Sky Balls?

Larry posted:

"Dust particles on the lens would not be in focus."

I agree. Additionally, when dust is the problem isn't the affected image area seen as a white spot?

It is extremely unlikely that pure water - in liquid form - would occur on Mars. My general point is that when soluble salts are dissolved in water, the boiling point can go substantially higher while the freezing point can simultaneously go much lower. With Mars having 1/100th the atmospheric pressure of Earth, the temperature spread between freezing and boiling is only about 15 F degrees. With soluble salts, it could be as much as 110 F degrees.

Because there is a huge absence of N2 in the Martian atmosphere, some mechanism must have removed it. An EPH could have blown off the entire atmosphere, which was then replaced by oxidation products which are primarily CO2 and H2O. Or, the N2 and O2 were oxidized to NOx.


Gregg Wilson

Gregg,

Thank you for that fascinating bit of info. Would you be able to recommend any reading or research material in this area? I am interested in how atmospheric pressure interacts with water that may hold different types and amounts of solids in suspension.

Solids in suspension do not affect freezing point or boiling point. However, they can act as a barrier or insulator. That is, the liquid will heat up or cool down more slowly.

If you want relevant data, you first need to get a copy of the steam tables. Then, having selected a plausible, soluble salt (NaCl, NaNO3, etc), search at a university chemistry library for boiling point and freezing point for various concentrations of your selected salt. Let's say that you find a salt (at 15wt% concentration)with a boiling point rise of 15 degrees F at normal boiling point (212 F). Determine the difference in water vapor pressure between 212 F and 227 F. Then go to the steam table and look for the temperature at which pure water has a vapor pressure of your chosen locale on Mars. Add the delta pressure you calculated to this local Mars pressure. Go to the saturated steam table and find this pressure. Back read to the temperature. The temperature corresponding to your pressure will be the boiling point of the salty water on Mars. You might be very surprised.

Gregg Wilson