Martian Hydrology |
Martian Hydrology |
Nov 23 2010, 08:46 PM
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#1
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 3516 Joined: 4-November 05 From: North Wales Member No.: 542 |
An interesting article from Space Daily today: http://www.marsdaily.com/reports/Shallow_G...n_Mars_999.html
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Dec 7 2010, 07:26 PM
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#2
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Founder Group: Chairman Posts: 14434 Joined: 8-February 04 Member No.: 1 |
Den and ZLD - you're both forgetting one vital part of this puzzle. Air Pressure.
Surface conditions on Mars - at the very warmest - are playing around at the triple point of water. There would only be a tiny temperature window between ice melting, and evaporating away. http://www.cims.nyu.edu/~gladish/teaching/...ase-diagram.jpg There are times and places where liquid water could exist on the surface of Mars. Those times are uncommon, and brief. |
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Dec 8 2010, 02:03 AM
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#3
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Junior Member Group: Members Posts: 59 Joined: 12-November 09 Member No.: 5039 |
Den and ZLD - you're both forgetting one vital part of this puzzle. Air Pressure. Surface conditions on Mars - at the very warmest - are playing around at the triple point of water. There would only be a tiny temperature window between ice melting, and evaporating away. I never forget that. But with having positive Celsius temps a few *kilometers* down means than any vapor has ample time to re-freeze while it creeps through pores towards surface. I think over time this creates an extensive subsurface layer of permafrost, nearly airtight and impenetrable for water vapor from below. |
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