1 00:00:02,100 --> 00:00:08,309 GOOD AFTERNOON. 2 00:00:08,309 --> 00:00:13,000 TODAY YOU WILL HEAR THE FIRST OF WHAT WILL CERTAINLY BE MANY MORE 3 00:00:13,000 --> 00:00:21,700 FINDINGS FROM MARS ATMOSPHERE VOLATILE EVOLUTION MISSION OR 4 00:00:21,700 --> 00:00:25,970 MAVEN. 5 00:00:25,970 --> 00:00:28,150 SENDING HUMANS TO THE RED PLANET. 6 00:00:28,150 --> 00:00:34,300 LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, MAVEN IS HELPING ANSWER A QUESTION ASKED 7 00:00:34,300 --> 00:00:39,079 BY SCIENTISTS FOR DECADES, WHERE DID THE ATMOSPHERE AND THE WATER 8 00:00:39,079 --> 00:00:40,079 GO? 9 00:00:40,079 --> 00:00:44,339 COULD THE SAME THING HAPPEN TO EARTH? 10 00:00:44,339 --> 00:00:49,620 WE'LL HAVE BRIEF PRESENTATIONS AND OPEN UP A QUESTION STARTING 11 00:00:49,620 --> 00:00:53,539 HERE AT NASA HEADQUATERS AND GO TO OUR PHONE LINES ACROSS THE 12 00:00:53,539 --> 00:00:57,570 COUNTRY AND ACROSS THE WORLD. 13 00:00:57,570 --> 00:01:07,710 SOCIAL MEDIA, IS A BUZZ WITH MARS AND THE MAVEN MISSION. 14 00:01:07,710 --> 00:01:10,340 SEND QUESTIONS IN TO†#ASKNASA. 15 00:01:10,340 --> 00:01:14,990 WE'LL GET TO SOME OF YOUR QUESTIONS ON SOCIAL MEDIA. 16 00:01:14,990 --> 00:01:19,659 WE'LL HAVE AN HOUR LONG SESSION AND PERHAPS LONGER TO SEND IN 17 00:01:19,659 --> 00:01:22,890 YOUR QUESTIONS AND HAVE SOME OF THE SCIENTISTS ANSWER YOUR 18 00:01:22,890 --> 00:01:24,920 QUESTIONS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD. 19 00:01:24,920 --> 00:01:26,220 #ASKNASA. 20 00:01:26,220 --> 00:01:28,640 AND OF COURSE YOU'LL BE ABLE TO FOLLOW ALL OF THIS INFORMATION 21 00:01:28,640 --> 00:01:35,000 AND MUCH, MUCH MORE ON THE WEB AT NASA.GOV/MAVEN. 22 00:01:35,000 --> 00:01:42,570 AND THE JOURNEY TO MARS. 23 00:01:42,570 --> 00:01:45,799 LET ME INTRODUCE YOU TO OUR FOLKS HERE AND ALSO JOINING US 24 00:01:45,799 --> 00:01:48,219 FROM IOWA AND COLORADO. 25 00:01:48,219 --> 00:01:53,880 FIRST, MICHAEL MEYER LEAD SCIENTIST, NAS KA EXPLORATION 26 00:01:53,880 --> 00:01:57,189 PROGRAM. 27 00:01:57,189 --> 00:02:08,929 BRUCE JAKOSKY, AT THE LABORATORY FOR ATMOSPHERE AND SPACE PHYSICS 28 00:02:08,929 --> 00:02:14,720 AT THE UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO BOULDER. 29 00:02:14,720 --> 00:02:19,500 AND JOINING US FROM IOWA CITY, JASPER HALEKAS, THE MAVEN SOLAR 30 00:02:19,500 --> 00:02:23,530 WIND ION ANALYZING INSTRUMENT LEAD FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF 31 00:02:23,530 --> 00:02:26,830 IOWA. 32 00:02:26,830 --> 00:02:31,750 AND OVER AT COLORADO, YAXUE†DONG. 33 00:02:31,750 --> 00:02:35,040 MAVEN SCIENCE TEAM MEMBER. 