Chapter 1795: Mount Olympus

Chapter 1795 Mount Olympus

He didn't speak for a long time every day, and heard Feifei say that he was going to work on Mars. She also made a joke with everyone.

Zhao Zhongyao saw that there was nothing to see in the north pole of Mars, so he drove the spaceship to the south level of Mars again. The south pole of Mars is similar to the north pole, both of which are thick ice caps. Although this can also be regarded as water resources on Mars. But until now, no signs of life have been found on Mars.

It seems that the planet where life can exist has extremely strict requirements for the external environment. Even on Mars, there is already a very suitable temperature. But it is still unable to meet the conditions for the existence of life.

But under the Antarctic ice sheet, there is very likely to be a huge freshwater lake. This freshwater lake may have been formed by an underground volcanic eruption.

The top international academic journal "Science" published a paper introducing radar evidence of subglacial liquid water on Mars. Undoubtedly, this is an epic discovery for human exploration of Mars. Italian scientists discovered a huge liquid reservoir about 1,500 meters below the Antarctic ice sheet through the radar instrument on the Mars orbiter, covering a length of 20 kilometers.

The researchers say it's a lot like the subglacial lakes that are buried under the Earth's Arctic and Antarctic ice sheets. And, like our terrestrial subglacial lakes, this could be a potential place for us to discover life forms! Scientists have long considered subglacial lakes to be important places to find water on the Red Planet. But even on Earth, detecting glacial regions is not an easy task.

It's only in recent years that researchers have begun using radar-equipped satellites to help unravel the mysteries of our planet's hidden water bodies. Between May 2012 and December 2015, a research team carefully surveyed a 200-kilometer-wide ice sheet in the south polar region of Mars. By bouncing radio waves deep underground on Mars and collecting the return signals on receivers, they mapped the 29 radar profiles of the region.

Specifically, the mission is accomplished by transmitting signals and performing comparative analysis of data on Martian subsurface features. Typically, radar signals passing through water are stronger or more pronounced than those passing through rock or sediment. The research team found in the radar results that there is an unusually bright area in the Martian south pole ice cap. Of course, there may be other explanations for this phenomenon. Very cold and pure water ice, or carbon dioxide dry ice, for example, can also create such a bright subsurface anomaly.

But when the scientists ran simulations, they found that the reflectance properties in these cases did not match the detection results, nor were they characteristic of liquid water. Another big problem, though: The temperature in the region is estimated to be around 205 Kelvin (or -68.15 degrees Celsius). That's well below freezing, and even for ultra-hypersaline Antarctic lakes, due to their salt content, these lakes can only remain liquid above 260 Kelvin (-13 degrees Celsius).

Nevertheless, these bodies of water can still be assumed to be liquids. We know that there are a lot of sodium, magnesium and calcium salts on Mars, which have been found on the surface. If these substances are dissolved in water, combined with the pressure of the top ice cap, this can lower the freezing point below 200 Kelvin (-74 degrees Celsius). Scientists have discovered life in Earth's subglacial lakes.

Subglacial lakes on Mars may also harbor life, according to speculation. This discovery arguably underscores this possibility more than ever. Astrobiologist Brendan Burns from the University of New South Wales said: "There is evidence that Earth's polar waters harbor abundant microbes, some even living within ice veins.

Whether something similar will happen on Mars remains to be seen, but the new discovery of potential liquid water beneath the planet's surface has opened up exciting frontiers for space exploration. "Despite the excitement in academia, there is still a need to keep calm on this issue. The pure salt concentration required to maintain liquid water is very likely to have an entirely adverse effect on life.

No matter now, or in the near future, we have absolutely no way to sample the water bodies here. However, compared with Europa and Enceladus, the other potentially life-bearing planets in the solar system, Mars is still the easiest for human intervention. The bodies of water themselves can provide information about Mars' climate history, telling us what happened to its hydrosphere and its long-missing oceans.

