Great Country Academician

While the manned Mars landing project was hotly discussed on the Internet, on the other side, in Jinling, Xiashu Space Base.

In the office of Academician Chang Huaxiang, Xu Chuan was sitting on the sofa, flipping through a stack of information with interest.

These data were the first batch of observation data sent back by various types of probes and rovers launched to the surface of Mars when the Fuyao Space Shuttle carried out the unmanned Mars landing project.

For example, the orbiter is equipped with medium-resolution cameras, high-resolution cameras, subsurface detection radars, Mars mineral spectrometers, Mars magnetometers, Mars ion and neutral particle analyzers, Mars energy particle analyzers, etc.

Overall, they sent more than two-digit experimental equipment at the end of March, and now a large amount of data has been sent back one after another.

Among them, there are about twenty of the most valuable or characteristic detection results that have been preliminarily sorted out by the Xinghai Research Institute and the Institute of Aerospace.

Of course, this does not mean that only these twenty pieces of data were collected during the Mars exploration, but that there are at least twenty of them that can be determined to be of great value or potential value in the preliminary analysis.

Compared with the data obtained from previous Mars exploration, this time their collection can simply overturn everyone's understanding of Mars.

For each of the key reports in his hand, he can write at least one paper and publish it in top journals such as "Nature" and "Science".

Although it is impossible for them to compile these exploration data into papers and publish them now, this also reflects the value of these data from the side.

Among these 20 key exploration reports, what Xu Chuan is most concerned about is the exploration data of the Martian environment.

For example, the first report comes from the exploration of the Mars "Mariner Grand Canyon" by the Firefly 3 probe.

This is one of the most breathtaking natural wonders on Mars, famous for its magnificent scale and deep cutting, and is the largest canyon system in the solar system.

It is about 4,500 kilometers long, 200 kilometers wide, and an astonishing 8 kilometers deep. It is adjacent to the Noctis Labyrinth in the west and enters a large area of ​​chaotic terrain in the east.

Its length is about the same as the distance from Mohe City in the north of China to Sansha City in the south of the South China Sea. If it is moved from Mars to Earth, it can almost span any country in the world.

Generally speaking, geologists believe that the Mariner Valley was formed about 3.5 billion years ago due to the continuous uplift of the Sassis volcanic province where Olympus Mons on Mars is located, which caused the stretching and collapse of the Martian crust in the adjacent area, leading to the formation of geological faults.

Just like the Great Rift Valley in Africa today, perhaps in a few hundred million years, the Great Rift Valley of East Africa will also form a landscape as majestic as the Mariner Grand Canyon.

However, some scholars believe that the Mariner Grand Canyon was formed by meteorite craters and earthquakes caused by ancient water erosion or giant meteorite impacts.

However, for Xu Chuan, how the Mariner Grand Canyon was formed is not very important at present.

What is important is a picture in his hand.

That is a picture of the narrowest part of the Mariner Grand Canyon, the Kander Canyon. From the image, it can be clearly seen that at the bottom of the canyon where the sun cannot reach, there is a landform composed of ice flowers and water clay minerals.

It looks somewhat similar to the permafrost near the North and South Poles on the earth. The ice flowers on the surface are smooth and wavy, reflecting the light from the Firefly 3 probe.

"Is this... water ice?"

Looking away from the photo in the report, Xu Chuan looked at the analysis report attached to the picture with interest and asked casually.

Across the sofa, Academician Chang Huaxiang smiled and nodded, saying: "Yes, the data sent back by the Firefly 3 probe has confirmed that there are a lot of water ice resources at the bottom of the Mariner Grand Canyon, at least in the Kander Canyon explored this time."

"And from the data sent back by the element analysis equipment, these water ice resources permanently frozen in the dark at the bottom of the canyon are fresh water. Theoretically, they can be mined and used directly."

Judging from the various equipment installed on the Firefly 3 probe, such as the element analyzer and mineral spectrometer, the results are already very obvious.

There are a lot of water ice resources at the bottom of the Mariner Grand Canyon, Cande Canyon.

These water resources are hidden at the bottom of the canyon that humans could not detect before, and they also escaped the blowing of solar wind and the melting flow caused by temperature changes.

Hearing this, Xu Chuan asked with interest: "Are there any results on the specific amount?"

Chang Huaxiang shook his head and said: "The water ice resources in Cande Canyon are unevenly distributed. Some places have a relatively large content, and some places have a relatively low content. The specific amount of these water ice resources may have to wait for a complete scanning and exploration to determine."

"However, according to a simple statistics of the data transmitted back so far, the water ice resources in Cande Canyon detected this time are about 20 million cubic meters."

Although it is not the first time that water resources have been clearly discovered on Mars.

For example, from the beginning of the exploration of Mars, it was known that the north and south poles of Mars would condense a large amount of water ice and dry ice resources with seasonal changes.

In 2018, the ESA team led by Italian scientist Professor Orosei announced that a large underground lake with a width of 20 kilometers was found under the ice cap of the South Pole of Mars.

This is the first time that humans have confirmed the existence of liquid water on Mars, although this underground lake is cold and salty and is a pool of "brine".

As early as 21 years ago, a Mars exploration project jointly carried out by the European Space Agency and the Russian Aerospace Corporation discovered a water-bearing zone underground in the central area of ​​the Mariner Canyon on Mars.

According to observation data, it is speculated that the entire aquifer is equivalent to the size of the Netherlands, and the water inside the aquifer may exist in the form of ice or hydrous minerals.

The news caused quite a stir around the world at the time.

But this time, the large amount of water ice resources they discovered at the bottom of Kande Canyon is still epic!

First of all, it is the first time that water resources have been clearly detected on the surface of Mars beyond the north and south poles.