34 00:02:35,040 --> 00:02:40,430 AND DAVE BRAIN MAVEN†CO-INVESTIGATOR. 35 00:02:40,430 --> 00:02:41,430 SO LET'S GET STARTED. 36 00:02:41,430 --> 00:02:44,010 I'LL TOSS IT TO MICHAEL. 37 00:02:44,010 --> 00:02:45,010 >> THANKS. 38 00:02:45,010 --> 00:02:48,400 THE NASCAR MARS EXPLORATION PROGRAM IS FOCUSED ON FINDING 39 00:02:48,400 --> 00:02:49,450 WATER. 40 00:02:49,450 --> 00:02:52,200 WATER IS THE PRIME INGREDIENT NEEDED FOR LIFE. 41 00:02:52,200 --> 00:02:57,060 IT'S A MAJOR FABRIC IN THE CLIMATE AND SHAPING GEOLOGY AND 42 00:02:57,060 --> 00:03:01,640 IS A CRITICAL RESOURCE FOR FUTURE HUMAN EXPLORATION. 43 00:03:01,640 --> 00:03:05,600 WE HAVE VISUAL EVIDENCE OF WATER ON MARS FROM ORBIT. 44 00:03:05,600 --> 00:03:11,610 WE HAVE ROVERS THAT FOUND ROCKS THAT FORMED AND WE HAVE FOUND 45 00:03:11,610 --> 00:03:18,680 EVIDENCE THAT ANCIENT MARS HAD ENOUGH WATER TO SUPPORT LIFE. 46 00:03:18,680 --> 00:03:21,260 SO WE LOOKED FOR WATER AND WE FOUND IT. 47 00:03:21,260 --> 00:03:26,930 IF YOU LOOK AT MARS TODAY, IT'S A COLD, DRY DESERT PLANET. 48 00:03:26,930 --> 00:03:29,620 WHAT HAPPENED? 49 00:03:29,620 --> 00:03:31,190 MARS LOST IT'S ATMOSPHERE. 50 00:03:31,190 --> 00:03:33,730 HOW DID THAT HAPPEN? 51 00:03:33,730 --> 00:03:37,110 >> THE ATMOSPHERE OF MARS COULD HAVE FROZEN OUT. 52 00:03:37,110 --> 00:03:40,110 IT COULD HAVE BEEN TURNED INTO ROCKS. 53 00:03:40,110 --> 00:03:44,540 IT COULD HAVE BEEN KNOCKED OFF BY ASTEROIDS OR COMMENTS OR 54 00:03:44,540 --> 00:03:47,580 STRIPPED FROM THE PLANET BY THE SOLAR WIND. 55 00:03:47,580 --> 00:03:54,110 TO ANSWER THIS QUESTION, NASA HAS SENT THE MISSION TO MARS. 56 00:03:54,110 --> 00:03:58,040 THAT MISSION WAS DESIGNED TO LOOK AT THE UPPER ATMOSPHERIC 57 00:03:58,040 --> 00:04:06,850 PROCESSES AND GET A BETTER HANDLE ON ATMOSPHERIC LOSS. 58 00:04:06,850 --> 00:04:12,420 SO WHAT HAPPENED†-- SO WE ARE LOOKING AT A MISSION THAT IS 59 00:04:12,420 --> 00:04:16,560 NEARING IT'S†-- COMPLETING IT'S TIME. 60 00:04:16,560 --> 00:04:22,570 IT HAS BEEN UNDERBUDGET AND ON TIME AND IS BEHAVING 61 00:04:22,570 --> 00:04:24,380 BEAUTIFULLY. 62 00:04:24,380 --> 00:04:28,690 SO TO ANSWER THE QUESTION, WHAT HAPPENED TO THE MARS ATMOSPHERE 63 00:04:28,690 --> 00:04:30,440 I'LL QUOTE BOB DYLAN. 64 00:04:30,440 --> 00:04:34,510 THE ANSWER MY FRIEND IS BLOWING IN THE WIND. 65 00:04:34,510 --> 00:04:37,900 AND TO GIVE US MORE DETAIL I'LL TURN THE MIC OVER TO THE 66 00:04:37,900 --> 00:04:41,830 PRINCIPLE INVESTIGATION, BRUCE JAKOSKY. 