Plus, now that the survey technique is made public, it means other researchers will also be able to look for more of these reservoirs on the Red Planet. However, humans may need to spend a little more time to confirm the possibility of the existence of Martian microorganisms.

For decades, scientists have looked for evidence of ice or past water flow. Now, people finally know that liquid water currently exists on Mars, just like the underground lakes in Antarctica on Earth. With that alone, we've taken a step forward. The truth of life on Mars is being revealed bit by bit by humans.

Zhao Zhongyao took Feifei to investigate the South Pole of Mars. It feels that the South Pole and North Pole of Mars are similar, and there is nothing special about it. So, they left the South Pole of Mars again.

After inspecting the poles of Mars, Zhao Zhongyao asked Feifei, "Feifei, we have already inspected the poles of Mars, so where do you want to go on Mars next?" '

Feifei listened to what his father said, and said, 'The two poles of Mars have been inspected, so let's go to the highest mountain of Mars to have a look! '

After hearing Feifei's words, Zhao Zhongyao smiled and said, 'Okay, then let's go to the highest mountain on Mars——Mount Olympus! '

After finishing speaking, Zhao Zhongyao drove again

Driving the spaceship with his wife and children, he flew to the highest mountain of Mars - Mount Olympus.

Soon, they flew over Olympus Mons on Mars.

Olympus Mons is the tallest mountain on Mars and is a giant volcano formed by a huge volcanic eruption. On the top of this Mount Olympus, there is a huge crater.

At 27 kilometers (88,600 feet) above the surface, Olympus Mons is the largest mountain range in the solar system. Its base is more than 600 kilometers in diameter, and its central crater is more than 80 kilometers in diameter, surrounded by a cliff that rises 6 kilometers (20,000 feet).

Olympus is a shield volcano on Mars, the tallest volcano on the surface of Mars and the largest known volcano in the solar system.

Olympus Mons is 21,171 meters above the Martian datum. However, the height difference from the foot of Olympus Mountain to the top of the mountain is 21.9 kilometers, which is equivalent to more than twice the height difference from the foot of the Mauna Kea volcano on Earth to the top of the mountain. Olympus Mons is 26 kilometers higher than the plain 1000 kilometers to the northwest of it.

Olympus Mons is about 600 kilometers wide and covers an area of ​​about 300,000 square kilometers (the size of Italy). Mount Olympus is located at 18.65 degrees north latitude and 226.2 degrees east longitude.

Before the spacecraft confirmed that it was a mountain, Olympus Mons was a bright spot in ground-based telescopes. It was named "Olympus Snow" by astronomers in the late 19th century. The largest known volcano is about 600 kilometers wide, and the height difference from the foot of the mountain to the top of the mountain is 21.9 kilometers. The crater is composed of 6 overlapping depressions, with an overall length of about 80 kilometers and a width of about 60 kilometers, and the crater wall can be as high as 3.2 kilometers. The edge of the mountain is a cliff up to 8 kilometers high, which is rare for other volcanoes on Mars.

The slope of the entire volcano is very gentle (approximately 1-2.5 degrees near the top of the mountain, and about 5 degrees outside), and the huge width makes it impossible to see the whole picture from the surface of Mars. In fact, other giant volcanoes on Mars have similar phenomena. The air pressure at the top of the mountain is about 30 to 60 Pa, which is about 8% of the air pressure at the base of Mars, which is 600 Pa. In contrast, the air pressure at the top of Mount Everest on Earth is 330 hPa, which is 33% of the air pressure at sea level. Although water ice clouds cannot form at the height of Olympus Mons, there will still be dry ice clouds and wind-borne dust.

Olympus Mons is a shield volcano formed by the long-term eruption of highly mobile basaltic lava, resulting in a gentle slope, similar to Mauna Loa in Hawaii on Earth. Since there is no plate movement on Mars, the hot spots under the volcanoes can remain fixed, making the volcanoes continue to accumulate lava and increase in height. However, due to plate movements on the earth, volcanic island chains will be formed, such as the Hawaii-Imperial Island chain. Olympus Mons was formed in the early Amazonian period, and ongoing volcanic activity has not yet been observed.

