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NASA’s Curiosity rover finds water [using the term very loosely] below the surface of Mars
dailytimes.com ^

Posted on 04/14/2015 4:10:47 PM PDT by BenLurkin

Mars has liquid water just below its surface, according to new measurements by NASA's Curiosity rover, The Guardian reports.

Until now, scientists had thought that conditions on the red planet were too cold and arid for liquid water to exist, although there were known to be deposits of ice.

Professor Andrew Coates, head of planetary science at the Mullard Space Mullard Space Science Laboratory, University College London, said, "The evidence so far is that any water would be in the form of permafrost. It's the first time we've had evidence of liquid water there now."

The latest findings suggest that Martian soil is damp with liquid brine, due to the presence of a salt that significantly lowers the freezing point of water. When mixed with calcium perchlorate liquid water can exist down to around -70C and the salt also soaks up water vapour from the atmosphere.

New measurements from the Gale crater show that during winter nights until just after sunrise, temperatures and humidity levels are just right for liquid brine to form.

Morten Bo Madsen, a senior Mars scientist at the University of Copenhagen and a co-investigator on the Curiosity rover, said, "The soil is porous, so what we are seeing is that the water seeps down through the soil. Over time, other salts may also dissolve in the soil and now that they are liquid, they can move and precipitate elsewhere under the surface."

(Excerpt) Read more at dailytimes.com.pk ...


TOPICS: Travel
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1 posted on 04/14/2015 4:10:47 PM PDT by BenLurkin
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To: BenLurkin

They found damp ground.


2 posted on 04/14/2015 4:11:47 PM PDT by cripplecreek ("For by wise guidance you can wage your war")
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To: BenLurkin

If there is abundant water in some form on Mars then we can send equipment that can convert it to drinking water, hydrogen fuel and oxygen.

With water we can grow food there, with hydrogen and oxygen we can power vehicles and will have fuel for returning spacecraft.

Water is the thing we need there that we cannot take with us.

Making electricity on Mars is easy, solar and nuclear...but water needs to be found there waiting for us.


3 posted on 04/14/2015 4:18:13 PM PDT by Bobalu (If we live to see 2017 we will be kissing the ground)
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To: cripplecreek

If the ground is damp there must be mold there.


4 posted on 04/14/2015 4:18:39 PM PDT by jonrick46 (America's real drug problem: other people's money (the Commutist's opium addiction).)
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To: Bobalu

Long-term thinking: Find and divert an ice asteroid/moon into Mars atmosphere at the proper angle. Even tho most of it would “burn up” it would still add some necessary components to the Martian atmosphere. And some amount of water/ice as well.
I read there’s ice aplenty circling Saturn. There’s probably some in the asteroid belt, who knows that?


5 posted on 04/14/2015 4:27:44 PM PDT by citizen (WalkeRubio RIGHT For You 2016)
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To: BenLurkin

But i thought the science was settled about liquid water on Mars? :)


6 posted on 04/14/2015 4:27:45 PM PDT by GeronL (CLEARLY CRUZ 2016)
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To: citizen

A few thousand of them possibly


7 posted on 04/14/2015 4:29:14 PM PDT by GeronL (CLEARLY CRUZ 2016)
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To: citizen; Bobalu; GeronL
Even tho most of it would “burn up” it would still add some necessary components to the Martian atmosphere. And some amount of water/ice as well.

Without a strong magnetic field (as Earth has), solar wind would just blow the additional atmospherics right off (over time)...

Our moon - and how our Earth-moon system came to be - is apparently quite unusual, and is responsible not only for our planet being so stable, but also for having such a rich atmosphere.

8 posted on 04/14/2015 4:39:23 PM PDT by Yossarian
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To: citizen; Bobalu; GeronL
Let me try that again:

Even tho most of it would “burn up” it would still add some necessary components to the Martian atmosphere. And some amount of water/ice as well.

Without a strong magnetic field (as Earth has), solar wind would just blow the additional atmospherics right off (over time)...

Our moon - and how our Earth-moon system came to be - is apparently quite unusual, and is responsible not only for our planet being so stable, but also for having such a rich but complex-life-supporting atmosphere.

9 posted on 04/14/2015 4:40:48 PM PDT by Yossarian
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To: Bobalu

Once government is established Mars’ future is over.


10 posted on 04/14/2015 4:42:46 PM PDT by Secret Agent Man (Gone Galt; Not averse to Going Bronson.)
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To: BenLurkin

Gene Hunt’s Cortina maybe leaking some coolant.


11 posted on 04/14/2015 4:47:35 PM PDT by wally_bert (There are no winners in a game of losers. I'm Tommy Joyce, welcome to the Oriental Lounge.)
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To: BenLurkin

With the millions spent on this Mars rover, why didn’t it carry a microscope to examine anything it dug up?


12 posted on 04/14/2015 4:48:15 PM PDT by jonrick46 (America's real drug problem: other people's money (the Commutist's opium addiction).)
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To: citizen

That would be man made climate change therefore not possible for US to do it. The Russians or some other country could and it would be OK.


13 posted on 04/14/2015 4:48:48 PM PDT by wally_bert (There are no winners in a game of losers. I'm Tommy Joyce, welcome to the Oriental Lounge.)
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To: BenLurkin

A clump of dehydrated water is proof positive of life. Yet, a baby, with a heartbeat, movement and all body parts can be dismembered with a vacuum cleaner, because after all, it’s not really viable life.

Uh huh.

There’s no life on Mars until Martin the Martian snaps a selfie with the rover


14 posted on 04/14/2015 4:53:40 PM PDT by cyclotic (Join America's premier outdoor adventure association for boys-traillifeusa.com)
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To: Bobalu
Making electricity on Mars is easy, solar and nuclear...

No, it isn't easy. In fact, power will be the key limiting factor preventing the early and/or easy (much less cheap) attainment of permanent presence on Mars. Solar flux is half that of Earth's, meaning that twice the mass of solar arrays have to be soft-landed on a planet with twice the gravity of the Moon, so evaluate that multiplicative factor of four by the rocket equation. It's ugly.

Nuclear could provide the requisite power levels, except that a space reactor of appropriate size (10 megawatt-class) does not exist -- and won't for the foreseeable future.

15 posted on 04/14/2015 4:56:55 PM PDT by Cincinatus (Omnia relinquit servare Rempublicam)
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To: Yossarian

Thanks for the info.

It’s time to switch your bottles :)


16 posted on 04/14/2015 5:14:34 PM PDT by citizen (WalkeRubio RIGHT For You 2016)
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To: cripplecreek

I warned the poodles.. Dont pee there.


17 posted on 04/14/2015 5:16:32 PM PDT by NormsRevenge (Semper Fi - Revolution is a'brewin!!!)
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To: jonrick46

It does have some analyzing capability.


18 posted on 04/14/2015 5:16:57 PM PDT by citizen (WalkeRubio RIGHT For You 2016)
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ON Mars?

Never mind


19 posted on 04/14/2015 5:17:00 PM PDT by NormsRevenge (Semper Fi - Revolution is a'brewin!!!)
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To: BenLurkin

Jerry Brown! California is saved!


20 posted on 04/14/2015 5:18:51 PM PDT by OwenKellogg (CRUZ to Victory! Donate at tedcruz.org)
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