A recent study led by Michael Hecht from MIT’s Haystack Observatory challenges the assumption that water was the primary liquid on Mars. The study suggests that liquid carbon dioxide could have played a significant role in shaping the Martian surface, and proposes three plausible cases for its existence.
The study, led by Michael Hecht from MIT’s Haystack Observatory, suggests that liquid carbon dioxide (CO2) could have played a significant role in shaping the Martian surface. This idea challenges the widely-held assumption that water was the primary liquid on Mars.
Recent studies on carbon sequestration have shown that mineral alteration can occur in liquid CO2, sometimes even more rapidly than in water. The authors of the study argue that similar reactions could have occurred on early Mars, leading to the formation of certain minerals.
The proposal is compatible with current knowledge of Martian atmospheric content and implications for Mars surface mineralogy. The authors also explore the latest carbon sequestration research and conclude that “LCO2–mineral reactions are consistent with the predominant Mars alteration products: carbonates, phyllosilicates, and sulfates.”
The study proposes three plausible cases for liquid CO2 on the Martian surface:
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Stable Surface Liquid: The possibility of stable surface liquid CO2.
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Basal Melting under CO2 Ice: The melting of CO2 ice under pressure, leading to the formation of a liquid CO2 layer.
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Subsurface Reservoirs: The existence of subsurface reservoirs containing liquid CO2.
The study highlights the need for further laboratory investigations under more realistic conditions to test whether the same chemical reactions occur. Hecht emphasizes that understanding how sufficient liquid water was able to flow on early Mars is a significant question in Mars science, and this proposal provides another possible piece of the puzzle.
