Originally posted by DuncanIdahoGholem
Stellar, I agree that mars was probably once very like earth. Is it possible that a stop in the rotation of Mars's core may have led to
catastrophe?
I think Tom Van Flanderns theories on solar evolution and exploding planets will point you in the right direction.
* Mars is much less massive than any planet not itself suspected of being a former moon
* Orbit of Mars is more elliptical than for any larger-mass planet
* Spin is slower than larger planets, except where a massive moon has intervened
* Large offset of center of figure from center of mass
* Shape not in equilibrium with spin
* Southern hemisphere is saturated with craters, the northern has sparse cratering
* The “crustal dichotomy” boundary is nearly a great circle
* North hemisphere has a smooth, 1-km-thick crust; south crust is over 20-km thick
* Crustal thickness in south decreases gradually toward hemisphere edges
* Lobate scarps occur near hemisphere divide, compressed perpendicular to boundary
* Huge volcanoes arose where uplift pressure from mass redistribution is maximal
* A sudden geographic pole shift of order 90° occurred
* Much of the original atmosphere has been lost
* A sudden, massive flood with no obvious source occurred
* Xe129, a fission product of massive explosions, has an excess abundance on Mars
The above summarizes evidence that Mars was not an original planet, but rather a moon of a now-exploded planet occupying that approximate orbit. Many
of these points are the expected consequences of having a massive planet blow up nearby, thereby blasting the facing hemisphere and leaving the
shielded hemisphere relatively unscathed. Especially significant in this regard is the fact that half of Mars is saturated with craters, and half is
only sparsely cratered. Moreover, the crustal thickness has apparently been augmented over one hemisphere by up to 20 km or so, gradually tapering off
near the hemisphere boundaries. This “crustal dichotomy” is also readily seen in Martian elevation maps, such as in Figure 7.
www.metaresearch.org...
So we have a good deal of information that points to Mars as a former large moon with possible active plate tectonics.
Explosive eruptions about 350 million years ago created depressions on the flanks of the volcano Hecates Tholus, according to a study led by Ernst
Hauber of the German Aerospace Center. And just five million years ago, glacial deposits formed inside these depressions, the scientist concludes.
The finding adds to a December study showing five volcanoes on Mars had been active as recently as two million years ago.
"Mars is very dynamic," according to Head. "We see that the climate change and geological forces that drive evolution on Earth are happening
there."
Glaciers appear to have moved from the Martian poles to the tropics between 350,000 years ago and 4 million years ago.
"This glaciation may be a response to recent changes in the incidence of sunlight induced by variations in obliquity of the planet’s spin axis,"
said Victor Baker who was not involved in the research.
www.space.com...
I have a number of similar articles that points to a mars that is as tectonically alive as it is biologically so
Well if Van Flanderns theories turns out to be as accurate as i think whatever is on Earth might not just be changed but entirely destroyed...
Stellar
