It's not a good hiding spot (Score:3)
You keep telling us where it is!
Re: (Score:2)
That's the "plain sight" part.
Matrix (Score:2)
Maybe the glitch where something repeats (and clues you in that you're living in a simulation) isn't a kitty cat?
How many times has the simulation been run, where AI gets created, is inappropriately deployed by people who are confused about its ability to think, and before long the world blows up due to hallucinations?
Maybe this time it will be different. A commenter flapping their yap is like the wings of a butterfly or that bug that Copilot stepped on. Turns out that the "universe" depends on the number o
Then again... (Score:2)
Then again, it might not.
There's your problem (Score:1)
The atmosphere uses the metric system but NASA was looking with Imperial units.
CO2 (Score:2)
Doesn't help any future mars settlers much though. It's nitrogen we need, and oxygen is cool to, we can split that off of the co2. ...Wait, have they already found the nitrogen?