Science AMA Series: We’re researchers at the University of Texas
Institute for Geophysics, who just published a pair of papers on buried
ice deposits and potential volcano/ice and impact/ice interactions on
Mars: ask us anything!
- Levy_Lab ,
- r/Science AMAs
Abstract
Hi! We're Dr. Joe Levy and Cassie Stuurman---we study geological systems
in cold regions on Earth to try to understand the evolution of the
surface of Mars and how cold landscapes on Earth record evidence of
climate change. Ice is one of the most important, but least appreciated
geological materials. It flows and melts when local climate conditions
are warm, and piles up when conditions are cold. You can drink it,
measure the chemical fingerprint of past ice ages locked away in it, and
even look for modern and ancient microbial life in it. So how do we use
planetary analogs on Earth to understand surface processes on Mars?
Where is the ice on Mars? How similar is it to glacial and permafrost
landforms on Earth? What kind of changes to the surface of Mars and
Earth have been wrought by changing climate over the last few million
years? How are we going to use ice on Mars when humans begin to settle
on that planet? This is the paper Joe published - Candidate volcanic and
impact-induced ice depressions on Mars and this is the paper Cassie
published - SHARAD Detection and Characterization of Subsurface Water
Ice Deposits in Utopia Planitia, Mars And here's the original Reddit
post that made it to the front page - A strangely shaped depression on
Mars could be a new place to look for signs of life on the Red Planet,
according to a study. The depression was probably formed by a volcano
beneath a glacier and could have been a warm, chemical-rich environment
well suited for microbial life. I will be back at 1 pm EDT to answer
your questions, ask me anything!