11/13/2023 0 Comments Ice towers of mount erebus![]() ![]() Delicate curtains of snowflakes and icicles hang from the roof. The internal temperatures of the towers hover around freezing, but are often tens of degrees warmer than the outside air. In this cave-like grotto, away from the howling wind, there exists a local microclimate gently warmed by the volcanic heat beneath. It is possible to climb down the inside the chimneys where the filtered sunlight creates an eerie blue dimness. Instead, all of the water is transported as vapour directly from snow and ice in the ground (permafrost) to build tall hollow chimneys of ice, that loom over the landscape up to 10m tall. Here, steaming volcanic vents transform steam directly into ice, missing the normal in-between step of liquid water. Mt Erebus is a 3800 metre active volcano on Antarctica's Ross Island. Hoffman and colleague, Professor Phil Kyle, Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources, New Mexico, presented their research into the similarities between Antarctica and Mars at NASA's recent 6th International Mars Conference in Pasadena, California. While I believe Mars is actually lifeless, ice towers rather than the current acclaimed river channels are the most likely place to find signs of water activity, and hence life, on an otherwise frozen planet," says Hoffman. ![]() "If these thermal anomalies don't prove to be another of Mars' 'red herrings', the search for water and life on Mars now has a clear focus. These anomalies, he says, fit the signature you might expect from structures formed in similar ways to the Antarctica ice towers. ![]() Hoffman has drawn attention to strange temperature anomalies in these latest Mars images taken with an infra-red heat-sensing camera on the Mars Odyssey orbiter. ![]() University of Melbourne geologist, Dr Nick Hoffman has found evidence from recent infra-red images of Mars that similar structures may exist on Mars and, if life is to be found, such towers may be best place to start looking. Giant hollow towers of ice formed by steaming volcanic vents on Ross Island, Antarctica are providing clues about where to hunt for life on Mars. Hot spots on Mars give hunt for life new target Richly illustrated with photographs and stunning paintings showcasing the beauty of the harsh continent, the book captures the spirit and splendor of the authors’ journey to Erebus.Spaceflight Now | Breaking News | Hot spots on Mars give hunt for life new target Readers will see an intimate side of Mount Erebus and Antarctica while surveying the region’s history, exploration, geology, and volcanology, which includes research funded by the NSF’s United States Antarctic Programs. There, the authors explored the caves and ice towers on the volcano’s flanks, taking photographs and generating original art depicting scenes in Antarctica and terrestrial analogs on other planets and moons. The bulk of this story delves into Antarctica’s infrastructure, exploration, and remote camps, culminating on the summit of Erebus. This exciting popular-level book explores the arduous environment of Antarctica and how it is similar to other icy worlds in the Solar System. The logistics of getting there and complex operations of Antarctica's McMurdo Station echo the kinds of strategies that future explorers will undertake as they set up settlements on Mars and beyond. In 2016, scientist Rosaly Lopes and artist Michael Carroll teamed up as fellows of the National Science Foundation to travel to Mount Erebus, the world’s southernmost active volcano in Antarctica. ![]()
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