Ancient water may lie hidden within the largest volcano on Mars, researchers now say, and they speculate that such a setup could also harbor life.

While there is no firm evidence that Mars does or ever has hosted life, one of the prerequisites would be water. The surface of the red planet is bone dry, but several studies have shown liquid water may once have flowed on Mars and could still exist in pockets below the surface.

The Martian volcano Olympus Mons is about three times the height of Mount Everest, with gentle slopes that sprawl across more than 150 miles of the planet surface. The widespread volcanic material suggests the presence of water-formed clay which can reduce friction — an effect seen on Earth at volcanoes in Hawaii.

"What we were analyzing was the structure of Olympus Mons, why it's shaped the way it is," said Patrick McGovern, a geophysicist at the NASA-affiliated Lunar and Planetary Institute in Houston. "What we found has implications for life — but implications are what go at the end of a paper."

NASA's hard-digging Phoenix lander uncovered water ice last year on Mars. So some researchers think it's reasonable to suspect water that may lie trapped underneath the largest volcano in the solar system, although many suspect that it remains ice-locked.

McGovern and Julia Morgan, a Rice University geologist, used computer models to simulate how Olympus Mons might have formed. They concluded that only ancient clay sediments could account for the volcano's asymmetric shape. And where there's sediment, water must have been involved at some point.

The European Space Agency's Mars Express spacecraft has in recent years found abundant evidence of clay on Mars. This supports a previous theory that where Olympus Mons now stands, a layer of sediment once rested that may have been hundreds of meters thick.

What may be trapped underneath is of great interest, said the researchers. Fluids embedded in an impermeable, pressurized layer of clay sediment would allow the kind of slipping motion that would account for Olympus Mons' spread-out northeast flank — and may still exist in deep, trapped pockets within the volcano.

"This deep reservoir, warmed by geothermal gradients and magmatic heat and protected from adverse surface conditions, would be a favored environment for the development and maintenance of thermophilic organisms," McGovern and Morgan write in this month's issue of the journal Geology. Such primal organisms already thrive deep in Earth's ocean near geothermal vents.

Finding a source of heat would be the main challenge.

"We'd love to have the answer to that question," McGovern said, noting evidence of methane on Mars is considered by some to be another possible marker for life. Spacecraft have yet to detect a true thermal event on Mars, such as a magma flow or active volcano.

http://d.yimg.com/img.news.yahoo.com/util/anysize/345,http%3A%2F%2Fd.yimg.com%2Fa%2Fp%2Fafp%2F200902 26%2Fcapt.photo_1235679928809-1-0.jpg?v=2


"What we need is 'ground truth' — something reporting from the surface saying, 'Hey, there's a Marsquake,' or 'Hey, there's unusual emissions of gas,'" McGovern added. "Ultimately, we'd like to see a series of seismic stations so we can see what's moving around the planet."

anyone have a tape player with auto reverse for the forseeable future?

? forseeable ......foreseeable
I'm glad that there are people thinking about the possibility....but I thought that you of all people would have liked to see an article from NASA, without your 'imaginary epoch' rant.


Now if there is any life on Mars, which you cannot prove or disprove, at least they are putting their best educated guess out there....

I'd like to consider myself a thinker and I cant just give up on the idea of life on other planets because of a book written by a bunch of ancient dirt herders that tells me other wise.

Life anywhere but earth will NEVER be found, period (unless it is brought there).

Why is that??? Prove your point.

Life will be found elsewhere in the universe. It's only a matter of time.

Life will be found elsewhere in the universe. It's only a matter of time.

Even if there is life somewhere else in the universe, we'll never know. Unless it's in our own solar system, the distances and times involved are far too vast.

I don't need to prove my case, you need to prove your own. Problem is, you can't, and you won't prove anything.


My case is that searching for life off of this planet is justifiable as exploring the rest of the universe, the first is just part of the latter.


Yes you do have to prove your point...you just cant throw down blanket statements like 'There isn't any life outside of the earth' and not back it up. So back it up punk, where is your evidence? Put up or STFU.

the first part is religious in nature, not scientific

No it isn't.



no, the burden in on YOU...life is only found on this planet, that's what we KNOW to be true....you come along and see it exists otherwise...you make the claims, you need to provide the evidence to back up those claims...how retarded are you, anyway?

Actually it was you who started with the absolutes stating that life will "Never" be found. That is not something we know to be true. So why then will life "Never" be found? It's your statement which requires the evidence to back it up.



indeed...

What are you 12?

no, the burden in on YOU...life is only found on this planet, that's what we KNOW to be true....you come along and see it exists otherwise...you make the claims, you need to provide the evidence to back up those claims...how retarded are you, anyway?


I dont have to back up anything because I have not assert it, neither has this article. They are just stating that IF life is there, this would be the most likely place. Thats it period. We know what it takes on earth to harbor life, so they are guessing at where on Mars are the most Earth like conditions. They never said once that it does exist....


Now back to your blanket statement. You and your stupid double talk. I swear a 3 year old makes more sense.

You make a claim, now you back it up. You state that earth is the only place with life on it, so why do you hold this to be true? Because that is the only evidence that we have? Thats only a half truth and you know it. So what else do you know that would make this statement true?
Put up or STFU......