67 00:04:41,830 --> 00:04:43,200 >> THANK YOU. 68 00:04:43,200 --> 00:04:48,610 IT'S BEEN ORBITING SINCE SEPTEMBER 2014. 69 00:04:48,610 --> 00:04:52,600 WE'RE COMING UP ON THE END OF THE ONE YEAR PRIMARY MISSION. 70 00:04:52,600 --> 00:04:57,150 THE MISSION LASTS FOR ANOTHER TEN DAYS AND WILL BE BEGINNING 71 00:04:57,150 --> 00:05:01,530 AN EXTENDED MISSION AFTER THAT THE SPACECRAFT AND ALL THE 72 00:05:01,530 --> 00:05:05,510 SCIENCE INSTRUMENTS ARE WORKING WELL AND WE'RE HERE TO TELL YOU 73 00:05:05,510 --> 00:05:07,880 TODAY ABOUT SOME OF THE RESULTS THAT HAVE COME OUT FROM THE 74 00:05:07,880 --> 00:05:13,860 FIRST SIX MONTHS OR SO OF DATA ANALYSIS IT'S TAKEN A LONG TIME 75 00:05:13,860 --> 00:05:19,690 BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT INSTRUMENTS THAT CAN BE INTERRUPTED. 76 00:05:19,690 --> 00:05:24,730 THEY REQUIRE ANALYSIS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE UNDERSTAND WHAT'S 77 00:05:24,730 --> 00:05:26,450 COMING OUT OF THAT. 78 00:05:26,450 --> 00:05:29,770 IT'S TAKEN AWHILE TO GET HERE BUT WE HAVE RESULTS WE THINK ARE 79 00:05:29,770 --> 00:05:31,180 EXCITING. 80 00:05:31,180 --> 00:05:35,070 WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT THE HISTORY OF CLIMATE ON MARS. 81 00:05:35,070 --> 00:05:38,070 MAVEN WAS DESIGNED TO UNDERSTAND THE CHANGES IN CLIMATE. 82 00:05:38,070 --> 00:05:43,900 IF WE CAN ROLL THE FIRST VIDEO PLEASE, TODAY'S PLANET IS A 83 00:05:43,900 --> 00:05:46,440 COLD, DRY, DESERT-LIKE ENVIRONMENT. 84 00:05:46,440 --> 00:05:48,680 THE ATMOSPHERE IS THIN. 85 00:05:48,680 --> 00:05:51,420 IT'S NOT CAPABLE OF SUSTAINING†LIQUID WATER AT THE 86 00:05:51,420 --> 00:05:55,170 SURFACE TODAY. 87 00:05:55,170 --> 00:05:59,830 HOWEVER ANCIENT MARS WE SEE A DIFFERENT TYPE OF SURFACE. 88 00:05:59,830 --> 00:06:04,930 ONE THAT HAD VALLEYS THAT LOOK LIKE THEY'RE CARVED BY WATER. 89 00:06:04,930 --> 00:06:09,160 LAKES THAT WERE STANDING FOR LONG PERIOD OF TIME. 90 00:06:09,160 --> 00:06:12,450 WE SEE AN ENVIRONMENT THAT WAS MUCH MORE ABLE TO SUPPORT LIQUID 91 00:06:12,450 --> 00:06:13,450 WATER. 92 00:06:13,450 --> 00:06:15,330 THE CLIMATE MUST HAVE BEEN VERY DIFFERENT. 93 00:06:15,330 --> 00:06:18,419 WARMER AND WETTER AND THE ATMOSPHERE MUST HAVE BEEN 94 00:06:18,419 --> 00:06:22,390 THICKER AT THAT TIME IN ORDER TO SUSTAIN WARMER CLIMATE. 95 00:06:22,390 --> 00:06:25,870 WHAT HAPPENED TO THE CARBON DIOXIDE FROM THE EARLY 96 00:06:25,870 --> 00:06:26,870 ATMOSPHERE? 