water, the ancient climate of mars, and life brian hynek laboratory for atmospheric and space...
TRANSCRIPT
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Water, the Ancient Climate of Mars, and Life
Brian HynekLaboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics
University of Colorado
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Current Mars Atmosphere
• Predominantly CO2 (~95%)
– minor contributions from N2, Ar, H2O, O2, CO
• Global mean temperature = 220 K
• Atm pressure = 0.6% Earth (6 millibars)– this means that water isn’t stable; even in places
where the temp gets greater than the freezing point
• ~10 precipitable microns of water in the atm
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Evidence for Past Water• The current thin, cold
atmosphere prohibits liquid water from being stable on the surface.
• However, there is ample evidence for past water
• 3 flavors of flowing surface water:
1) Valley Networks (really old)
2) Outflow Channels (pretty old)
3) Gullies (really young)
10 km
500 km
Viking Orbiter image
MOLA topography
* only one that requires a different climate than at present
Valley Networks (really old)
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Main evidence for a “warm and wet” ancient Mars
• Valley networks– clear evidence of erosion by water– there has been a long standing debate over the importance of
surface runoff vs. groundwater processes– more recent works show that precipitation was required to form
many of the features
• Widespread highland erosion (up to a km of crust lost)• Recently identified chemically weathered components of
the crust (TES and OMEGA instruments)– hematite deposits in limited locales– sulfate deposits seen in many settings on Mars– clays (phyllosilicates) also detected
• Mars Exploration Rovers show clear signs of groundwater interaction and possible signs of standing bodies of water
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Some really Some really convincing evidence convincing evidence of surface flowof surface flow
NE Holden Crater Delta MOC NA images
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Global Distribution of Valley Networks
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Amazonian (<3 Ga) Valley Networks
Implication: 90% of VNs formed in the 1st billion years of the planet’s history.
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Outflow Channels of Mars • Formed from catastrophic release of groundwater
in mid to late martian history.
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Did the Northern Lowlands Once Contain an Ocean?
Tharsis
Northern plains
VallesMarineris
Northern plains
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Ref: Owen and Bar-Nun, in R. M. Canup and K. Righter, eds., Origin of the Earth and Moon (2000), p. 463
• Deuterium/hydrogen ratios show that Mars (and Venus) lost most all of their water to space.
• For Mars, the remaining water is tied up in the subsurface and polar caps
Venus
Where did all the water go?
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Missions Greatly Improve Our Understanding of Mars
• New data sets & improved resolution can vastly change our view of the planet’s history.
One Example – The “Face” on Mars
19761976 20012001VikingMOC
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What have we learned about water on ancient Mars from recent missions?
Specifically, can we determine the role of groundwater vs. surface runoff from precipitation?
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Strahler [1958] stream order classification
1 1
1
11
1
12 22
23
3
* Higher stream order corresponds to more mature drainage systems and more contribution from surface runoff
dow
nslo
pe
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Demonstration of Technique: Mapping Valley Networks with MOLA 128 pix/deg grid and MOC WA atlas (256 pix/deg) in
ArcGIS (much of this could be done in GRIDVIEW)
Start with MOLA gridded data Create MOLA shaded relief
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Demonstration of Technique: Mapping Valley Networks with MOLA 128 pix/deg grid and MOC-
WA atlas (256 pix/deg) in ArcGIS
MOLA shaded reliefOverlay MOC WA mosaic with some
transparency
++
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Demonstration of Technique: Mapping Valley Networks with MOLA 128 pix/deg grid and MOC-
WA atlas (256 pix/deg) in ArcGIS
shaded relief + MOC WA Add a bit of MOLA color
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blue = previously recognized valley networks by Carr [1995]
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Additional valley networks seen in MGS data
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Quantitative comparison of previous and new data for previous figure
Carr [1995] This Study
# mapped valley segments
44 667
stream order 3rd 6th
total length of valleys (km)
1,308 11,161
drainage density (km-1)
7.6 × 10-3 6.5 × 10-2 *
* Typical terrestrial values determined in a similar manner range from 6.5 × 10-2 km-1 to 2.09 × 10-1 km-1 [Carr & Chuang, 1997]
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Viking MDIM and Carr VN MGS data and newly recognized VN
Comparison of old and new data
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Previously mapped unconnected valleys (blue) are now recognized as an integrated drainage system (yellow).
Carr VN on Viking base Newly recognized VN from MGS
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Numerous VNs head near divides
Centered near1ºS, 22ºE
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Conclusions
• Combination of MGS data sets provide vast improvement in image clarity and resolution with the added bonus of topographic information.
• Using the same defining characteristics for VN as Carr [1995] our mapping reveals an order of magnitude increase in the number of valleys, total valley length, and drainage density over large sections of the highlands.
• MGS data show that many previously mapped unconnected, low order segments, are part of larger integrated, mature drainage networks (multiple >5th order systems).
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Implications for Early Climate
• Newly calculated drainage densities are comparable to terrestrial values derived in a similar manner [Carr and Chuang, 1997].
• Surface runoff is the simplest explanation for:
1) integrated, mature drainage basins
2) valley heads near the top of divides
3) high stream order
4) drainage densities comparable to terrestrial values
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The obvious next step: look at higher resolution data (THEMIS and MOC NA)
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MOLA grid
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MOC WA
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THEMIS Day IR
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MOLA ~460 m/pix
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MOCWA ~230 m/pix
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THEMIS IR 100 m/pix
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older, degraded channel system
older, degraded channel system
differentdifferentflow pathsflow paths
medial ridge
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THEMIS day THEMIS day IR + MOLAIR + MOLA
5N, 33E5N, 33E
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2003 study meets THEMIS
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“undissected” region of the martian highlands
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THEMIS shows valleys everywhere!