Secondly, the water resources in Kande Canyon are of great value.

The reason is simple, it is relatively easy to mine and exploit!

And it’s a fresh water resource!

For the future development of Mars and the establishment of outpost scientific research stations, its value is far greater than the water ice resources at the north and south levels and the underground lakes discovered by Italian scholars.

His eyes fell on the report document in his hand. After looking at it for a while, Xu Chuan suddenly raised his head, looked at Academician Chang Huaxiang, and asked: "Regarding the detection of water ice resources in Kande Canyon, do you have the complete data here?"

"Yes, but it needs to be printed."

Chang Huaxiang nodded, called his assistant, and asked her to print out two complete sets of Kander Canyon detection data.

After waiting for a short while, the assistant walked over quickly with a thick stack of newly printed documents in his hands.

After receiving the complete Kande Canyon exploration data from his assistant, Xu Chuan couldn't wait to read through it.

Opposite the sofa, Academician Chang Huaxiang also took another detailed exploration data from his assistant and asked curiously while flipping through it.

"What's wrong, did you find something?"

Xu Chuan replied without raising his head: "A little guess, maybe the detailed exploration data of Kande Canyon can provide some clues."

"What guess?"

"There is speculation that there may be underground water layers hidden throughout Mars beneath the surface of Mars."

Hearing this answer, Chang Huaxiang looked over in surprise and couldn't help but ask: "Are there underground water layers all over Mars?"

Xu Chuan nodded and said, "Yes, I have read NASA's Mars exploration data before and studied the historical transformation of Mars."

"There is a lot of evidence that Mars was a wet planet billions of years ago, with a lot of surface water."

"However, over time, the core of Mars gradually lowered its temperature and lost most of its magnetic field, possibly for some unknown reason, and eventually lost its atmosphere, pressure and heat due to the blowing of solar wind and cosmic rays."

"In this case, the water resources on the surface of Mars can no longer remain liquid and will disappear."

Chang Huaxiang asked curiously: "But usually, isn't it generally believed that surface water resources on Mars will escape into space after losing the protection of the atmosphere and magnetic field?"

Xu Chuan nodded and said: "Theoretically, that's the case, but what if the situation is special?"

"special?"

"Um."

His eyes flicked through the Kande Canyon exploration data report. After finding what he wanted, Xu Chuan curled up the corner of his mouth and continued.

"Look at this, the soil composition of Candle Canyon."

Following what Xu Chuan pointed out, Chang Huaxiang quickly found the composition data of the soil composition of Kande Canyon.

"Olivine, montmorillonite, and chlorite account for a total of about 76.21%. What's wrong with this data?"

Xu Chuan smiled and said: "olivine, smectite, chlorite, these minerals have a certain relationship in the geological weathering process. The latter is transformed from the former through serpentinization."

"Clay minerals such as montmorillonite and chlorite formed during the transformation process are flake minerals with a large number of gaps between their atomic structures."

"That's where the clay's adsorption power comes from and what I call a special case."

After a slight pause, he continued: "It is undeniable that after the surface liquid ocean on Mars experienced the loss of magnetic field and atmosphere, a large part escaped into space under the influence of solar wind and cosmic radiation."

"But I think that thanks to the special soil structure on the surface of Mars, the soil of Mars has been absorbing a large amount of water from the liquid ocean on the surface for a long time."

“These water resources penetrate into the ground through clay-based flake minerals, forming scattered or integral underground water systems in the interstitial underground structure.”

"And for a long time, even if the water resources on the surface continue to escape and dissipate, the water ice resources under the surface soil may still exist."

"Judging from the current exploration data, the soil composition data at the bottom of Kande Canyon has confirmed my speculation to a certain extent."

His eyes fell on the exploration report in his hand. Academician Chang Huaxiang thought for a moment and said: "You mean that the underground of Mars may have a large amount of water resources like the earth."

"Even an underground ocean that spreads across the entire planet?"

Xu Chuan nodded and said: "It is possible, but it must be considered based on the overall geological investigation of Mars."

"in addition."

After a pause, he then opened the second survey data on the soil on the surface of Mars, and continued: "In addition to the adsorption of water resources, the composition of surface rocks and soil on Mars also plays an important role in theory. ”

"What does it do?"

"Absorbing carbon dioxide from Mars, locking the atmosphere to generate methane!"

Xu Chuan opened his mouth and uttered a sentence: "The atmosphere on Mars is likely not completely disappeared and escaped into the universe, but was locked by the soil. They may still exist!"

Hearing this explanation, Chang Huaxiang looked over in surprise and said: "Your idea is almost completely contrary to the mainstream theory."

Humans have never stopped exploring and investigating Mars since they were able to observe Mars.

The current mainstream theory is that Mars may have been a planet with a thick atmosphere and liquid water ocean like the Earth billions of years ago.

But as the core of Mars gradually cools, the magnetic field is greatly weakened, and the strong solar wind can directly blow away the atmospheric molecules on the surface of Mars.

For a long time, countless gases are blown away by the solar wind every moment.

Especially in the early formation of the solar system, the probability of solar storms is more frequent.

When a solar storm hits the Martian atmosphere, the atmospheric escape rate will increase by about 10~20% or even more.

It's like someone is constantly blowing your hair with a hair dryer, and you can't stop it.

In general, the academic community almost universally agrees that the disappearance of the Martian atmosphere is due to the atmosphere escaping and disappearing into the universe.

But now, the man in front of him has proposed another completely "unbelievable" idea.

He actually believes that the atmosphere of Mars may not have completely escaped and dissipated into the universe, but has been stored in large quantities in the soil and rocks on the surface of Mars.

This "outrageous" idea, even he thinks it is a bit unreliable.