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What is Mars Made Of?
universetoday.com ^ | February 25, 2015 | Matt Williams on

Posted on 02/25/2015 3:19:43 PM PST by BenLurkin

Like Earth, the interior of Mars has undergone a process known as differentiation. This is where a planet, due to its physical or chemical compositions, forms into layers, with denser materials concentrated at the center and less dense materials closer to the surface. In Mars’ case, this translates to a core that is between 1700 and 1850 km (1050 – 1150 mi) in radius and composed primarily of iron, nickel and sulfur.

This core is surrounded by a silicate mantle that clearly experienced tectonic and volcanic activity in the past, but which now appears to be dormant. Besides silicon and oxygen, the most abundant elements in the Martian crust are iron, magnesium, aluminum, calcium, and potassium. Oxidation of the iron dust is what gives the surface its reddish hue.

...

The Martian core, by contrast, is largely solid and does not move. As a result, the planet lacks a magnetic field and is constantly bombarded by radiation. It is speculated that this is one of the reasons why the surface has become lifeless in recent eons, despite the evidence of liquid, flowing water at one time.

(Excerpt) Read more at universetoday.com ...


TOPICS: Science
KEYWORDS: aluminum; calcium; catastrophism; iron; magnesium; mars; nickel; oxygen; potassium; silicatemantle; silicon; sulfur
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To: jmacusa

Exactly and soil is just one tiny link in a whole ecosystem. The primary problem is how to create a planet enveloping magnetic field to help protect your gains.

Discounting that I think I would start by putting an inflatable dome over a crater in a low lying area just to see what kind of temperature can be attained by normal solar heating and if any moisture migrates out of the soil. You would have to heat the dome at night and condition the soil but that’s the way I would start.

I did find an article about growing things in lunar and martian soil analogs. http://www.spacesafetymagazine.com/spaceflight/space-food/wageningen-ur-study-possibility-plant-growth-mars/

To me its all interesting to ponder but I have unlimited imaginary funds.


41 posted on 02/25/2015 4:06:37 PM PST by cripplecreek ("For by wise guidance you can wage your war")
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To: D Rider

Moon dirt will kill you since its essentially just microscopic shards of glass.


42 posted on 02/25/2015 4:10:02 PM PST by cripplecreek ("For by wise guidance you can wage your war")
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To: Obama_Is_Sabotaging_America

Now you have done it.

I love Mars bars.
About once every two years or so, I run across them in a store, and buy enough of them to make me feel like a pig.

Ordered them online once, but that was insanely expensive.

Read the reasoning behind why they aren’t regularly marketed in the US once, but forgot what it was.


43 posted on 02/25/2015 4:10:28 PM PST by LegendHasIt
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To: Kickass Conservative

It would appear the core is rather large as compared to the caramel mantle and the dark chocolate crust. My detailed research has revealed that much like the 3 Musketeers and Milky Way, Mars' core is made primarily of nougat.

44 posted on 02/25/2015 4:16:05 PM PST by Rodamala
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To: JRandomFreeper
"Single-mindedness is for liberals."

You're giving libs too much credit.
Good to see you posting, johnny

45 posted on 02/25/2015 4:17:02 PM PST by outofsalt ( If history teaches us anything it's that history rarely teaches us anything.)
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To: GraceG

Red Velvet Cake ???? Damn ...I’m going !!


46 posted on 02/25/2015 4:17:30 PM PST by Squantos ( Be polite, be professional, but have a plan to kill everyone you meet ...)
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To: Zeneta
Life on Mars? Not quite. Dust storm in Sydney in 2009 (not from Mars)..
47 posted on 02/25/2015 4:18:07 PM PST by odds
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To: BenLurkin

Nougat covered with chocolate?


48 posted on 02/25/2015 4:18:28 PM PST by beethovenfan (If Islam is the solution, the "problem" must be freedom.)
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To: BenLurkin

Sugar, Glucose syrup, Cocoa butter, Full cream milk powder, Cocoa mass, Vegetable fat, Lactose, Skimmed milk powder, Whey powder, Milk fat, Soya lecithin, Emulsifiers (E471), Fat reduced cocoa, Barley malt extract, Salt, Egg white powder, Glazing agent (pectin), Natural vanilla extract.


49 posted on 02/25/2015 4:19:05 PM PST by x
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To: BenLurkin

A red Pepper of some sort.


50 posted on 02/25/2015 4:21:23 PM PST by Paladin2
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To: cripplecreek

One problem about the ol’ Red Planet: terrible ass wind storms. Wind speeds of up to 400 mph are common and they can last weeks at a time. All that silica, iron, rock and Lord knows what else flying around... forget it. Thanks for the link. I have an imaginary space ship but dang it, I need a new ion- drive engine and wouldn’t you know they cost a bundle. Could you spare a few million? :-)


51 posted on 02/25/2015 4:21:29 PM PST by jmacusa (Liberalism defined: When mom and dad go away for the weekend and the kids are in charge.)
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To: Zeneta

LOL! But ‘’Diamonds Are A Girls Best Friend’’. Aren’t they? (thanks for the link.)


52 posted on 02/25/2015 4:23:42 PM PST by jmacusa (Liberalism defined: When mom and dad go away for the weekend and the kids are in charge.)
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To: Fungi
The feckless fool on the hill is destroying the country, the internet, and everything he touches, yet we are concerned about this?

Are you not?

53 posted on 02/25/2015 4:25:26 PM PST by Sirius Lee (All that is required for evil to advance is for government to do "something")
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Only Four days to go until March!

FReepers, Let's GIT_R_DONE!

54 posted on 02/25/2015 4:26:13 PM PST by RedMDer (Keep Free Republic Alive with YOUR Donations!)
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To: Zeneta

Living and breathing soil is one thing and non-living regolith is something more than just quite different.


55 posted on 02/25/2015 4:34:23 PM PST by WhiskeyX
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To: BenLurkin

Chocolate, nougat, caramel.........


56 posted on 02/25/2015 4:42:02 PM PST by Red Badger (If you compromise with evil, you just get more evil..........................)
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To: jmacusa

One also has to calculate the air pressure as well. While they may be terrific winds, they hardly exert any force at all, barely enough to lift the dust.

In the same vein, a dainty 5mph wind on Venus would knock you flat.


57 posted on 02/25/2015 4:43:25 PM PST by Crazieman (Article V or National Divorce. The only solutions now.)
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To: Fungi
and everything he touches, yet we are concerned about this?

Your feckless ambivalence over this subject is extremely disturbing.......

58 posted on 02/25/2015 4:45:03 PM PST by Hot Tabasco (Uncle Sy: "Beavers are like Ninjas, they only come out at night and they're hard to find")
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To: Hot Tabasco

Ima gonna start to cry.......


59 posted on 02/25/2015 4:50:23 PM PST by Fungi (Evolution is piece by piece over billions of years. At what point did a precursor become a human?)
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To: BenLurkin

Liberal’s good intentions?


60 posted on 02/25/2015 4:55:25 PM PST by Organic Panic
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