97 00:06:26,870 --> 00:06:29,210 WHAT HAPPENED TO THE WATER FROM EARLY MARS? 98 00:06:29,210 --> 00:06:33,520 MAVEN IS EXPLORING THE ABILITY OF THE ATMOSPHERIC GASES TO GO 99 00:06:33,520 --> 00:06:36,570 TO THE TOP OF THE ATMOSPHERE WHERE THEY CAN BE STRIPPED AWAY 100 00:06:36,570 --> 00:06:39,630 BY THE SOLAR WIND. 101 00:06:39,630 --> 00:06:42,260 WE'RE STUDYING THE TOP OF THE ATMOSPHERE BECAUSE THAT'S THE 102 00:06:42,260 --> 00:06:46,800 CONDUIT THROUGH WHICH THE GAS HAS TO TRAVEL TO GO FROM THE 103 00:06:46,800 --> 00:06:49,970 MAIN PART OF THE ATMOSPHERE TO WHERE IT CAN GET REMOVED TO 104 00:06:49,970 --> 00:06:51,470 SPACE. 105 00:06:51,470 --> 00:06:58,780 WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT A LOT OF DIFFERENT PROCESSES BUT WE'RE 106 00:06:58,780 --> 00:07:03,430 GOING TO FOCUS LARGELY TODAY ON THE ABILITY OF THE SOLAR WIND TO 107 00:07:03,430 --> 00:07:04,650 STRIP THE GAS AWAY. 108 00:07:04,650 --> 00:07:08,080 IF WE CAN ROLL THE SECOND VIDEO, PLEASE, WE'RE LOOKING AT THE 109 00:07:08,080 --> 00:07:12,150 SOLAR WIND AS IT IMPINGES ON THE PLANET. 110 00:07:12,150 --> 00:07:16,090 IT'S STREAMING OUT FROM THE SUN AT ABOUT 1 MILLION MILES AN HOUR 111 00:07:16,090 --> 00:07:21,000 AND IS ABLE TO GRAB IONS FROM THE PLANET AND STRIP THEM AWAY 112 00:07:21,000 --> 00:07:23,710 FROM THE PLANET OR KNOCK THEM INTO THE PLANET AT VERY HIGH 113 00:07:23,710 --> 00:07:26,800 SPEED AND KNOCK OTHER STUFF OFF. 114 00:07:26,800 --> 00:07:30,660 WE'RE GOING TO BE TALKING TODAY ABOUT THE ROLE OF THE SOLAR WIND 115 00:07:30,660 --> 00:07:33,850 IN STRIPPING THE ATMOSPHERE AND WE'LL BE HEARING ABOUT THE 116 00:07:33,850 --> 00:07:38,530 BEHAVIOR OF THE SOLAR WIND AND THE CONSEQUENCES OF LOSS TO 117 00:07:38,530 --> 00:07:39,530 SPACE. 118 00:07:39,530 --> 00:07:40,530 DWAYNE. 119 00:07:40,530 --> 00:07:42,630 >> THANK YOU, BRUCE. 120 00:07:42,630 --> 00:07:44,620 LET'S GET INTO MORE OF THOSE DETAILS. 121 00:07:44,620 --> 00:07:47,590 LET'S GO TO THE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA AND IOWA CITY AND JASPER 122 00:07:47,590 --> 00:07:48,750 HALEKAS. 123 00:07:48,750 --> 00:07:51,050 >> THANK YOU. 124 00:07:51,050 --> 00:07:56,010 I'D LIKE TO SET THE STAGE BY DESCRIBING HOW MARS INTERACTS 125 00:07:56,010 --> 00:07:57,010 WITH IT'S ENVIRONMENT. 