New Mars Forums
You are not logged in.
- Topics: Active | Unanswered
Announcement
Pages: 1
#1 Yesterday 16:13:37
- Void
- Member
- Registered: 2011-12-29
- Posts: 9,326
Ocean Nodules on Mars
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manganese_nodule
Quote:
Polymetallic nodules
Polymetallic nodules, also known as manganese nodules, are small, hard, round rocks that naturally form at the bottom of the ocean. They are found in nearly every ocean on Earth and can cover many thousands of square miles of flat, sandy seafloor known as abyssal plains. These nodules form deep water, usually between 13,000 and 19,000 feet (3,960-5790 m) below the surface, and typically measure just shy of one to three inches (2-8 cm) in length. They are very porous, meaning they are full of tiny holes, with empty space making up at least 25 to 60 percent of their total volume.
Smithsonian InstitutionPolymetallic nodules are formed by the precipitation of metals such as manganese and iron from seawater. These metals accumulate around shell fragments or shark teeth, creating a concentric layer of iron and manganese hydroxides around a core. The formation of these nodules takes millions of years and involves a series of redox oscillations driven by both abiotic and biotic processes.
Smithsonian MagazineThe discovery of "dark oxygen" in the ocean's Clarion-Clipperton Zone has revealed that these nodules may be natural "geobatteries," splitting seawater into hydrogen and oxygen through an electrochemical reaction on their surfaces. This process occurs at depths where the lack of light makes photosynthesis impossible, suggesting that "dark oxygen" plays an important role in the deep-sea ecosystem.
WikipediaPolymetallic nodules are not only significant for their potential economic value but also for their role in the deep-sea ecosystem. They support diverse microhabitats and contribute to the production of oxygen in the ocean's abyss.
Wikipedia
I am not sure if I believe in the "Dark Oxygen" notion. I need to know where the energy comes from. Electrical ground currents maybe?
But if Mars had a long lived mostly Northern Ocean, then maybe these were formed.
I expect that wind deposits would have covered them up. The South Hemisphere being more elevated and gravity and wind doing their work.
But there could be a twofer in this, as to find them is to get the resource and to also perhaps find evidence of prior life, even perhaps life that used Oxygen.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars_ocean_hypothesis
Quote:
Copilot Search Branding
Massive Mars water discovery gives clues to the Red Planet’s past | by Robert Lea | Predict | Medium
Mars is believed to have once harbored a vast ocean, potentially covering half of its northern hemisphere, with evidence suggesting it existed around three billion years ago.
The Mars Ocean Hypothesis
The Mars ocean hypothesis posits that a significant portion of Mars was covered by a primordial ocean of liquid water, often referred to as the Paleo-Ocean or Oceanus Borealis. This ocean is thought to have filled the northern lowlands of Mars, particularly the Vastitas Borealis region, approximately 4.1 to 3.8 billion years ago. Evidence supporting this hypothesis includes geographic features resembling ancient shorelines and the chemical properties of Martian soil and atmosphere.
Wikipedia
Recent Discoveries
Recent studies have provided compelling evidence for the existence of this ancient ocean. For instance, researchers have identified delta structures in the Valles Marineris canyon system, which resemble those found on Earth where rivers flow into oceans. These findings suggest that rivers once fed into a large body of water on Mars, supporting the idea that the planet was once a "blue planet" with conditions potentially suitable for life.
Smithsonian Magazine
+1
Size and Depth of the Ocean
Estimates indicate that this ancient Martian ocean could have been as large as Earth's Arctic Ocean, covering about one-fifth to half of Mars. Some regions may have reached depths greater than 1.6 kilometers (about 1 mile). The presence of liquid water on Mars would have required a denser atmosphere and a warmer climate than what is observed today, raising intriguing questions about the planet's potential to support life in its early history.
NASA
+2
Implications for Life
The existence of a primordial ocean on Mars has significant implications for astrobiology. It raises the possibility that life may have evolved on Mars when it was wetter and more hospitable. Current research continues to explore the remnants of this ocean and its potential to harbor life, either in the past or in subsurface aquifers that may still exist today.
Smithsonian Magazine
+1In summary, the evidence for an ancient ocean on Mars is growing, with ongoing research shedding light on the planet's watery past and its implications for understanding the potential for life beyond Earth.
Granted the water pressures would not be as large as for our oceans but maybe an alien planet made nodules by similar but not identical conditions.
It might also be true that if indeed the Mars ocean was being split into O2 and H2, the H2 was contributing to a greenhouse effect and the Oxygen was significant enough to stimulate "Advanced?" life.
With or without nodules, the drying up of that ocean may have precipitated mineral deposits of some kinds.
We have had seas dry up from time to time. Maybe we could determine probabilities from that evidence on the Earth.
As I said before most of the ocean bottom will be covered now by wind carried deposits, I expect.
Ending Pending 
Last edited by Void (Yesterday 16:28:07)
Is it possible that the root of political science claims is to produce white collar jobs for people who paid for an education and do not want a real job?
Offline
Like button can go here
Pages: 1