Meridiani Ice theory, New theory for the formation of the Meridiani bedrock Options

[Doc]

Hi all, long time no see.
Yet another theory to explain the origin for the bedrock encountered by Opportunity.
I first heard of this new theory from Universe Today;

http://www.universetoday.com/2009/02/16/ne...t-mars-equator/

An abstract is available at http://www.nature.com/ngeo/journal/vaop/nc...bs/ngeo438.html

The theory is interesting, but I would really be interested to know how it explains the spherules seen by Opportunity not to mention the vugs.
Thoughts any one?

[Shaka]

Having at last gained access to and read your paper with Michalski, I can congratulate you on your contribution to the Meridiani provenance debate. I look forward to reading the responses of the MER P.I.s who presently sponsor the "warm, wet playa" alternative hypothesis. Probably some of those responses have already been aired at the LPSC, but those of us unfortunates unable to attend must languish in ignorance of the state of play. It would be tremendously exciting for UMSF members if that discussion could visit this forum, but those involved may prefer to rely on the traditional, slower, more thoughtful avenues of debate in the refereed literature. I'm not sure of my own preference in the long term, but I am eager to see the outcome of this collision of hypotheses.

You interpret the regionally-uniform, but locally-improbable chemical ratios of Meridiani sediments as the result of regionally-uniform, but locally-confined reactions in icy microcosms. I am wondering if your model permits quantification of the microcosm system to such an extent that you might be able to predict, at least approximately, the abundances of chemical species found at present. You emphasize, for example, the very limited abundance of water in your reactive system. Could this serve to predict the limited size of the "blueberry" concretions? This issue is one of considerable interest to many of us, including Don Burt, who has listed it among the reasons he favors his "brine splat" impact hypothesis over the greenhouse-playa model. I am less convinced that a series of random meteor impacts might produce the present picture of Meridiani sediments, but I would be strongly persuaded toward your "icy-test tubes" model if you could predict the size-distribution of blueberries. That's probably asking a lot, but, if beyond reason, might you suggest another quantitative observation that would permit a clear choice from the three models? (Or do you feel you have already done that?)

In any case let me add my thanks for your willingness to discuss your ideas in this forum. I hope your experience here will prove congenial enough to persuade other senior authors to emerge from 'lurk-mode' and join in our "cyber-seminar".