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The jump to THEMIS VIS…
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2 rare examples of MOC NA showing highly dissected VNs
Carr and Malin, 2000 (Icarus)
18 km across 11 km across
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• Valley network identification increases up to a point.– Beyond that cutoff (~50 m resolution), few additional valleys
are seen.• Why?
– 2 choices: Small VNs did not form or they were erased.• Give terrestrial experience, the latter is preferred through resurfacing
from impact gardening, mass wasting, aeolian erosion/deposition, volcanic lavas and ash, etc., have likely obscured or removed many first order segments and tributaries of this scale.
Resolution and Data Sets
Viking MOC WA + MOLA
THEMIS IR + MOLA
few valleys 5-15 times more up to another factor of 2-4
MOC NA
very few more
~240 m/pix~3 m/pix
~100 & ~460 m/pix
~240 & ~460 m/pix
THEMIS
VIS
very few more
~19 m/pix
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Conclusion: Multiple episodes of precipitation-fed runoff is the only plausible
way to explain these features.
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Water = life, right?
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What about life on Mars???
• Mars has all the necessary ingredients for life (judging from our terrestrial experience)– Water, an energy source, and the basic elements and
compounds required make life.
• Mars likely had a very different climate in the past that was more hospitable.
• Life on Earth is exceptionally tough!
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Examples of Extreme Life: Zygogonium sp.
Zygogonium is a type of filamentous green algae that lives in really hot, acidic water!
(this and the following 3 slides from Lynn Rothschild)
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Life can flourish in cold environments too! Example: Lakes under ice in Antarctica
Life can flourish in cold environments too! Example: Lakes under ice in Antarctica
under Lake Hoare
microbial mat
preparing to dive under Lake Hoare
mat layers
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Deinococcus radiodurans (Conan the Bacterium)
• An example of survival in extreme radiation environment
• Can withstand 1,500,000 “rads”
• 500 rads kill humans!
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Categories of extremophiles Categories of extremophiles Type
Hyperthermophile
Thermophile
Mesophile
Psychrophile
Barophile
Piezophile
Xerophile
Halophile
Alkaliophile
Acidophile
Anaerobe
Miroaerophil
Aerophile
Type
Hyperthermophile
Thermophile
Mesophile
Psychrophile
Barophile
Piezophile
Xerophile
Halophile
Alkaliophile
Acidophile
Anaerobe
Miroaerophil
Aerophile
Examples
Pyrolobus fumarii -113°, Geobacter-121°
Synechococcus lividis
humans
Psychrobacter, insects
D. radiodurans
Shewanella viable at 1600 MPa
Haloarcula, Dunaliella
Spirulina, Bacillus firmus
OF4 (10.5); 12.8??
Cyanidium, Ferroplasma
Methanococcus jannaschii
Clostridium
Homo sapiens
Cyanidium caldarium
tardigrades
Examples
Pyrolobus fumarii -113°, Geobacter-121°
Synechococcus lividis
humans
Psychrobacter, insects
D. radiodurans
Shewanella viable at 1600 MPa
Haloarcula, Dunaliella
Spirulina, Bacillus firmus
OF4 (10.5); 12.8??
Cyanidium, Ferroplasma
Methanococcus jannaschii
Clostridium
Homo sapiens
Cyanidium caldarium
tardigrades
Environment
Temperature
Radiation
Pressure
Desiccation
Salinity
pH
Oxygen tension
Chemical extremes
Vacuum Electricity
Environment
Temperature
Radiation
Pressure
Desiccation
Salinity
pH
Oxygen tension
Chemical extremes
Vacuum Electricity
Definition
growth >80°C
Growth 60-80°C
Growth 15-60°C
Growth <15°C
Weight loving
Pressure loving
Cryptobiotic; anhydrobiotic
Salt loving (2-5 M NaCl)
pH >9
Low pH loving
Cannot tolerate O2
high CO2, arsenic, mercury
Definition
growth >80°C
Growth 60-80°C
Growth 15-60°C
Growth <15°C
Weight loving
Pressure loving
Cryptobiotic; anhydrobiotic
Salt loving (2-5 M NaCl)
pH >9
Low pH loving
Cannot tolerate O2
high CO2, arsenic, mercury
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Extremophile Lab:
The Great Sea Monkeys
* idea modified from David E. Trilling,
Univ. of Arizona
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The Amazing Brine Shrimp
• Sea Monkey eggs can survive dormant for >20,000 years without water
• Sea Monkeys breathe through their feet
• They are born with 1 eye but develop 2 more
• They are ideal for testing life’s response to extreme conditions since they can survive (or remain dormant) in a wide variety of conditions:
• pH of 2-10, high salinity, various radiation enviros, range of temps, etc
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The assignment is the following (see handout):
(1) Design a scientific experiment to examine the effects of some kind of extreme conditions on the revival and/or survival of dormant life forms
(2) Carry out a scientific experiment following the Scientific Method
(3) Discuss the results in terms of their hypothesis
(4) Discuss the results in the broader context of astrobiology
The Project: