High-resolution images
of the north pole on Mars
over the course of two
summers left researchers
amazed to discover
changes in the planet's
surface from one season
to the next.
Specifically,
areas of sand previously
believed to frozen, with
the last activity occurring
around 30,000 years ago,
were instead observed
to undergo significant
movement over this
two-year Martian period.
Factors for this change
include a seasonal
fluctuation of frozen
atmospheric carbon dioxide,
which takes the form
of dry ice, as well as
strong gusts of wind
across the planet's surface.
The CO2 component
is due to the gas freezing
and covering
the wintry pole.
As thawing occurs in spring,
the dry ice changes
directly back to CO2 gas.
Noting her team's
astonishment
at the degree of change
over just one Mars year,
study lead and co-author
Dr. Candice Hansen
of the Planetary Science
Institute in Arizona, USA
stated, “This gas flow
destabilizes the sand…
causing sand avalanches
and creating new alcoves,
gullies and sand aprons
on Martian dunes.”
The researchers also
observed what appeared
to be powerful winds
in the north, resulting in
the surprising formation
and disappearance
of sand avalanches.
With some 40% of all
locations in the region
noted to have changed,
Dr. Hansen concluded,
“We've got to look at
Mars as a place that
has active geology in
today's climate, not just
sometime in the past.”
Many thanks, Dr. Hansen
and colleagues for these
fascinating insights
into the evolution of
the universe around us.
May such scientific
observation continue
to shed light on planetary
processes that help us
understand how to
better appreciate and
preserve planet Earth.
During a 2009
videoconference
with Supreme Master
Television staff
in the USA,
Supreme Master Ching Hai
revealed how human-
caused climate change
devastated the surface of
Mars and what has been
occurring
on the Red Planet since,
as a way to caution about
the Earth's similar situation.
Supreme Master Ching Hai: They passed on
the knowledge of what
happened of their planet
to their children
and grandchildren,
even though
it's 40 million years ago.
They retain the history
of what happened, so that
the descendants know
how to take care of
what they have and
not to be careless,
and not to be
so destructive anymore
but more virtuous
and spiritual.
It's not for human
to even restore this kind
of catastrophically
destructed planet.
But the planet will revive
itself by natural process.
And it takes
1 more million years;
1 million years more
and Mars will be
habitable.
Small bushes will begin
to grow and then
weeds and grass and then
fruit trees, etc, etc.
Rivers and streams
and sea will begin
to form again.
And gradually human
and animals will be able
to settle on Mars' surface
again.
http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2011/02/04/3128281.htm,
http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2011/02/mars-shifty-sand-dunes/,
http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/people/profile.cfm.Code=HansenChttp://www.tehrantimes.com/index_View.asp.code=235360