[meteorite-list] DRY lake beds on Mars

[E.P. Grondine]

Hi Paul - 

Perhaps the emphasis here should be on "DRY". Hoffman proposed clathrates with CO2 years ago. It has been know for quite a while that impacts release water from those clathrates; in point of fact large chaotically regular impacts may explain quite well the chaotically regular strata senn in deep cuts on Mars.

What always amazes me in every report of "watery" Mars is the emphasis on how Earth-like Mars is, instead of how Mars-like Mars is. The other item that always amazes me is that manned Mars flight enthusiasts fail to understand that every indication of water on Mars raises the possiblity of life there, and thus raises the hazard of back conatmination, and raises the amount of research and the time it will take to clear the back contamintaion hurddle, if it can be cleared at all.

Personally, I'd prefer more money being spent on investigating the cratering of Mars.

E.P. Grondine
Man and Impact in the Americas


"Really neat images of dry lake beds on Mars can be
found in  "Featured images for February 2011: Dry 
lake beds on Mars," at:

http://www.psi.edu/pgwg/images/Feb11Image.html