Final Project

Kenneth G.

Legislator:  Craig Eiland, Representative

(Click on the image above to enlarge.)

Is there Liquid Water on or Below the Surface of Mars?

The above question, if answered in the affirmative, will be the accelerant in establishing our presence on Mars. Answering the question whether there has ever been water on Mars may in itself bring about advances
in altering the atmosphere of Mars in a way that would allow human habitation in the future. Finding water on Mars in any form will allow for a Mars based fuel source as well as life sustaining oxygen for human habitation. Water, fuel, and oxygen derived from the water on Mars would eliminate the need for carrying these products from Earth.  I propose a search the presence of water or the past presence of liquid water by searching for the existence of methane hydrate deposits.
           

NASA has used photographic analysis of the surface of Mars which has revealed formations that are very similar to surface formations that are the result of liquid water. Searching for liquid water on Mars has been approached from many directions with, from my point of view, if successful, will result in the desired result of finding the water. I propose adding the following idea to the equation. A search for the presence of and the mapping of methane hydrate deposits on Mars will provide evidence of past oceans, define the boundaries of these oceans, and locate a vast source of greenhouse gas that has proven its ability to increase the temperature of the atmosphere on earth and provide an alternate source for fuel on Mars.  Located along the shorelines of our oceans on earth are large deposits of methane hydrate, as shown in the attached model. Locating similar deposits on Mars may very well reveal the shoreline of past oceans on Mars and provide further evidence for those areas that have been identified as possible sites of past bodies of water on Mars. Methane hydrate is formed beneath the sea floor when algae from the surface dies and sinks. The map in my model reveals the correlation between ocean shorelines and the methane hydrate deposits.  The most concentrated areas of methane hydrate deposits are near Central America, southern North America, northern South America, and around Japan and the Philippines.  Provided my hypothesis holds up, and Mars similar deposits are discovered, we may very well prove the existence of past oceans on Mars and define their shorelines.  Knowing the location and boundaries of past oceans would enhance the search for liquid water aquifers well below the surface, and the presence of frozen water near the surface.  NASA has found evidence pointing to possible locations of liquid water on Mars.  Many Martian craters are surrounded by land formations that look like mudflows.  The presence of the mudflow indicates water was present for a period of time.  NASA is now targeting the mudflows around Martian craters for concentrated efforts in the search for liquid water
near the surface.  Some more possible locations of water locations on Mars are a permafrost layer up to 1 km thick, oxidation products and clay minerals, and layered pole deposits. Taken together, these reservoirs could hold what is equivalent to a layer of water around 0.5 km thick, if uniformly spread over the Martian surface.  Evidence of what looks like water flows on Mars have
been found recently, and anywhere there is evidence of flowing water there should be a search for a subsurface reservoir nearby.  There are pictures showing what looks like a definite past stream bodies flowing and exiting in a
delta like fashion depositing minerals and float in the delta. Searching locations with these attributes for concentrated Hydrated compounds may be another good approach in which to search for water on Mars.
Just prior to the last ice age there is evidence that the dissolution of large pockets of these deposits raised the temperature of the Earth’s atmosphere by as much as ten degrees F.  Future discussions may include the use of large deposits of methane hydrate to modify the atmosphere of Mars by raising its temperature. Raising the temperature of the atmosphere may allow for the
melting of subsurface water ice layers and allow for the release of deep liquid water aquifers.  The methane released through the dissolution of methane hydrate deposits may be a useful fuel source on Mars as well.
In my model I am going to make a map of Mars with some dots indicating methane hydrate deposits.  They aren’t true locations of methane hydrate deposits, should they exist, they are hypothetical.  It is to show the significance if methane hydrate deposits are indeed found on Mars. If, for instance, those dots were the true locations of methane hydrate deposits then the shorelines
can be determined and the search area for subsurface water ice layers, or aquifers is significantly reduced.
You have read my ideas on what I would do to find water on Mars, and where possibly that water may be.  The attached poster is the maps of the true Earth methane hydrate deposits and my Mars map of hypothetical methane hydrate deposits.

Resources:
“Extinctiontraced to methane burp”, By Associated Press.
http://www.enn.com/news/wire-stories/2000/07/07272000/ap_burp_15126.asp

“Locations andQuantity”, ICGTI.
http://www.hydrate.org/earth.cfm

Gornitz, V. 1997. Mars:Geology. In Encyclopedia of Planetary Sciences (J.H.
Shirley andR.W. Fairbridge, Eds.), pp. 441-449. Chapman & Hall.  
http://www.giss.nasa.gov/research/intro/gornitz.03/

“Methane Hydrate... Climate Killer or EnvironmentalSavior?”, AuthorID:5886
http://www.unsolvedmysteries.com/usm36060.html

Last Updated: 07/17/01