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Article: New musings about old Martian puzzles. (carbonates decompose quickly; Mars' interior is unevenly distributed)(Science News of the Week)(Brief Article)
- Article from:
- Science News
- Article date:
- January 13, 1996
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1996 Science Service, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Anticipating the flood of data from a trio of spacecraft expected to begin their journey to Mars later this year, researchers have reconsidered some old puzzles about the Red Planet. Independent studies reported this week shed light on two long-standing Martian mysteries.
One of the mysteries concerns the Martian surface. Planetary scientists have compelling reasons for believing that the topmost layer of Martian soil contains substantial amounts of carbonates. These compounds are found in meteorites thought to have originated from ancient Mars. Moreover, many scientists suspect that the ancient Martian atmosphere contained much more carbon dioxide than it does now. ...