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Curiouser And Curiouser: NASA's Curiosity Rover Finds Piles Of Silica On Mars
NPR ^ | 12/18/2015 | Bill Chappell

Posted on 12/19/2015 4:50:10 PM PST by BenLurkin

In a finding that suggests "considerable water activity" on Mars, NASA says its Curiosity rover has found very high concentrations of silica on the red planet. The agency says it also found "a mineral named tridymite, rare on Earth and never seen before on Mars."

The discoveries took place on Mount Sharp, where Curiosity drilled into a rock called "Buckskin" to find the tridymite, and where it used its "ChemCam" laser to measure high silica levels. The odd findings led researchers to take the rare step of ordering Curiosity to retrace its path to learn more.

Explanations for the high silica levels "all require considerable water activity," says Jens Frydenvang of Los Alamos National Laboratory and the University of Copenhagen. He adds, "and on Earth high silica deposits are often associated with environments that provide excellent support for microbial life."

(Excerpt) Read more at npr.org ...


TOPICS: Astronomy; Science
KEYWORDS: curiosity; gilbertlevin; jackfarmer; labeledrelease; mars; opalinesilica; panspermia; silica; stevenruff; xplanets
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To: cripplecreek

Looks like parts of New Mexico near Gallup


21 posted on 12/19/2015 6:28:38 PM PST by BigEdLB (Take it Easy, Chuck. I'm Not Taking it Back -- Donald Trump)
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To: cripplecreek

There are more sharp edged peaks in this one picture than in any pics I’ve seen taken on the lunar surface. Pretty though even without any tress or shrubbery.


22 posted on 12/19/2015 6:29:08 PM PST by NCC-1701 (You have your fear, which might become reality; and you have Godzilla, which IS reality.)
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To: BenLurkin

Isn’t “silica” another name for “sand?”


23 posted on 12/19/2015 6:40:14 PM PST by E. Pluribus Unum ("We are not a nation of immigrants. We are a nation of citizens." -- Mark Levin)
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To: cripplecreek

We need to terraform Mars, then pollute it until the Greenies freak.

Or would they be called Reddies.


24 posted on 12/19/2015 6:42:15 PM PST by Lazamataz (It has gotten to the point where any report from standard news outlets must be fact-checked.)
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To: cripplecreek

The Arab/Muslims should love Mars.


25 posted on 12/19/2015 6:44:20 PM PST by StormEye
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To: Lazamataz
We need to terraform Mars, then pollute it until the Greenies freak.

Wouldn't greening Mars technically be polluting it?

26 posted on 12/19/2015 6:46:41 PM PST by Mannaggia l'America
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To: Dr.Deth

NO KILL I


27 posted on 12/19/2015 6:58:32 PM PST by CTyank
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To: BenLurkin
At one time tridymite was considered rare, but that was before widespread testing of many different volcanic rocks turned out to contain lots of small to microscopic crystals of tridymite. Its wide spread distribution in certain types of rocks would require an abundance rating of at least common, although its identification is not easy.
28 posted on 12/19/2015 7:26:35 PM PST by Mastador1 (I'll take a bad dog over a good politician any day!)
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To: BenLurkin
I would guess that with all that water activity, there is a lush, underground habitat on Mars. The Morlocks live there and raise Eloi as slaves and sources of food. Once in a while, they spot one of our rovers and plant things in their paths as a joke.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

29 posted on 12/20/2015 4:26:01 AM PST by trebb (Where in the the hell has my country gone?)
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To: trebb
Leaked NASA photo shows one of the Martian Morlocks and Eloi captives....


30 posted on 12/20/2015 11:22:38 AM PST by BenLurkin (The above is not a statement of fact. It is either satire or opinion. Or both.)
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To: colorado tanker; KevinDavis; annie laurie; Knitting A Conundrum; Viking2002; Ernest_at_the_Beach; ..
Thanks colorado tanker.
 
X-Planets
· join · view topics · view or post blog · bookmark · post new topic · subscribe ·
Google news searches: exoplanet · exosolar · extrasolar ·

31 posted on 12/20/2015 1:46:01 PM PST by SunkenCiv (Here's to the day the forensics people scrape what's left of Putin off the ceiling of his limo.)
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To: BenLurkin
Mmmmmmm - Mary Ann!

She was always my favorite, along with Sky King's niece Penny and Elly May Clampett...

32 posted on 12/21/2015 3:31:42 AM PST by trebb (Where in the the hell has my country gone?)
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To: smokingfrog

highly plausible..


33 posted on 12/22/2015 1:15:18 PM PST by brivette
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To: cripplecreek

Arizona?


34 posted on 12/22/2015 1:16:06 PM PST by brivette
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To: BenLurkin

at least he’s not dead...


35 posted on 12/22/2015 1:18:15 PM PST by brivette
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To: BenLurkin

The big one:

http://www.hotflick.net/f/v/?q=3448037.KAnWnSVViysaIvd.jpg


36 posted on 12/23/2015 4:14:37 AM PST by SunkenCiv (Here's to the day the forensics people scrape what's left of Putin off the ceiling of his limo.)
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37 posted on 12/25/2015 12:06:01 PM PST by SunkenCiv (Here's to the day the forensics people scrape what's left of Putin off the ceiling of his limo.)
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Mars gullies likely contain ‘no water’, study says
December 21, 2015 by Pascale Mollard-Chenebenoit
http://phys.org/news/2015-12-mars-gullies.html
http://cdn.phys.org/newman/csz/news/800/2015/thisnasajplu.jpg


38 posted on 12/29/2015 12:53:53 AM PST by SunkenCiv (Here's to the day the forensics people scrape what's left of Putin off the ceiling of his limo.)
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