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So, where did the water on Mars come from?
The Toronto Star ^ | 3/7/04 | Terence Dickinson

Posted on 03/07/2004 2:21:58 AM PST by LibWhacker

The Mars rover Opportunity's examination of Martian rocks last week provided the first convincing evidence that our neighbour world was once "awash" in water, as one NASA scientist described it.

But where did the water come from? And why does Mars have no liquid water now, while Earth apparently has been covered with the stuff for 4 billion years?

Scientists are just beginning to piece the story together, and it goes right back to the beginning.

Mars, like Earth, was formed from dusty and rocky debris left over after the sun was born 4.57 billion years ago.

Initially, there were more planets in our solar system than the nine we recognize today, perhaps twice as many.

Earth suffered an especially brutal encounter with one of them 4.52 billion years ago, when a wayward body the size of Mars smashed into it. Our planet was almost split in two. Molten rock was splashed out into space and later condensed in orbit to form the moon.

The impact blasted the Earth's atmosphere into space, boiled off any water and turned our planet's surface into a sea of molten rock. Venus, Mercury and Mars, the other approximately Earth-sized planets, likely suffered similar collisions around the same time, though no large moons remain orbiting those worlds.

By 4.4 billion years ago, the Earth's surface had cooled enough to have a solid crust.

The formation of the planets was an inefficient process and for millions of years the Earth and the other planets were bombarded by what astronomers call planetesimals — essentially leftover chunks from the birth of the solar system, up to a few hundred kilometres in diameter.

By 3.9 billion years ago, the bombardment began to subside, but evidence for it is visible in binoculars when you look at the craters on the moon, the majority of which date from 3.9 billion to 4.4 billion years ago, when the planetesimals were raining down.

The puzzling part of this is that Earth's oceans, and now probably the water that was on Mars, both date from this period. Where did it come from?

The only reasonable answer is comets. Comets were formed farther out from the sun than Earth, but in such abundance that they also rained down in the early solar system.

They came into the inner solar system as frozen water — giant snowballs — depositing vast amounts of liquid water on Earth and apparently on Mars too.

Because of Earth's distance from the sun, our planet's surface temperature remains, on average, between the freezing and boiling points of water.

Moreover, Earth's atmosphere acts like a lid, trapping most of the moisture.

Mars, on the other hand, is too far from the sun to stay warm and too small to gravitationally trap a dense enough atmosphere to bottle up what warmth it does have.

The comet-fed oceans it likely had either escaped into space or ended up trapped in cold storage as permafrost.

To test these ideas, the Mars rovers will continue their explorations.

The comet part of the equation will be investigated this summer, when two comets float into Earth's sky in May.

They are expected to be bright enough to allow astronomers to examine them for further clues to the origin of water on Earth and Mars.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Terence Dickinson is editor of Skynews magazine and author of books for backyard astronomers.


TOPICS: Miscellaneous; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: abiogenesis; bigsplash; biogenesis; catastrophism; chondrite; comet; comets; earlyearth; h2o; impact; louisafrank; louisfrank; mars; martiandesert; notsogreatflood; origin; originoflife; originofoceans; originoftheoceans; patrickhuyghe; smallcomets; tethysocean; thebigsplash; velikovsky; water
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To: LibWhacker
But where did the water come from?

The Culligan Man?

21 posted on 03/07/2004 5:21:16 AM PST by mewzilla
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To: LibWhacker
So if the earth had been just a little closer or farther from the sun, no people. If we had been hit by just a few more comets, no dry land, and no people. Hmmm.
22 posted on 03/07/2004 5:24:19 AM PST by Arthur McGowan
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To: LibWhacker
Interesting article. Thanks for posting it.
23 posted on 03/07/2004 5:24:57 AM PST by PGalt
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To: LibWhacker
Two parts hydrogen and one part oxygen?
24 posted on 03/07/2004 5:33:03 AM PST by DCPatriot
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To: Joe Boucher
Oddly enough, there are SOME who say the flood was not just an event that happened here on the earth, but was a literal cataclysm...I am not even pretending to understand this theory, nor do I back it, so don't flame me guys...maybe a side effect of a comet swarm hitting the earth was the fact that Mars was in the way...I do find it rather odd that the photos of Phobos and Deimos are quite similar to the photo we had earlier this year of the nucleus of a comet.
25 posted on 03/07/2004 5:36:03 AM PST by Preech1 (There is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.)
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To: LibWhacker
"Venus, Mercury and Mars, the other approximately Earth-sized planets, likely suffered similar collisions around the same time. (How convenient) Comets were formed farther out from the sun than Earth, but in such abundance that they also rained down in the early solar system.

There you go, public school in; junk science out.

26 posted on 03/07/2004 5:43:00 AM PST by patriot_wes
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To: LibWhacker
It cost NASA $1B to prove what could be concluded from a good telescope photo.

