New discoveries of Mars appear to show large outcrops of carbonate bearing rocks, indicating that regions of the Red Planet could once have been an ideal environment for life to thrive. Around four billion years ago, the climate of Mars was similar to Earth, with water on the surface and a carbon dioxide atmosphere. However, since Mars has no magnetic field to protect it from the solar wind, the atmosphere was gradually stripped away and dramatic climate change turned the planet into an inhospitable desert. The chemical composition of rocks on the surface provides a clue for determining whether or not life could have survived on Mars. If conditions were right for carbonate-bearing rocks to form, they would also have been favorable for life. However, previous studies of Martian soil by missions such as the Mars Exploration Rovers in 2004 have found very little carbonate indicating that any water on the Martian surface was likely to be far too acidic to have supported life.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Carbonates confirmed on Mars
http://www.rsc.org/chemistryworld/News/2008/December/120801.asp
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3 comments:
1. interesting
2. well written
3. informative
1. he could have given his personal opinion
2. he also could have given a quote of one of the researchers.
1. I learned that the water on Mars is too acidic to support any life.
3 aspects well presented:
* interesting topic
* easy to understand
* direct to the point
2 suggestions:
* could explain more about water on mars.
* you could explain better about how the solar winds destroyed mar's atmosphere.
1 thing learned:
* I learned that we do not have idea if there were or if there is life in another planet
Good Points:
-recapped the entire article
-explained what scientists are looking at on Mars
-stated the reason why life can't exist from current discoveries
Work On:
-state what else we have found on mars
-explain in depth what discoveries would indicate life
Learned:
Mar's used to have a climate like Earth's and water like Earth around 4 billion years ago
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