MSL - SAM and CHEMIN, Discussion of the science/results from these instruments |
MSL - SAM and CHEMIN, Discussion of the science/results from these instruments |
Nov 21 2012, 11:46 AM
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Senior Member Group: Admin Posts: 3108 Joined: 21-December 05 From: Canberra, Australia Member No.: 615 |
ADMIN NOTE: Hi All, a new topic for the discussion of the science from the SAM and Chemin instruments.
There has been a very important amendment to Rule 1.3 which is explained here. Please remember Rule 1.3 at all times when discussing matters in this section. |
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Mar 12 2013, 09:24 PM
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Junior Member Group: Members Posts: 94 Joined: 11-August 12 Member No.: 6536 |
Today's announcement looks like a mixture of good and bad news. The good news is that habitability potential is high. There is liquid water which is close to neutral and not too salty. There is food. There are nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorous. There are clays which are good for trapping organic matter, and the environment is not highly oxidizing. The one remaining issue is how persistent the wet conditions were. The geologists indicated that the wetness might have been intermittent, but they didn't rule out a long lived lake, which would be much better for habitability.
The bad news is that the rocks contain perchlorate, which will make detecting organics much more complex and ambiguous. Perchlorate is extremely soluble, so it was likely washed into the rocks by groundwater long after the rocks formed. SAM has a big bag of tricks, so we will have to wait and see what the instrument can do with this sample. The D/H ratio seems to be a lot different from modern values, so that points to an old deposit. It will be compared to Martian meteorites, and with luck it may provide a relative age for Glenelg. |
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