Mars sulfur stones resemble ones by the Dead Sea

[@graemebrumfitt6668]

Thanks

[@MarsGuy]

Thanks mate! I really appreciate your support of this channel.

[@Miata822]

Fascinating that our little community here might have pushed Mars exploration forward.

[@DUKE_of_RAMBLE]

Citizen Science Think Tanks FTW! 🤘😫🤘

[@Kombat_Wombat]

I have no idea how you came to that conclusion…

[@JeffreyBue_imtxsmoke]

I think it's awesome that we have two nuclear powered rovers at different locations on Mars still producing great science. Thanks for your weekly updates.

[@MarsGuy]

Agreed! And thanks as always for watching.

[@itsprivate4360]

My uncle is so old he remembers when the Dead Sea was just sick😅

[@zam6877]

What a great time to be a geologist!

[@rjung_ch]

Thanks for the geology class, much appreciated Mars Guy! Cheers 👍💪✌

[@MarsGuy]

Glad you're a student!

[@rjung_ch]

@@MarsGuy trying to be a life time learner. I am retired and life continues to amaze me. Glad you are doing what you do 🙏

[@lteht6919]

Mars Guy. Keep up the great videos and knowledge. I can not wait to see you in the main stream for your efforts!

[@MarsGuy]

Thanks. Not sure sure about mainstream, but I'll keep plugging away for now.

[@oldmech619]

I was anticipating Mars Guy picking up a rock. Good perspective.

[@ThexBorg]

It’s quite an awesome discovery of those crystals and a big clue to the geological history of area.

[@tednordquist5266]

Great video as always. Your comments make me wonder how NASA evaluates all the data coming in. I imagine they have geologists on staff but also feed data to outside geologists/specialists for their opinions. This might make for an interesting side episode. What a great thing it must be for news of another world to show up in your mailbox.

[@MarsGuy]

Rover teams are essentially self contained, with scientists and engineers operating the mission and interpreting the observations.

[@robertfindley921]

Every mission off this planet yields a gold mine of information, often surprising. Even when it finds brimstone.

[@lineinthesand663]

I repeat the comment from the previous video: Ta MG. The spots have the appearance of carbonate/gypsum spotting found in low temperature/pressure alteration (diagenetic?) assemblages in terrigenous sediments. Elemental sulphur could also be expected if the environment was reducing enough, or perhaps biogenically? All the best from Namibia. One might also add that diagenetic pyrite as another sulphur species may be expected to be preserved in the low pressure/reducing atmosphere. It is interesting though that overall, Mars' surface has an at least partially oxidised appearance.

[@r0cketplumber]

I think the photodissociation of CO2 produces excited oxygen atoms that do a marvelous job of oxidizing the surface. I vaguely recall that there are hints of metal peroxides on Mars, so I would expect sulfur nodules to erode just as fast as oxygen is produced.

[@lineinthesand663]

@@r0cketplumber Likely, though the partial pressure must be low, relative even to the rarefied, desiccated atmosphere. Without the presence of much water to carry oxygen into rock pores and fractures, this process must necessarily be slow and surficial, as is shown by the abundant fresh olivine, but w.r.t. CO2. The more electropositive Fe2+ may have preferentially stripped oxygen, making it unavailable for other reactions. Conditions may have been quite different in the past. All th best.

[@treestandsafety3996]

The processes of fossilisation that create rocks like this and others..are little known.

[@TerryBollinger]

This is a fantastically interesting hypothesis! Wouldn't it be ironic if a wheel crushing a stone turned out to be the most direct proof of life on Mars of any of the instruments ever sent there? I find the humor and irony of that possibility quite delicious!

[@nigelhungerford-symes5059]

Wheels interacting with samples is legitimate offworld science.

[@davidevans3227]

some of the scenery in chile, like what you've shown and i saw some earlier on a channel called Gresham college, it can look rather like Mars.. maybe that's the point sometimes.. thankyou for all the films, it's got to be a lot of work..

[@MarsGuy]

It is indeed a lot of work just to create a 4 to 5 minute episode (15 - 20 hours!). Thanks for noticing.

[@rickc4317]

Fascinating question, thanks again Mars Guy.

[@MarsGuy]

Thanks as always for watching.

[@captainyossarian388]

I like the slightly shaky cam zoom downs to Gale Crater region, and again down to the surface. Makes it feel more real somehow.

[@MarsGuy]

Glad it's working for you! Thanks for the feedback.

