Post by RichOn Sun, 28 Jan 2024 21:16:25 -0800 (PST), Rich
Post by RichAny life that might have existed would have been basic and
billions of years ago when water existed. Which means, any trace
of it has been pummeled by Martian winds and sand storms for
billions of years. What could be left? Meanwhile, potential
existing life may be in the moons of the gas giants which is
where they should spend most of the money
We find plenty of fossil evidence on Earth for 3+ billion year old
life. Why not on Mars?
And yet there are researchers today who believe Earth had a major
civilization going a billion years ago and that geological upheavals
and subduction have buried all evidence of it. I don't buy that, but
Can you actually name one credible researcher that believes that tosh?
Science fiction writers might "believe" what you claim.
One of the more interesting searches for life that may yet bear fruit is
based on looking at exoplanet atmospheres for chemical compounds that
reach into the stratosphere and must have been made by a technological
society that has harnessed synthetic chemistry (and followed roughly our
path of industrialisation). Notably once they have mastered
organofluorine chemistry then for a hundred years or so there will be
CFCs and HCFCs in the upper atmosphere for out telescopes to detect.
In the natural world calcium scavenges fluoride ions so efficiently that
even in the vicinity of volcanoes it doesn't stay reactive for long. You
need sophisticated electrochemistry and a eutectic melt to make fluorine
and a bit more chemical plant to make CFCs. They are so useful that it
is likely any civilisation will go through a period of using them.
Post by RichMars was probably worse, having geological changes, meteorite
bombardments like our moon (no atmosphere) and Mars's current,
ceaseless eroding dust storms. Maybe they'll find the Martian
equivalent of stromatolites?
Mars dust storms are not all that destructive compared to the very
powerful ice, water and dust storm erosion that occurs on Earth. Mars
atmosphere is too thin to do much damage to surface rocks.
--
Martin Brown