126 00:07:57,010 --> 00:08:00,570 IF I COULD HAVE MY FIRST GRAPHIC PLEASE, MARS HAS SOMETHING IN 127 00:08:00,570 --> 00:08:05,090 COMMON WITH EARTH AND THAT'S THE INFLUENCE OF THE SUN. 128 00:08:05,090 --> 00:08:09,139 AS YOU SEE, ALL OF THE PLANETS, MARS AND EARTH AND THE OTHERS 129 00:08:09,139 --> 00:08:19,730 INCLUDED ARE INPINGED UPON BY THE PARTICLES IN THE WIND. 130 00:08:19,730 --> 00:08:22,740 THEY IMPACT ALL OF THE PLANETS IN OUR SOLAR SYSTEM. 131 00:08:22,740 --> 00:08:25,810 NOW THE EARTH AND MARS HAVE SOMETHING VERY DIFFERENT 132 00:08:25,810 --> 00:08:32,149 HOWEVER, THE EARTH HAS A STRONG GLOBAL MAGNETIC FIELD AND THAT 133 00:08:32,149 --> 00:08:36,349 LARGELY SHIELDS THE ATMOSPHERE. 134 00:08:36,349 --> 00:08:40,199 ON THE LEFT, MARS HAS NO SUCH GLOBAL MAGNETIC FIELD AND IT'S 135 00:08:40,199 --> 00:08:43,779 UPPER ATMOSPHERE IS COMPLETELY EXPOSED. 136 00:08:43,779 --> 00:08:51,319 AS A RESULT IT CAN INTERACT AND STRETCH PORTIONS OF IT AWAY INTO 137 00:08:51,319 --> 00:08:54,329 SPACE. 138 00:08:54,329 --> 00:08:56,749 IT'S STILL THICK ENOUGH TO STOP THE SOLAR WIND FROM HITTING THE 139 00:08:56,749 --> 00:09:00,990 SURFACE OF MARS. 140 00:09:00,990 --> 00:09:04,660 I'M ABOUT TO SHOW YOU A MOVIE†-- IF I COULD HAVE MY SECOND 141 00:09:04,660 --> 00:09:08,420 GRAPHIC PLEASE, THE MOVIE YOU'RE ABOUT TO SEE SHOWS THE 142 00:09:08,420 --> 00:09:11,940 TRAJECTORIES OF THE SOLAR WIND AS THEY PASS BY MARS. 143 00:09:11,940 --> 00:09:15,540 IT WILL BE COMING IN FROM RIGHT TO LEFT AND YOU SEE THAT IT'S 144 00:09:15,540 --> 00:09:19,329 DEFLECTED AROUND MARS IN A SHAPE. 145 00:09:19,329 --> 00:09:22,019 YOU MIGHT NOTICE THAT THAT SHAPE IS VERY REMINISCENT OF THE 146 00:09:22,019 --> 00:09:26,550 SHOCKWAVE AND THAT'S NO ACCIDENT AT ALL. 147 00:09:26,550 --> 00:09:30,089 IT'S THE SAME KIND OF A SHOCKWAVE THAT'S FORMED. 148 00:09:30,089 --> 00:09:32,629 BEHIND THE SOLAR WIND TRAJECTORIES YOU'RE SEEING 149 00:09:32,629 --> 00:09:36,800 ACTUAL DATA TAKEN FROM THE MISSION AT MARS. 150 00:09:36,800 --> 00:09:39,630 THE COLORS THERE ARE SHOWING THE DENSITY OF THE SOLAR WIND 151 00:09:39,630 --> 00:09:43,600 PLASMAS, NUMBER OF CHARGED PARTICLES FROM THE SOLAR WIND 152 00:09:43,600 --> 00:09:46,769 AND THE VECTORS SHOW THE DIRECTION THAT THE SOLAR WIND IS 153 00:09:46,769 --> 00:09:47,769 FLOWING. 154 00:09:47,769 --> 00:09:50,390 THIS DATA SHOWS EXACTLY WHAT YOU JUST SAW IN THE SIMULATED SOLAR 155 00:09:50,390 --> 00:09:54,970 WIND WHICH IS THAT THE SOLAR WIND COMES IN AND YOU SEE THE 156 00:09:54,970 --> 00:09:58,779 DENSITY JUMP UP FROM BLUE TO RED THERE AND IS DEFLECTED AROUND 157 00:09:58,779 --> 00:10:09,129 MARS BUT THAT CONTINUES IN PAST THAT OUTER BOUNDARY AND AT THAT 158 00:10:09,129 --> 00:10:10,709 POINT THE RUBBER HITS THE ROAD. 159 00:10:10,709 --> 00:10:14,089 THERE'S A SECOND BOUNDARY THERE WHERE THE SOLAR WIND INTERACTS 160 00:10:14,089 --> 00:10:15,929 DIRECTLY WITH THE UPPER ATMOSPHERE. 