Yomega
Career
- Joined
- Aug 29, 2012
- Messages
- 884
- Reaction score
- 652
The Mars Theory
We all know that the fourth planet from our Sun, Mars, is a barren wasteland. However, upon closer examination by sending probes and rovers to the surface, we have discovered evidence of the presence of liquid water in the history of the Red Planet. Some speculate that Mars was once like Earth, but if this is true, what happened to it? This is my theory.
Deep inside the Earth, there are multiple layers. The crust, which we live on, the Mantle, the Outer Core, and the Inner Core. The inner core is comprised of solid, dense materials, kept solid by the intense pressure of the other layers. However, the magic happens in the outer core, which is comprised of liquid metals such as iron and nickel. These liquids combined with intense pressure, heat, and other things create convection currents in the outer core.
Why do we care about these convection currents? Well, they are extremely important to our survival on Earth. Without these currents, life could not form, or thrive as it has. How, you ask? Well these convection currents of liquid iron and nickel create a powerful magnetic field around the Earth. This field is essential. It safeguards our planet from the potent solar winds that constantly attack us, and the other planets. These solar winds could destroy life, and all that can support it, such as water. Without this field, we would be just as barren as Mars.
Mars has the same sort of solid inner and liquid outer core setup as our planet does, so where is its magnetic field? Well, theoretically, a planet could lose its magnetic field if it suffers a tremendous asteroid impact. My theory is that Mars once had a magnetic field, just like us, but lost it, and paid the price. Mars could once have been a beautiful planet with an abundance of life. If it lost its protection from the solar wind, all of that life could have died out, the atmosphere getting ripped apart by the solar wind. An intense meteorite impact could have caused this.
Where is the evidence of this impact? My theory is that the impact crater exists right under our noses. The largest confirmed impact basin in the solar system resides in the Northern Hemisphere on the Red Planet. It is called Utopia Planitia, Latin for “Nowhere Plain”. It is approximated to be 3,300 kilometers in diameter, over ten times as large as the largest impact crater on Earth. A meteorite that could create a crater of this size could be a possible candidate for the destruction of Mars.
Of course, this is just my theory, and who am I to say what actually happened. But before anyone finds hard evidence, all anyone can do is speculate.
TL;DR -- Big rock hit planet, planet dead.
Here is an artist's rendition of what Mars could have looked like.
Discuss.
We all know that the fourth planet from our Sun, Mars, is a barren wasteland. However, upon closer examination by sending probes and rovers to the surface, we have discovered evidence of the presence of liquid water in the history of the Red Planet. Some speculate that Mars was once like Earth, but if this is true, what happened to it? This is my theory.
Deep inside the Earth, there are multiple layers. The crust, which we live on, the Mantle, the Outer Core, and the Inner Core. The inner core is comprised of solid, dense materials, kept solid by the intense pressure of the other layers. However, the magic happens in the outer core, which is comprised of liquid metals such as iron and nickel. These liquids combined with intense pressure, heat, and other things create convection currents in the outer core.
Why do we care about these convection currents? Well, they are extremely important to our survival on Earth. Without these currents, life could not form, or thrive as it has. How, you ask? Well these convection currents of liquid iron and nickel create a powerful magnetic field around the Earth. This field is essential. It safeguards our planet from the potent solar winds that constantly attack us, and the other planets. These solar winds could destroy life, and all that can support it, such as water. Without this field, we would be just as barren as Mars.
Mars has the same sort of solid inner and liquid outer core setup as our planet does, so where is its magnetic field? Well, theoretically, a planet could lose its magnetic field if it suffers a tremendous asteroid impact. My theory is that Mars once had a magnetic field, just like us, but lost it, and paid the price. Mars could once have been a beautiful planet with an abundance of life. If it lost its protection from the solar wind, all of that life could have died out, the atmosphere getting ripped apart by the solar wind. An intense meteorite impact could have caused this.
Where is the evidence of this impact? My theory is that the impact crater exists right under our noses. The largest confirmed impact basin in the solar system resides in the Northern Hemisphere on the Red Planet. It is called Utopia Planitia, Latin for “Nowhere Plain”. It is approximated to be 3,300 kilometers in diameter, over ten times as large as the largest impact crater on Earth. A meteorite that could create a crater of this size could be a possible candidate for the destruction of Mars.
Of course, this is just my theory, and who am I to say what actually happened. But before anyone finds hard evidence, all anyone can do is speculate.
TL;DR -- Big rock hit planet, planet dead.
Here is an artist's rendition of what Mars could have looked like.
Discuss.