[@kaitlynlsari681]

Amazing 😃 it's exciting when one area of research rubs off on another in unexpected ways and we all learn together. The presence of elemental sulphur on Mars in the crater is highly interesting

[@MarsGuy]

Indeed!

[@piranha031091]

So those could be evidence of past microbial life on Mars? This is absolutely fascinating!

[@MarsGuy]

Maybe, but there are certainly other possibilities.

[@KrisCadwell]

Thanks for keeping us up to date. Gotta leave a comment for the algorithm or whatever.

[@MarsGuy]

Thanks for watching and commenting.

[@Sheaker]

Thank You Mars Guy! We know so little about geology of earth and barely anything about geology of any other planets. I wonder how varied could the other worlds be and if we (humans) are not making mistake trying to find similarities between what we know about earth and what we are seeing elsewhere. I understand that Earth is rather common planet but how common is that?

[@MarsGuy]

All rocky worlds share many similarities, but they each have aspects that are unique.

[@wizardchairman3691]

*wow, we will find life on Mars..*

[@wtxrailfan]

I remember years ago finding small pieces of elemental sulfur around the Canadian River basin in Oldham County, Texas. It's an area that also has layers of gypsum deposits, was once covered by a shallow sea, and is far removed from any volcanic activity.

[@MarsGuy]

Interesting, will have to look it up.

[@user-zj2qp3lr3m]

Good morning MG do you think at one time there was enough oxygen for this sulfur to burn. It is great to see Mars up close, but I also enjoy seeing it thru my telescope. Thanks for another great episode I look forward to it every Sunday morning.

[@MarsGuy]

Glad you do, thanks. And no, I don't think there was ever enough O2 on Mars to burn sulfur.

[@MrGaborseres]

Getting interesting 👀👌👍 Thanks Mars guy 👍

[@MarsGuy]

Indeed!

[@FinkipGirl]

Awesome, a Curiosity episode!

[@graemebrumfitt6668]

Rite Mars Dude, I have never (or can't remember that far back to school days) seen sulfur burn/melt before! Stay safe n well Steve. TFS , GB :)

[@MarsGuy]

Pretty cool, huh? I haven't tried this myself but may do so with some of my samples.

[@isaacplaysbass8568]

Thank you MG. I'd love some Earth-bound deep dives of sedimentary and non-sedimentary features on Earth, whereby you take us to places to illustrate features on Mars in common (or the opposite) with those on our own planet. Could be a fab spin-off or companion series.

[@MarsGuy]

Ooh, sounds like more work than I have time for! But I'll insert bits where I can (I'm not a sedimentary geologist).

[@Joe-jv5mm]

It's Crazy, we have to go to Mar's to Learn about Earth

[@gpetheri]

Another great video, thanks Marsguy Forscale.

[@MarsGuy]

Thanks for watching.

[@vortifyne]

I've been watching for so long and have never asked, but; Where did you get that suit from?

[@ge2623]

Baby Gap?

[@MarsGuy]

It's all a DIY effort using mostly repurposed motorcycle gear. I had fun making it!

[@vortifyne]

@@MarsGuy That it awesome! It looks really good!

[@johnmerrett5186]

Most interesting MG. THX JPM ⛏️🇬🇧😎

[@yrguitar1]

Incredible

[@ramrod0209]

Rock Solid! ☆☆

[@MarsGuy]

Ha, thanks!

[@justyce_yt]

Imagine being a Mars rover. I can't say I'd want to be one, but it would be cool

[@SierraSierraFoxtrot]

The dead sea and areas around it are amazing, a must see.

[@billykershaw2781]

Great stuff, fancy looking at another planet, and learning stuff about your own....sometimes the internet is an excellent educational tool. Many thanks.

[@MarsGuy]

Happy to have such engaged viewers.

[@ericfielding2540]

The elemental sulfur only burns in the atmosphere of Earth with its abundant oxygen. As Mars Guy pointed out before, sulfur won’t burn in the Mars atmosphere.

[@MarsGuy]

Correct!

[@patirving705]

Thank you, Mars Guy! More fascinating clues!!!! I meant to ask on the last episode, did they find telluride (spelling?) or selenium in the center of the redox spots? I have been reading some articles referencing the redox spots on Earth and some of them mentioned this as a finding in their studies. Thank you again for your great updates!!!