161 00:10:15,929 --> 00:10:19,029 THIS IS UNLIKE ANYTHING WE HAVE. 162 00:10:19,029 --> 00:10:22,699 AS A RESULT OF THE MAGNETIC AND ELECTRIC FIELDS CARRIED WITH THE 163 00:10:22,699 --> 00:10:24,339 SOLAR WIND FLOWS. 164 00:10:24,339 --> 00:10:29,730 IONS SOMEBODY ACCELERATED UP TO ESCAPED VELOCITY AND BEYOND AND 165 00:10:29,730 --> 00:10:32,209 WE BELIEVE THIS IS AN IMPORTANT PROCESS BY WHICH THE MARS 166 00:10:32,209 --> 00:10:34,720 ATMOSPHERE IS TODAY. 167 00:10:34,720 --> 00:10:41,769 THIS CHANGES WITH HOW HARD THE SOLAR WIND IS BLOWING. 168 00:10:41,769 --> 00:10:45,010 THIS INTERACTION PICTURE EXPANDS. 169 00:10:45,010 --> 00:10:49,129 THE SOLAR WIND AND STRONG GAIL FORCE WIND THEN IT'S COMPRESSED 170 00:10:49,129 --> 00:10:50,680 DOWNWARD TO THE SURFACE. 171 00:10:50,680 --> 00:10:55,100 THE NATURAL QUESTION IS WHAT DOES THAT DO TO THE LOSS RATE OF 172 00:10:55,100 --> 00:10:57,300 ATMOSPHERE TO MARS. 173 00:10:57,300 --> 00:10:59,819 WE CONDUCTED AN EXPERIMENT TO TRY TO ANSWER THAT OR RATHER 174 00:10:59,819 --> 00:11:04,880 NATURE HAS CONDUCTED THE WONDERFUL EXPERIMENT FOR US. 175 00:11:04,880 --> 00:11:15,059 IT LAUNCHED PARTICLES OUTWARD. 176 00:11:15,059 --> 00:11:21,379 THE CHARGED PARTICLES FROM THE SUN STREAM OUTWARD AT DOUBLE 177 00:11:21,379 --> 00:11:24,389 THEIR NORMAL VELOCITY INSTEAD OF THE NORMAL 1 MILLION MILES AN 178 00:11:24,389 --> 00:11:25,699 HOUR. 179 00:11:25,699 --> 00:11:30,480 THIS BUBBLE JETS OUT AT 2 MILLION MILES PER HOUR CARRYING 180 00:11:30,480 --> 00:11:32,689 A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF ENERGY. 181 00:11:32,689 --> 00:11:36,720 IT CARRIES IT'S OWN SHOCKWAVES. 182 00:11:36,720 --> 00:11:42,259 SO YOU HAVE TWO JET PLANES EACH WITH THEIR OWN SHOCKWAVE 183 00:11:42,259 --> 00:11:45,480 APPROACHING EACH OTHER BUT ONE OF THEM IS TENS OF THOUSANDS 184 00:11:45,480 --> 00:11:47,189 BIGGER THAN THE OTHER ONE. 185 00:11:47,189 --> 00:11:50,189 IF YOU ACTUALLY DID THIS THINGS WOULDN'T GO WELL FOR THE SMALL 186 00:11:50,189 --> 00:11:51,490 PLANE. 187 00:11:51,490 --> 00:11:56,189 MARS WHICH IS THE SMALL PLANE IS MORE ROBUST BUT STRONGLY 188 00:11:56,189 --> 00:11:59,769 IMPACTED BY THE ENERGY DELIVERED BY THIS EVENT. 