Ian
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Is there any seismic activity on Mars at all? If it had water, it must have had tectonic plates "or not"?
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Wrath of the Swarm
Graduate Poster
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The answer to your first question is "we don't know". Your second question is nonsensical and as such lacks a meaningful answer.
Ian said:If it had water, it must have had tectonic plates "or not"?
I'm not a geologist but I'm pretty sure that's a non-sequitur. As far as I'm aware plate tectonics has absolutely nothing to do with water in any way shape or form. The earths tectonic plates move across the molten core of the earth and would continue to move regardless of the presence of water.
Abdul Alhazred
Philosopher
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Ian said:Is there any seismic activity on Mars at all? If it had water, it must have had tectonic plates "or not"?
There was definitely volcanic activity at one time, probably also tectonic activity. But smaller than Earth and further from the sun, the rocks have frozen solid far down enough that no more of either for a while.
Venus in known to have tectonic activity today.
Ian
Unregistered
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Seismometers on Mars
They should send more seismographs or seismometers whatever they are called to Mars to collect seismic data and transmit it back to earth. It should be more advanced than the Viking lander's one.
They should send more seismographs or seismometers whatever they are called to Mars to collect seismic data and transmit it back to earth. It should be more advanced than the Viking lander's one.
Recent discovery of traces of methane in the Martian atmosphere have re-opened this question. Because methane does not persist (i.e. it escapes) in the atmosphere, it is believed that there must be a source for the methane, either volcanic or organic (IMHO that may be a false dichotomy since there may be another, as yet unknown, source). The crashed european lander included equipment for analysing the methane...
So, both seismic instruments and chemical analysers would be useful on future missions.
So, both seismic instruments and chemical analysers would be useful on future missions.
Ian
Unregistered
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Seismographs or seismometers
The seismographs should be technologically up to date with emerging computer technologies so that the data could be analysid however that's spelled, and processed on the ground probably through computer networks.
The seismographs should be technologically up to date with emerging computer technologies so that the data could be analysid however that's spelled, and processed on the ground probably through computer networks.