Idea about Mars soil "muddy" texture

What if the soil is muddy with a fluid other than water?

I thinking here specifically of petroleum or heavy paraffins.

As you may be aware, Thomas Gold of Cornell argues for a non-biological
origin for Earth's oil. (Reference;
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Gold )

We know that the ancient Mars had active "geology", and if there is
anything to Gold's theory, then we would expect to find at least some
petroleum on Mars.

Obviously, there could not be much in the way of near-surface
petrochemicals except for those with very low volatility. Paraffin
waxes, tars, etc.

Comments?

"Ben Burch" wrote in message
...
What if the soil is muddy with a fluid other than water?

I thinking here specifically of petroleum or heavy paraffins.

As you may be aware, Thomas Gold of Cornell argues for a non-biological
origin for Earth's oil. (Reference;
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Gold )

We know that the ancient Mars had active "geology", and if there is
anything to Gold's theory, then we would expect to find at least some
petroleum on Mars.

Obviously, there could not be much in the way of near-surface
petrochemicals except for those with very low volatility. Paraffin
waxes, tars, etc.

Comments?

As far as my limited knowledge goes, these things are all biological... ie,
breakdown of plant and animal matter over the millenia... if this were the
case then it would prove there was once life on mars...

Niko

Ben Burch wrote:

What if the soil is muddy with a fluid other than water?

I thinking here specifically of petroleum or heavy paraffins.

As you may be aware, Thomas Gold of Cornell argues for a non-biological
origin for Earth's oil. (Reference;
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Gold )

We know that the ancient Mars had active "geology", and if there is
anything to Gold's theory, then we would expect to find at least some
petroleum on Mars.

Obviously, there could not be much in the way of near-surface
petrochemicals except for those with very low volatility. Paraffin
waxes, tars, etc.

Comments?

I think it is a good hypothesis.
On the Earth hs to have a lot of oil in very deep soil,
non-biological, it's almost sure.

So, it's very possibile that there is heavy oil on Mars.

.... but, please, don't tell it to Mr. Bush!

Ernesto

"rnesto" wrote in message
...
I think it is a good hypothesis.
On the Earth hs to have a lot of oil in very deep soil,
non-biological, it's almost sure.

Paraffins would probably have poor flow characteristics at Martian surface
temperatures, although if they were monofilms (one molecule deep) they might
have odd properties. That weird "active soil chemistry" that the Viking
landers encountered might be an indication.

So, it's very possibile that there is heavy oil on Mars.

If Gold and his sort are right, it probably exists only "at depth." You
need big-time tectonics to bring this stuff (if it's there at all) anywhere
near the surface.

Biology on Earth would have important interactions in transforming "deep
oil" as it rises, so whatever might be at or near the Martian surface may
not resemble terrestrial petroleum.

... but, please, don't tell it to Mr. Bush!

Martian petroleum might be a valuable chemical feedstock for human industry
on Mars, but it probably would not be an important fuel -- what would you
use for an oxidizer? And the shipping costs to get it back to Earth would
be, to say the least, prohibitive.


Jim McCauley

"Jim McCauley" wrote:

Biology on Earth would have important interactions in transforming "deep
oil" as it rises, so whatever might be at or near the Martian surface may
not resemble terrestrial petroleum.

... but, please, don't tell it to Mr. Bush!

Martian petroleum might be a valuable chemical feedstock for human industry
on Mars, but it probably would not be an important fuel -- what would you
use for an oxidizer? And the shipping costs to get it back to Earth would
be, to say the least, prohibitive.


Jim McCauley

Ok,Jim,ok! But you or others don't follow my tip!
Someone told to Bush about Mars Oil: yesterday he said he wants to go
overthere!

;-)

Ernesto



"Miserabile fallimento" è l'esatta descrizione della politica berlusconiana che sta distruggendo l'Italia e l'Europa.

Ben Burch writes:

What if the soil is muddy with a fluid other than water?

I thinking here specifically of petroleum or heavy paraffins.

As you may be aware, Thomas Gold of Cornell argues for a non-biological
origin for Earth's oil. (Reference;
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Gold )

We know that the ancient Mars had active "geology", and if there is
anything to Gold's theory, then we would expect to find at least some
petroleum on Mars.

Obviously, there could not be much in the way of near-surface
petrochemicals except for those with very low volatility. Paraffin
waxes, tars, etc.

Irrespective of the alleged "merits" of versus the "crackpot" status of Gold's
"non-biological oil" hypothesis, first of all, except for lowland regions
near the equator, most of Mars' surface is =VERY= cold most of the time ---
so cold that an Antarctic winter look positive warm and toasty by comparison.
Under such conditions, heavy hydrocarbons such as parrafins or tars are
=NOT= "liquids" --- they are hard and brittle solids. (Try putting tar
or parrafin in a -40 C deep freeze and see how they behave; now imagine
how they will behave when it is much, =MUCH= colder!)

Second, martian surface material appears to be in a highly oxidizing
state, with significant concentrations of inorganic oxides, peroxides,
and superoxides. Any highly reduced organic-like substance such as oil,
parrafin, or tar that might make it to the surface would rapidly react
with the highly oxidizing surface material, and would be rapidly converted
into CO2, H2O, etc. --- exactly as happened when martian surface material
was dumped into the "Labeled CO2" apparatus aboard the Viking probe.

Hence, your hypothesis stands falsified by both the obesrved physical and
chemical conditions on the martian surface.


-- Gordon D. Pusch

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