What is Mars Made Of?

universetoday.com ^ | February 25, 2015 | Matt Williams on

[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.

[mountainlion]

Green cheese?

The moon is made of green cheese. Mars is made of red cheese.

[Vendome]

Red Beets?

[cripplecreek]

Well, not quite. Not the kind of soil that has had eons of moisture , decayed plant and animal material in it along with little microscopic bugs and things to aerate it.

That is my first problem with the plan to send people on a one way trip to mars. The surface soil appears to be quite sterile and highly alkaline. You can't just scoop up some martian dirt, throw it in a pot, put tomato seeds and water in it and expect it to grow.

The soil will need a lot of conditioning including a whole series of microbial treatments.

[Jack Hydrazine]

What if Mars tips over like Guam?

[Obama_Is_Sabotaging_America]

Nougat? Here's a photo of Mars right next to the Milky Way:

[Zeneta]

Well, you know that “Rust never Sleeps”

[jmacusa]

Indeed. But without an atmosphere to shield the planet from deadly radiation, nothing is going to happen. The creation of an atmosphere is a kind of ‘’ankle bone connected to the leg bone’’ thing. You need a molten iron core to generate a magnetic field which creates and atmosphere and contains it. Once the inner core cools down, the magnetic field weakens and the atmosphere begins to evaporate. Once the core has cooled to the point where it cannot sustain the magnetic field, it’s game over.

[jmacusa]

I’ve heard that. I know there’s also “Diamonds And Rust’’. :-)

[D Rider]

so not all dirt is the same, some dirt is earth and some dirt is mars...but all dirt can still make you dirty.

[Zeneta]

But,”Diamonds they fade”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqYUeX5T0V4

[lentulusgracchus]

Chill, FRiend. Don't get all Malcolm-X surly and stuff.

Conservatives have time for a glass or two of Beaujolais and a chunk of a nice Wensleydale. Or perhaps a very stout Zin and a slab of Jarlsberg.

Hold the Brie, though. It's reserved for snotty liberal Hahvuhd types.

[knarf]

Asiago ?

[Fungi]

Relax, already on my second brew but no cheese tonight. :)

[lentulusgracchus]

What if Mars tips over like Guam?

That's a good point. Guam used to be Maug, before it tipped over. That explains Guam's proximity to its daughter Island, Maug Maug, in the Ulithi Group.

[knarf]

makes y’fahts REALLY stink.

[JimSEA]

Good article. The contrast between Mars abd the Earth with its molten core and the resulting magnetic field and continuing plate tectonics seems stark. The rock cycle (which is also the water and gas cycle) continues pushing water and gas onto the surface. Our oceans and atmosphere have never had the option to bleed off into space.

Of course, life on earth was the cause of the great oxygenization event and the O3 blanket that further protects surface life here as well as permitting most species. If there is life on Mars, you’d expect it to be or have been deep in moist areas of the crust. As microbial life exists in seemingly hostile environments here, you would expect that on Mars it would have stayed there.

[lentulusgracchus]

You're right..... NO cheese with brewskis, not if you love your family (or your cat).

(A dog would probably think it's funny.)

[FlingWingFlyer]

I like to refer to it as “the Big Cherry”.

[odds]

Red sumthin...but RED!

[Zeneta]

Red sumthin...but RED!

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What are the Odds?

Odds.