Location
Orbital ATK Conference Center
Start Date
5-7-2018 10:20 AM
Description
- New evidence in 2011 suggests the presence of liquid water on Mars through a phenomenon called recurring slope lineae (RSL) (McEwen et al., 2011) - RSL are hypothesized to form via deliquescence and are predominantly found in the Martian equatorial region and southern mid-latitudes - Most common salt detected in RSL sites is magnesium perchlorate Mg(ClO4)2, a salt that significantly lowers the freezing point of brines, allowing an aqueous state as low as -68 ℃, perhaps supporting life (Toner, Catling, & Light, 2014) - Subsurface ice has also been revealed via digging by Phoenix Lander and post-crater impacts - Some models suggest that as much as 1 cm of ice could be present at the floor of the crater (Kossacki, 2011) presenting an opportunity for a transient water phase at an impact crater that has hydroscopic salts, creating another potential niche for life - The formation of transient liquid brines has also been observed by Curiosity rover at Gale crater (Martin-Torres et al., 2015)
Assessing Habitability in RSL and Other Potential Perchlorate-Driven Habits on Mars
Orbital ATK Conference Center
- New evidence in 2011 suggests the presence of liquid water on Mars through a phenomenon called recurring slope lineae (RSL) (McEwen et al., 2011) - RSL are hypothesized to form via deliquescence and are predominantly found in the Martian equatorial region and southern mid-latitudes - Most common salt detected in RSL sites is magnesium perchlorate Mg(ClO4)2, a salt that significantly lowers the freezing point of brines, allowing an aqueous state as low as -68 ℃, perhaps supporting life (Toner, Catling, & Light, 2014) - Subsurface ice has also been revealed via digging by Phoenix Lander and post-crater impacts - Some models suggest that as much as 1 cm of ice could be present at the floor of the crater (Kossacki, 2011) presenting an opportunity for a transient water phase at an impact crater that has hydroscopic salts, creating another potential niche for life - The formation of transient liquid brines has also been observed by Curiosity rover at Gale crater (Martin-Torres et al., 2015)
Comments
Poster Session