[@MarsGuy]

There's been no mention of this, but I don't think the available instruments can make such measurements.

[@damonbanks259]

Burnstone reminds me of the Icelandic word for sulphur, brennisteinn, literally burnstone.

[@krisanderson5636]

Here's an idea. The rocks look like volcanic lava that was degassing violently as it cooled and solidified, forming vesicles. I'm thinking that the sulfur could be due to a subsequent infiltration of an extremely concentrated CaSO4 in water solution that eventually had the water driven off due to evaporation. This was followed by a subsequent reheating of the rock due to further volcanic activity that decomposed the CaSO4 into elemental sulfur.

[@rtqii]

That was interesting.

[@MarsGuy]

Glad you thought so.

[@ml3141]

Thank you for the informative video! 💛

[@MarsGuy]

Thanks for watching!

[@Fummy007]

Evidence of biomediated processes from both rovers just in a few weeks of each other? this is amazing

[@dahemac]

“Here’s part of Mars Guy for scale.” 🤔 😂

[@MarsGuy]

What, two boots aren't enough?

[@jackiekane297]

fascinating, .....thought stimulating. ..... Waiting for more......Thanks!

[@user-iq2yp1dn1q]

wait until it finds scrolls

[@juhajuntunen7866]

Fascinating! This tell a lot of Mars ancient history.

[@ohasis8331]

To me, among other things, it suggests the inevitability of eventual life in the universe. It would need to be shaped by its environment and other factors, including stability.

[@blp1991]

I watched the presentation posted by JPL and heard your question! Are those presentations usually that contentious? Seems like there's a non-zero group that thinks MSR will effectively preclude a significant number of other missions from going forward. Also - it seemed like they hadn't yet even considered your hypothesis as a possibility? Am I misinterpreting that?

[@MarsGuy]

Ha, didn't realize these were posted. MSR is a touchy subject that is bound to generate such questions. And I was surprised at the response to my question.

[@kwgm8578]

Red dust covers all the geology. Any expedition to Mars must manage the dust better than the Apollo Moon missions dealt with the grey stuff.

[@glocke380]

Life on Mars? That means there might be oil!

[@FATillery]

While I often follow and enjoy your posts, I must note that they are just stones (rocks). I am certain that one could find such stones on all four of the inner planets although, I would stay away from Venus.

[@MarsGuy]

Yes, they are "just stones", but the process that formed them could possibly have involved biology, although this certainly is not the only one.

[@FATillery]

@@MarsGuy True but, at this point, Mars is a cold, dry, dead planet. Perhaps if we ever make it there, we can analyze such stones to determine their origins.

[@jackieking1522]

I feel just a bit startled that "the Mars Team" might not have instant recognition of every type of rock, their genesis and location on Earth. Then I think that such a thought is pretty dumb of me and move on to wondering if there are AI scans being done in parallel with RI ( real intelligence ) scans?

[@MarsGuy]

Yes, no team has absolute knowledge of all geology!

[@SonOfFurzehatt]

How certain are we that the sulphur wasn't thrown out of situ by an asteroid impact?

[@DanielBerthellemy]

I'd love to think that Mars was our home planet, which we have destroyed during planet wide war, and remaining survivors had to flee to earth to avoid rapidly dissapiering atmosphere. There are plenty of curiosities on Mars that I have come across in my research. it's a fun rabbithole to go down.

[@damonbanks259]

😁 Planetary geologists must be having a joyous time studying Mars. 😊

[@MarsGuy]

Indeed!

[@MothyOnes111]

Me say day!

[@-mike-8134]

Waste from the worms before they were transported to the planet Dune...

[@AceSpadeThePikachu]

Anyone who's ever said "When Heck freezes over" is probably Surprised Pikachu Face-ing right now. All joking aside, there have been some studies that suggest some details of the Sodom and Gomorrah story might have been a tiny bit accurate, if greatly embellished by mythology. Sodom and/or Gomorrah; or some similar cities under different names; may have been destroyed by a meteor air-burst similar to the Tunguska event. Such a brilliant display of destruction would no doubt have lead ancient peoples of the time to assume it was the wrath of an angered deity. Though this is still a hotly contested hypothesis in the scientific community. If this hypothesis does prove true though, I do wonder about the implications to whether it could have been connected to the sulfur stone deposits. If sulfur stone nodules can sometimes be produced as a byproduct of certain kinds of meteor impacts or airbursts, that would have huuuge implications for astrogeology.

