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JS Princeton
15-March-2003, 01:42 AM
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/2846897.stm
Zap
15-March-2003, 01:45 AM
Stupid question: how could liquid water on Mars persist under a thin CO2 atmosphere and frigid temperatures?

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<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Zap on 2003-03-14 21:45 ]</font>
DStahl
15-March-2003, 02:15 AM
Sodium chloride brine freezes at about -6<sup>o</sup> Fahr, or about -21<sup>o</sup> C. I think calcium chloride brine would stay liquid at even lower temperatures.

"Some current models propose that secondary minerals in the meteorites were formed by evaporation of a Martian groundwater brine." reference (http://www.montana.edu/~wwwmsgc/Text/BrineEvapMars.html)

So the thought is that the water picked up salts of some sort as it percolated through the rock, I guess.

Another nice Martian link to go with the one posted by John Kierein. Thanks, JS Princeton.
Rift
15-March-2003, 07:24 AM
Yeah, and Hoagland is upset he didn't get mention in the article...

http://www.enterprisemission.com

He wants you to write in to BBC and complain.
Glom
15-March-2003, 11:07 AM
I'll complain to the BBC.

"Dear Mr. Dyke,

I am writing to complain about the science section of your news service. To date, you have never produced an article saying that Richard Hoagland is an idiot. This information is of vital importance to the British public and to the world in general and so I urge you to immediately spread the word that Hoagland is a crackpot.

Yours sincerely,

Glom of Glommage."
beskeptical
17-March-2003, 07:42 AM
On 2003-03-14 21:45, Zap wrote:
Stupid question: how could liquid water on Mars persist under a thin CO2 atmosphere and frigid temperatures?


Mars can be as warm as 50<sup>0</sup>F right at the surface. Go up in inches it doesn't take long to get to -50<sup>0</sup>F.

The liquid doesn't persist. The first of these features were noticed on the sides of craters that received more solar rays. The water tracks were noted to be over older dust storm features. At that time no actual water was observed. It looks like searching has found a correlating feature that appears wet and has changed between pics.

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<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: beskeptical on 2003-03-17 03:43 ]</font>