acidic fog created by volcanic eruptions on the red planet is the probable culprit for the erosion of rocks on Mars, believe scientists..

Eaten away by ‘vog’: Acid fog eroding rocks on Mars

Published time: 8 Nov, 2015 06:39

 

 

 

The planet Mars showing showing Terra Meridiani is seen in an undated NASA image. © Greg Shirah / Reuters

Scientists believe they have figured out why rocks on Mars are eroding. They say an acidic fog created by volcanic eruptions on the red planet is the probable culprit.

 

Planetary scientist Shoshanna Cole came up with the theory after studying a 100-acre area on Husband Hill in the Columbia Hills of the Gusev Crater on Mars using data gathered by a number of instruments on the 2003 Mars Exploration Rover Spirit.

She found that acidic vapors released by eruptions may have been responsible for eating away rocks on the Watchtower Class outcrops on the Cumberland Ridge and Husband Hill summit.

 

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Corey S. Powell @coreyspowell

Acid fog corroded the surface of Mars: a new discovery from NASA's long-dead Spirit rover. http://bit.ly/1H6jT0V 

1:40 PM - 4 Nov 2015

“The special thing about Watchtower Class is that it’s very widespread and we see it in different locations. As far as we can tell, it is part of the ground there,” which means that these rocks record environments that existed on Mars billions of years ago, Cole said in a press release submitted by the Geological Society of America.



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