Personally, I am all for reaching beyond the limits of Earth. We will do it of course, whether I like it or not. Our pioneering spirit is instinctual, and necessary to our survival. We will continue to spread our seeds as far and wide as possible.

NASA just isn't the answere. We should invest our exploration dollars in private enterprises, offering grants and rewards for specified achievments. Safety would improve, the ins companies would see to it. Obstacles would be quickly overcome, as companies raced to reach their goals.

Companies might also supplement their govt payroll thru commercial advertising. I have no problem with a "McOrbiter"...thats where you go before transferring down to the "Wrigglies" Bubble Dome, and entering the "Phillip Morris" Decontamination Chambers (Which would also be the only place under the dome that smoking is permitted.)

27 posted on 03/07/2004 5:46:41 AM PST by NeonKnight
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To: LibWhacker
Where did the water come from? "The only reasonable answer is comets."

So then, where did the water in the comets come from?

28 posted on 03/07/2004 5:52:44 AM PST by norwaypinesavage
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To: LibWhacker
What causes free hydrogen and free oxygen to combine to make water in the first place?

29 posted on 03/07/2004 6:05:56 AM PST by William Terrell (Individuals can exist without government but government can't exist without individuals.)
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To: Crazieman
Easy. The Bush administration destroyed the martian atmosphere and used all the water.

I think you're onto something. I bet Halliburton was involved - Cheney is lining his pockets!

NO BLOOD FOR MARTIAN WATER!!!

</sarcasm

30 posted on 03/07/2004 6:49:44 AM PST by Condor51 ("Diplomacy without arms is like music without instruments." -- Frederick the Great)
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To: norwaypinesavage; LibWhacker
So then, where did the water in the comets come from?

My question, exactly!
31 posted on 03/07/2004 7:29:06 AM PST by MaryFromMichigan (Insanity isn't so bad, once you get used to it)
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To: William Terrell; Tooters
>>>What causes free hydrogen and free oxygen to combine to make water in the first place?

Heat. In the case of the our emerging solar system, heat from the coalescing solar nebula. Something (radiation pressure from the young Sun?) shoved water and dust far away, out into the realm of the Oort Cloud where comets are believed to abound. Occasionally something disturbs the cloud (nearby passage of another star, some theorize) and sends comets towards the inner solar system.
32 posted on 03/07/2004 8:33:55 AM PST by ngc6656 (Freepaholics Anonymous advisory: Don't freep and drive.)
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To: ngc6656
Thanks for the quick response, ngc6656.
Do you have time for one more question?
I heard there was a movie called "Mars Needs Women".
Is that true?
Does Mars need women?
If so, why?

33 posted on 03/07/2004 8:41:38 AM PST by MaryFromMichigan (Insanity isn't so bad, once you get used to it)
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To: Arthur McGowan
So if the earth had been just a little closer or farther from the sun, no people. If we had been hit by just a few more comets, no dry land, and no people. Hmmm.

IMO, Authur, it would have required more than a few more comets. But you have hit on how critical small changes in distances (on an astronomical scale) are to the question of the existance of life as we know it in any planetary system.

34 posted on 03/07/2004 8:45:05 AM PST by ngc6656 (Freepaholics Anonymous advisory: Don't freep and drive.)
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To: Tooters
I heard there was a movie called "Mars Needs Women". Is that true? Does Mars need women? If so, why?

Why am I sitting here laughing, is this a trick question? ;>)

I do not know the answer. If you do, please share it with us!

35 posted on 03/07/2004 8:50:42 AM PST by ngc6656 (Freepaholics Anonymous advisory: Don't freep and drive.)
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To: LibWhacker
Q: Where did the water on Mars come from?

A: Where did the water on Earth come from?

36 posted on 03/07/2004 8:51:53 AM PST by Bloody Sam Roberts (If you can read this...you're too close.)
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To: LibWhacker
So, where did the water on Mars come from?

There are theories......

37 posted on 03/07/2004 9:00:49 AM PST by uglybiker (Evil Overlord Rule #86: Don't turn into a snake. It never helps.)
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To: ngc6656
Heat combines free hydrogen and free oxygen, and electricity separates them? Has anybody combined the two elements into water using artificial heat?

38 posted on 03/07/2004 9:32:57 AM PST by William Terrell (Individuals can exist without government but government can't exist without individuals.)
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To: William Terrell
Has anybody combined the two elements into water using artificial heat?

Many times in high school chemistry and physics classes, I would guess.

39 posted on 03/07/2004 9:49:51 AM PST by ngc6656 (Freepaholics Anonymous advisory: Don't freep and drive.)
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To: LibWhacker
For that to be the case, earth's temperature would have to have been too high to allow liquid water except at the poles.
40 posted on 03/07/2004 10:06:42 AM PST by Old Professer
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