The caldera on the top of the mountain was formed by the collapse of the top after the underground magma chamber was emptied, while the surface above was stretched to form normal fault streaks. There are five dips showing five magma chambers formed and depleted, and the topmost, uncovered, complete circular dip is the youngest. Dating using the number of impact craters, based on images from Mars Express' high-resolution stereo camera, shows that five collapses in the Olympus Mons caldera formed about 150 million years ago, while The lava flows are 115 million years old and only 2 million years young, which is very young by geological time.

According to photos and topographical observations by Mars Express and Mars Global Surveyor, at least the western part of the mountain contains sedimentary rocks and volcanic sedimentary rocks in addition to lava - such as dust, volcanic ash, and possibly water ice that has fallen from the atmosphere. And like the glaciers at the foot of the western mountains, there may be glaciers on the gentle slopes of the volcano that are covered by dust and protected from sublimation.

Now Zhao Zhongyao took his family to fly a flying saucer to Mount Olympus. They parked the spacecraft in the crater on the top of the mountain. Then, they looked at the magnificent crater in front of them.

Feifei looked at this huge crater with a diameter of 80 kilometers and a depth of nearly 6 kilometers. There is a kind of shock in my heart. He was thinking about what a terrifying and spectacular scene it would have been when this Olympus volcano erupted.

So, Feifei looked at Zhao Zhongyao and said, "Dad, how did this huge Olympus volcano form? Was it formed by a volcanic eruption?" '

After hearing Feifei's words, Zhao Zhongyao said, "How the Olympus volcano was formed is now one of the Martian topics studied by scientists." Most scientists believe that Olympus Volcano was formed by a huge volcanic eruption that occurred on Mars 150 million years ago.

There was no Olympus volcano in this place at that time. There is only one smaller mountain. But this one mountain is an active volcano.

This active volcano formed the current Olympus Volcano after a powerful eruption. The reason why Olympus Volcano is so tall is because when a smaller volcano erupted at that time, a lot of magma gushed out from the ground. After the magma gushed out from the ground, it slowly piled up near the crater.

Therefore, this mountain, which was originally a large mountain, after this strong eruption, formed the spectacular Mount Olympus now.

Of course, this is just a hypothesis. There is no definite evidence that Olympus Mons was formed by a strong volcanic eruption 150 million years ago.

But anyway, this is a hypothesis that is very possible. We know that there are many small islands in the sea. In fact, they are all formed by submarine volcanic eruptions. Although we look at it from the sea, these small islands are not very big. But in fact, the part of them on the bottom of the sea is much larger than the part on the surface

many. Any small island that can be seen in the sea. In fact, it is a mountain in the sea. It's just that we can't see the bottom of this mountain.

In fact, not only small islands above the sea are formed due to submarine volcanic eruptions. Even on the earth, there are many mountains that are formed by volcanic eruptions. Especially some active volcanoes. It was originally formed by volcanic eruptions.

Therefore, this Olympus Mons on Mars may also be formed by Mars due to a huge Martian eruption 150 million years ago.

Of course, this is not the only reason why Olympus Mons exists. Except this eruption said. There is also the theory of plate movement in the earth's crust, that is, the theory of earthquakes. This theory is to use the reason why Mount Everest in our country was formed to apply this Olympus mountain on Mars.

Because Mount Everest on the earth was formed due to the collision of the Eurasian plate and the Indian plate. The Olympus Mountains on Mars may also be formed by plate collisions.

This theory is also possible. After all, strong collisions of plates can indeed form some huge mountains.

But not all plate collisions can form huge mountains, which still requires certain conditions. How Olympus Mons was formed remains to be further studied.