Elon Musk will love: salt water on Mars for his future bases!

The question of the presence of liquid water on the surface of Mars is one of the most debated among specialists (exobiologists, planetologists, etc.). And for good reason, from it follows the possibility of an extraterrestrial life.

A study by Dr. Vincent F. Chevrier, researcher at the Arkansas planetary science space center, published in the journal Nature In early June from the old data of the Viking 2 probe, returns to the presence of Martian “brine” and the conditions of their appearance. The Viking 2 mission has the particularity, with Phoenix, of being the only one to have observed the formation of frost on Mars.

The salums are salty waters, which can be used for food conservation, and Dr. Chevrier is looking for the natural process leading to the formation of these on Mars. Recall that the very low Martian atmosphere density leads the ice to sublimate directly to the gas state, without going through a liquid phase, exactly the comets in space.

On November 3, 1976, the Viking 2 landing began its Martian exploration with a duration of 1281 floors – name given to the days on Mars. Utopia Planitia is known as the largest impact pool on the red planet and in the solar system. Its diameter is estimated at 3,300 km and its impactor of once at around 400 km, 40 times more than that associated with the end of the Cretaceous on Earth!

The presence and stability of these brassâtres waters are a great Martian mystery. This is why the scientist author of the study explores the possibility that calcium perchlorates generate small quantities of seasonal salums, about 30 floors from the end of winter. It highlights the evidence of the sublimation of the frost and the concomitant formation of these salt waters.

If Dr Chevrier recognizes that the amounts of brine thus produced are minimal, he specifies that “This seasonal mechanism suggests freezing areas such as promising sites for future astrobiological exploration and potential habitability on Mars […] These results provide a new perspective on the transitional presence of liquid water on Mars, a key factor to assess planetary habitability […] In addition, the strong correlation between the formation of brine and the seasonal cycles of gel highlights specific periods where a transient water activity is most likely, which could guide the planning of future astrobiological studies. ” It is Elon Musk who will also be delighted to be able to keep his pickles in his Martienne Spacex base…

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