[@petramitchell7162]

Actually yes These sulphur balls did come to mind when you were showing us the sulphur stones on Mars

[@RussTillling]

Super thank you

[@MarsGuy]

Super welcome!

[@MichaelKepler]

Content and presentation excellent as always, but there was a lot of excess sibilance in your narration on this one, to a distracting degree. I just wanted to note this in case you need to double check everything in your audio signal chain. Sorry to complain, as I really appreciate your work.

[@MarsGuy]

Noted. Thanks for the feedback.

[@pixelchi]

Was a core of the sulfur stones able to be taken? Could the vesicles(?) originate from escaping gas or another mineral eroded away?

[@MarsGuy]

No, they didn't drill any of the sulfur stones. They were thought to be too small. And both your ideas should be considered.

[@pixelchi]

@@MarsGuy The team probably figures the sulfur stones originate in an outcrop somewhere that can be sampled. I hope they find that outcrop as any fossil Earth bugs that love sulfur could have cousins found on Mars.

[@HandyMan657]

You have to be so careful when you say things like this. The easily manipulated people may get the wrong idea and see some holy aspect. Ugg

[@FATillery]

Indeed, sir. After all, they are just rocks.

[@sparkyprojects]

Is it possible that the holes are gas bubble that have been exposed by erosion I'm thinking like coarse pumice stone

[@Rmm1722]

Interesting 🤔😮

[@billykershaw2781]

Hi Mars Guy, Isak Finnbogasen is live streaming from Iceland again, enjoy!

[@Ryan-mq2mi]

Does sulfer smell like an indigestion of an egg burp? Or methane coming out the other end? As a kid we always called them sulfer burps

[@miller2675]

Oh man. . . May there never be a Bible on Mars.. .

[@wordreet]

That is super interesting! 👍👍👍

[@MarsGuy]

Glad you think so.

[@blairseaman461]

I noticed no pillars of salt either.

[@mobility-tech]

Excellent channel you have here. I am wondering if you know of any Nasa derived VR resources for Mars that the public can access? i.e. for say Quest 3 headsets to be able to virtually examine rocks or the lander's immediate zone?

[@MarsGuy]

Thanks. Regarding Mars VR content, I'm not familiar with what's out there but I did find this: accessmars.withgoogle.com/

[@relwalretep]

STILL no banana 😢

[@wayneharrison]

I like the smell of sulphur rocks/rotten eggs, in the morning.🤧

[@AerialWaviator]

That's hydrogen sulphide (H2S) that you're smelling. Pure sulphur has almost no smell.

[@wayneharrison]

@@AerialWaviator Copy and paste:- "Burning sulfur" and sulfur dioxide are essentially the same odor (unless it is being burnt in something other than oxygen). Sulphur dioxide is a colourless gas with a rotten egg smell. So, the chemical that is responsible for the smell of rotten eggs in hot mud pools is sulphur dioxide. 🔥😉

[@AerialWaviator]

Yes, surfer dioxide would have a pungent smell. Just not sure if it's a rotten egg smell like with hydrogen sulphide gas (smell of a natural gas leak). Maybe like a burnt match-stick?

[@dbireland2003]

Is it possible that they could be meteors?

[@aidanquick3151]

the best

[@NuisanceMan]

Was there immoral life on Mars, punished by God?

[@Avatar711Wizard]

Might not hurt for you to listen to what Anthony William says about Mars. I suggest you sit down whilst you listen to it.

[@lhaviland8602]

Oh... OH THAT'S NOT GOOD

[@Pokeymarmot7168]

What’s not good?

[@nzavon]

Nice MARS GUY, I'm not a Chemist or Geologist (Physicist). But doesn't trying to fit Mars geology with Earths fraught with mis -conceptions ?

[@MarsGuy]

It's not a matter of fitting one to the other but instead using Earth as a starting point for interpreting features on Mars. Of course there are going to be differences, but there's a lot of overlap between two basaltic worlds that started with abundant water.

[@nzavon]

@@MarsGuy awesome, thanks :-)

[@WilhelmvonFahrvergnugen]

3:32 and near total lack of any evidence of sodomy...

[@ge2623]

Are you asking me out?

[@yoram_snir]

Wonderful connection (where science meets God) 😀

[@AerialWaviator]

Their paths appear to have crossed. It's unknown if a meeting took place.

[@robertanderson809]

Dump religious reference. I almost skipped your show.