Pure Sulfur Found On Mars

[Robert Zwilling]

The list of almost pure deposits easily obtained mineral resources on Mars is growing. Silica, powdered basalt dunes, ice, gypsum, and now sulfur. The Curiosity rover ran over a rock which it crushed and turned out to be a pure sulfur. This is the second time a rover's wheels have turned up a pure material by accident. The Spirit rover broke a wheel which started dragging along in the soil. The furrow turned up white deposits which turned out to be fairly pure silica. Those discoveries plus over mineral deposits suggest that steam vents or hot springs opened up on the surface as well as surface water. Digging up the vents could provide a treasure house of minerals. Another rock that Curiosity examined in the area turned out to be composed of a lot of the minerals on Mars that have been discovered since the exploration of the surface of Mars started 20 years ago.

 

[Brian G Turner]

I'm really not surprised by this after the amount of vulcanism that Mars has experienced.

 

[Dave]

I'm really not surprised by this after the amount of vulcanism that Mars has experienced.

Together with the lack of an Oxygen atmosphere to oxidise it.

 

[BAYLOR]

I'm really not surprised by this after the amount of vulcanism that Mars has experienced.

Vulcanism stopped about 3 billion years ago.

 

[BAYLOR]

Together with the lack of an Oxygen atmosphere.

No plate activity , no magnetic shield to protect Mars atmosphere and no standing water anywhere on the Planet. Mars was doomed.

 

[Brian G Turner]

Vulcanism stopped about 3 billion years ago.

Without dating evidence, anything is really just a guess.

 

[BAYLOR]

Without dating evidence, anything is really just a guess.

True , there is lot debate on that one.

It's also made me better appreciate Edgar Rice Burroughs Mars novels.

 

[Robert Zwilling]

There could be a lot going on under the surface of Mars. Mars core is still molten, generating heat which has a good chance of heating up the lower depths under the crust. Earth has an average temperature of around 55 degrees F 20 to 200 feet under the surface. 4 or 5 miles below the surface the temp is around 1500 degrees F.

If Mars had a temperate zone 100 to 200 feet below the surface, life could have retreated there as the atmosphere gradually drifted away. It would be unlikely that Mars developed complex life forms like Earth did as Mars seemed to be on the fast track to losing surface moisture and the atmosphere once the magnetic field disappeared. But probably enough time for simple life to develop. If it was small, simple life forms they probably wouldn't be rushing up to the surface to see what all the noise was about so we wouldn't see them.

Its possible that under the surface of Mars it is teeming with life that would be very hardy, and possibly taking a long time to reproduce giving them a long existence like some of Earth's deep underground life. It could stay in the lower reaches while we occupy the upper reaches. We still use caves on Earth for food storage and some caves still shelter people.

Maybe geothermal heating could be used on Mars as a free, easy to develop energy source.

With the almost pure mineral discoveries, the next one will be carbon from sediment layers from the original life, and diamonds. There are already nitrates and sulfur in the soil, so we got everything we need to make Captain Kirk's homemade cannon to fight the Gorn Captain.

 

[BAYLOR]

There could be a lot going on under the surface of Mars. Mars core is still molten, generating heat which has a good chance of heating up the lower depths under the crust. Earth has an average temperature of around 55 degrees F 20 to 200 feet under the surface. 4 or 5 miles below the surface the temp is around 1500 degrees F.

If Mars had a temperate zone 100 to 200 feet below the surface, life could have retreated there as the atmosphere gradually drifted away. It would be unlikely that Mars developed complex life forms like Earth did as Mars seemed to be on the fast track to losing surface moisture and the atmosphere once the magnetic field disappeared. But probably enough time for simple life to develop. If it was small, simple life forms they probably wouldn't be rushing up to the surface to see what all the noise was about so we wouldn't see them.

Its possible that under the surface of Mars it is teeming with life that would be very hardy, and possibly taking a long time to reproduce giving them a long existence like some of Earth's deep underground life. It could stay in the lower reaches while we occupy the upper reaches. We still use caves on Earth for food storage and some caves still shelter people.

Maybe geothermal heating could be used on Mars as a free, easy to develop energy source.

With the almost pure mineral discoveries, the next one will be carbon from sediment layers from the original life, and diamonds. There are already nitrates and sulfur in the soil, so we got everything we need to make Captain Kirk's homemade cannon to fight the Gorn Captain.

If only there were a way jump start Mars's core , that would bring back the magnetic field and wecouls put atmosphere on that planet, then oceans , lakes . Ponds and rivers . I know it on;y and impractical pipe dream . but id like to see it come to pass.

 

[Robert Zwilling]

The Earth's core has solid chunk rattling around inside of it which is apparently generating the magnetic field. Mars core is completely molten, maybe when it starts to solidify it will get back its magnetic field.