You make a claim, now you back it up. You state that earth is the only place with life on it, so why do you hold this to be true? Because that is the only evidence that we have? Thats only a half truth and you know it. So what else do you know that would make this statement true?
Put up or STFU......

FWIW, as an outside observer, this makes sense. YZF, you made a claim and got called out on it. Correct me if I am wrong, but usually those making claims are the ones who are suppose to provide the supporting evidence in an argument. If your point is going to be the first few lines in Genesis, you're going to have to do better than that ;)

again, all the evidence we have points to the fact earth is alone in a desolate universe, so to argue otherwise would require some evidence, dipshit

:lmfao:

the assertion is that water = life


BTW, to get you update, yes they have found water on Mars.
NASA Spacecraft Confirms Martian Water, Mission Extended
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/phoenix/news/phoenix-20080731.html



But back to your claim, what evidence do you have that earth is the only place with life on it!!!! Obviously there's a reason you dont have kids because it seems that you dont have the balls to post it.

As for the base assertion, THERE HASNT BEEN ONE THAT LIFE EXISTS ON MARS....get it in your head!
You made the assertion that life only exists on earth, BACK IT UP!

no, I'm not making the claim life exists on other planets, I'm making the statement that it has never been found, and the counter assertion that it never will be

the base assertion/claim requires evidence before the argument can go forward, capiche?

Where in the original post did it say that life will exist outside of the Earth? From what I could gather, they are stating life could exist because of evidence of water, but they still have to explore to find out. :yesnod:

I guess facts are hilarious to religious people, huh?

Pointing out why you never laugh?

Here's my theory: There very well could be life elsewhere. There are enough galaxies, planets, etc. to make it likely. The odds of finding it are worse than the odds of winning the lottery, though.

On a side note, I love that Mark and the brotherhood already have their arguments in place: "Life will never be found elsewhere, unless it's brought there." So, if life is found elsewhere, it will be deemed a contaminant. Then, if it's different from anything we have on Earth, it will be a testing mistake. Then, if they prove it's not a testing mistake, it will be "a previously undiscovered species which those damn scientists keep claiming is from Mars!"

Predictable, isn't it?

I continue to be amazed at well conditioned/brainwashed the public is to alien life mythology....I believed in it when I was about six years old, kind of like Santa Claus

talk about turning the tables!

Where's Alanis Morrissette, because shit is getting ironic in here!

more people need to watch this vid....no mention of God or the scriptures

http://www.illustramedia.com/tppinfo.htm

Then why watch it? ;)

again, this is based on the religious/darwinist concept that life arose spontaneously by chance

problem is, it didn't, chance has NOTHING to do with the origin of anything

Mark, the difference between you and everyone else in this thread is that you speak in absolutes. Just because you repeat yourself 100 times doesn't make your faith suddenly become fact.

Mark, there is a chance you are wrong. Only a fool believes he has it all figured out.

it's axiomatic, psychopath


The earth is the only place where life exists? Thats an axiom?!?!?! WTF, thats stupid on your point to place this as a given truth when the eggheads in NASA are exploring and looking for it. Just the basis that they are thinking about it proves false that the axiom of 'earth is the only place with life on it' shows that it isnt true. Youre a dolt for that assertion.



it's only because of darwinist fairy tales ...blah blah blah


Now you drag religion into it, even though the majority of people dont believe in a darwin religion as you do.

So still I pose to you, what is your bases then for why earth is the only place with life on it....come on, you have to have the balls to stand up for what you believe, unless you dont really believe it.

more people need to watch this vid....no mention of God or the scriptures

http://www.illustramedia.com/tppinfo.htm

(see preview clip)

Ya watch that if you want to be dumber afterwords. Biggest POS movie ever.

I laugh at what you believe is fact.

You will be proven wrong, frank.

I doubt I will be proven wrong. Especially not by the likes of you.

But you can laugh all you want. I'm not the one posting "A retards guide to the galaxy" created by religious zealots such as yourself.

Whoa I just saw your YZF quote there....physical violence threats like that are illegal on the internet now....when did he say that?

A while ago when he got uptight about which way he swings.

it was one of your usual perverted comments

LOL, he didnt even get that the second time...what a dolt.
BTW, I wasnt asking you....

from one of the biggest pos excuses for humanity ever, I wonder why you think that?

If that were the case you would suggest that I liked it. However your low budget cult vid really is quite the turd.

in other news, who cares what you think about anything, Frank....apparently you just missed being laid off, I wonder why

OMG you really zinged me there with pointing out that I didn't get laid off. Those septic fumes must really be getting to your head:crazy:

it was one of your usual perverted comments

I can't help it that some of us like the P.

OMG you really zinged me there with pointing out that I didn't get laid off. Those septic fumes must really be getting to your head:crazy:

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH....HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHH A.....AHAHHAAHHAH...AHA

I can't help it that some of us like the P.

I'm all about the P.

Cant wait until Jay gets with an alien on Mars.....

I'm all about the Octerian Poon.

On a side note, I love that Mark and the brotherhood already have their arguments in place: "Life will never be found elsewhere, unless it's brought there." So, if life is found elsewhere, it will be deemed a contaminant. Then, if it's different from anything we have on Earth, it will be a testing mistake. Then, if they prove it's not a testing mistake, it will be "a previously undiscovered species which those damn scientists keep claiming is from Mars!"

Predictable, isn't it?

Quoted for truth and to get the discussion moving again.