Astrobites at DPS 2021: Part 1
We’re covering this week’s AAS Division for Planetary Sciences meeting! Check out theshighlights of the conference.
Water on Mars? Hold up.
Anomalous radar reflections, thought to be evidence of liquid water under the ice on Mars, may instead be explained by multiple layers of even more ice.
Where to find biosignatures on Mars? A Case for Clays
Could smectite clays be a window to bygone biota on Mars? Today’s authors reveal clues from the driest desert on Earth that strengthen the case for examining clays on Mars.
Rewriting the geologic history of Mars one megaflood at a time
The rocks explored by the Curiosity Rover in Gale Crater are sure signs of the past presence of water on the red planet, but how did they form? The prevailing view has been a long-lasting lake environment, potentially suitable for life, but today’s paper offers a much more dramatic explanation.
Terrestrial analogs: A slice of Mars in your own backyard
Sites on Earth that are similar to geologic features on other planets can be studied to better understand other worlds and even prepare for future exploration.
It’s alive! Mars may continue to periodically spew volcanic materials
Properties of an atypical geologic feature on Mars indicate a volcanic eruption occurred as recent as a few tens of thousands of years ago.