189 00:11:59,769 --> 00:12:04,249 IT COMPRESSES THE PROTECTED REGION AROUND THE PLANET DOWN TO 190 00:12:04,249 --> 00:12:08,459 ABOUT 2-THIRDS OF ITS NORMAL SIZE AND AS A RESULT MORE OF THE 191 00:12:08,459 --> 00:12:11,560 ATMOSPHERE IS EXPOSED AS THESE FIELDS STRIP AWAY PARTICLES. 192 00:12:11,560 --> 00:12:18,950 IN FACT WE SEE THIS GOES UP BY A FACT OF THE OF BETWEEN 10 AND 20 193 00:12:18,950 --> 00:12:23,269 SO IT HAS AN ENORMOUS IMPACT ON THE UPPER ATMOSPHERE OF MARS. 194 00:12:23,269 --> 00:12:26,860 NOW I'M GOING TO THROW IT TO THE OVER TO UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO 195 00:12:26,860 --> 00:12:29,920 AND SHE WILL TELL YOU ABOUT THE PROCESSES AND THE CHANNELS BY 196 00:12:29,920 --> 00:12:35,170 WHICH THE CHARGED PARTICLES ARE ACTUALLY LOST IN SPACE. 197 00:12:35,170 --> 00:12:37,100 >> THANK YOU. 198 00:12:37,100 --> 00:12:42,180 SO HE TALKED ABOUT INTERACTION. 199 00:12:42,180 --> 00:12:46,069 NEXT WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT THE CONSEQUENCE OF THIS 200 00:12:46,069 --> 00:12:47,779 INTERACTION. 201 00:12:47,779 --> 00:12:50,069 AND CAN I HAVE THE VIDEO PLEASE? 202 00:12:50,069 --> 00:12:52,690 FIRST WE'LL SHOW A SIMULATION VIDEO. 203 00:12:52,690 --> 00:12:57,870 WE'RE LOOKING AT THE WIND HERE AND IT ALSO CARRYING A 204 00:12:57,870 --> 00:13:00,059 MAGNIFICENT FIELD. 205 00:13:00,059 --> 00:13:04,020 THE MOVING MAGNET WILL GENERATE AN ELECTRIC FIELD IN THE 206 00:13:04,020 --> 00:13:09,189 OPPOSITE DIRECTION IN THIS VIDEO AND THIS WILL CAUSE THE IONS TO 207 00:13:09,189 --> 00:13:11,779 MOVE AND ESCAPE FROM MARS. 208 00:13:11,779 --> 00:13:17,089 SOME ARE ACTIVATED BY THIS FIELD VERY QUICKLY. 209 00:13:17,089 --> 00:13:23,950 YOU CAN SEE THEY FORM THESE THAT LOOK LIKE A FUN DANE FROM THE 210 00:13:23,950 --> 00:13:25,199 TOP OF MARS. 211 00:13:25,199 --> 00:13:29,379 MEANWHILE, SOME OTHERS IONS WILL DRIFT AROUND MARS AND EVENTUALLY 212 00:13:29,379 --> 00:13:33,019 ESCAPE IN THE SOLAR WIND DIRECTION AND THEY WILL FALL 213 00:13:33,019 --> 00:13:38,009 BEHIND MARS AND THE MAVEN SPACECRAFT IS ABLE TO MEASURE 214 00:13:38,009 --> 00:13:45,269 THE ION COMPETITIONS AND THE VELOCITIES AND HERE SHOW THE 215 00:13:45,269 --> 00:13:56,899 DATA MATCH THE SIMULATION RESULTS VERY WELL. 216 00:13:56,899 --> 00:14:00,459 CAN I HAVE THE NEXT GRAPHIC PLEASE? 217 00:14:00,459 --> 00:14:03,999 >> SO NEXT WE ARE GOING TO TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT THE MAVEN DATA. 218 00:14:03,999 --> 00:14:08,910 SO FROM THE DATA WE CAN CLEARLY IDENTIFY THEM IN THE MOVING 219 00:14:08,910 --> 00:14:10,860 DIRECTIONS. 