of water on Mars. Wouldn't they know this just by seeing the ice caps?
2007-05-22 21:04:53 · 10 answers · asked by Anonymous 3 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
Water in the permanently frozen caps is no good for life as we know it (the part of the cap that freezes and thaws with the seasons is carbon dioxide, not water). The significance of the search for water elsewhere on the planet is to find out if that water, or any other water, once flowed in a liquid state over the planet, or may in fact still be found in a liquid state somewhere.
So yes, we know there is water in the polar regions of Mars, but it is the rest of the planet that the search for water is taking place on.
2007-05-22 21:16:23 · answer #1 · answered by Jason T 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Yes, Mars has ice caps. It also has ice in some areas that is integrated into the soil. Scientist make a big deal about it for many reasons. For one water is needed for life, so if they find water they may find evidence of past life on Mars. Another big reason is for permanent Mars colonization. If we had to bring water to Mars it would weigh to much to get large amounts there, so if we can just extract it from the poles, we will need to bring little water. Good question.
2007-05-23 04:40:12 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Kris F:
Read a dictionary, look up the word "ice". Your opinion on not thinking ice is on Mars has no support because it is an opinion. Just because you think it doesn't make it so. It seems people don't even know these days what I learned on my own research as a child on this planet. Until man actually lands on Mars and takes direct tests on the polar caps with the latest technology we won't be 100% certain....so the debate continues!
2007-05-23 09:50:51 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
We determined that the ice caps that grow and shrink in the martian seasons, visible from earth bound telescopes, were composed of carbon dioxide. CO2 is not as useful as H2O.
Much more recently we discovered that Mars has giant polar water ice fields buried beneath shallow layers of rock and sand. Very interesting. It may explain where some of the martian water went. This resource may also prove very useful for later manned missions to mars.
2007-05-23 05:00:03 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The water could have dried up in prehistoric times therefore leaving only the ice caps.
Earth has caps of solid ice that won't melt in the hottest seasons the same with Mars's capsâº
2007-05-23 04:21:27 · answer #5 · answered by Hayden☺ 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
mars do have ice caps.. but not all ice are normal ice
the ice caps on mars might just be dry ice, made out of carbon dioxide.. we can't make water from that..
if we can find water on mars, we might live there, plant corps and many more. a lot of possibilities if we can find it..
2007-05-23 12:16:31 · answer #6 · answered by kish 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
First, the "ice caps" may be as much carbon dioxide as water.
The existence of some water ice at the poles is not proof that Mars ever had large amounts of surface water or that it might still have stores of underground water.
2007-05-23 04:15:20 · answer #7 · answered by rethinker 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
To help prove that the water once flowed and the possibility of life on Mars before.
2007-05-23 04:10:44 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because the ice-caps need not be composed of water-ice, but some other frozen substance. eg carbon dioxide,ammonia, martinis etc
2007-05-23 04:08:52 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
for one thing ice dosnt have to be water and i dont think there is ice on mars
2007-05-23 08:09:09 · answer #10 · answered by Kris F 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