220 00:14:10,860 --> 00:14:12,819 FIRST. 221 00:14:12,819 --> 00:14:19,549 IN THE UPPER HEMISPHERE MOVING IN THE ELECTRIC FIELD DIRECTION 222 00:14:19,549 --> 00:14:24,180 AND THE RED AND YELLOW COLORS IN THIS REGION MEAN THAT THERE ARE 223 00:14:24,180 --> 00:14:27,899 MANY ESCAPING THROUGH THE PLUME. 224 00:14:27,899 --> 00:14:36,199 AND AS SUCH A EXTENTIAL†PLUME HAS NEVER BEEN IDENTIFIED. 225 00:14:36,199 --> 00:14:41,079 SO MAVEN PROVIDED THE FIRST OBSERVATION FOR THE PLUME AS A 226 00:14:41,079 --> 00:14:45,019 MAJOR FEATURE OF THE ATMOSPHERE. 227 00:14:45,019 --> 00:14:50,379 AND SECOND, IF YOU LOOK AT THE NIGHT SIDE OF MARS THEY ARE ALSO 228 00:14:50,379 --> 00:14:59,019 MANY IONS ESCAPING IN THE SOLAR WIND DIRECTION AND THE 229 00:14:59,019 --> 00:15:03,689 VELOCITIES ARE SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER. 230 00:15:03,689 --> 00:15:11,449 AS SHOWN BY THESE LONGER ARROWS IN THE REGION AND THIRD, THEY 231 00:15:11,449 --> 00:15:13,290 ARE COMING TOWARD MARS. 232 00:15:13,290 --> 00:15:21,579 THEY ARE GENERATED FROM THE EXTENDED PART OF THE ATMOSPHERE 233 00:15:21,579 --> 00:15:25,709 AND THESE ARE MOVING TOWARD MARS AND CARRIED BY THE UPSTREAM 234 00:15:25,709 --> 00:15:30,529 SOLAR WIND AND FROM THE DIFFERENT COLORS IN THESE WE CAN 235 00:15:30,529 --> 00:15:34,249 TELL THAT MOST OF THEM ARE ESCAPING THROUGH THE PLUME END 236 00:15:34,249 --> 00:15:35,939 OF THE TAIL. 237 00:15:35,939 --> 00:15:40,350 AND THEY'RE THE TWO MAJOR ESCAPING CHANNELS. 238 00:15:40,350 --> 00:15:45,059 OKAY CAN I HAVE THE NEXT GRAPHIC, PLEASE? 239 00:15:45,059 --> 00:15:48,040 SO BASED ON ALL OF THESE OBSERVATIONS, WE CAN ESTIMATE 240 00:15:48,040 --> 00:15:55,199 THE PLUME TO CONTRIBUTE ABOUT 25% TO THE TOTAL AND TAIL ABOUT 241 00:15:55,199 --> 00:16:00,559 75% AND THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THAT WE CAN CONFIRM FROM 242 00:16:00,559 --> 00:16:04,829 OBSERVATIONS THAT THE PLUME IS VERY IMPORTANT TO PLANETARY 243 00:16:04,829 --> 00:16:10,629 ESCAPE CHANNEL FROM MARS AND WE CAN QUANTITATIVELY ESTIMATE THE 244 00:16:10,629 --> 00:16:14,199 CONTRIBUTION FROM THE PLUME TO THE TOTAL ION. 245 00:16:14,199 --> 00:16:22,069 SO WE'LL HAVE TO TO TALK ABOUT THE TOTAL. 246 00:16:22,069 --> 00:16:23,189 >> THANK YOU. 247 00:16:23,189 --> 00:16:28,920 SHE SHOWED THE DIFFERENT PATHS THAT IONS OR CHARGED PARTICLES 248 00:16:28,920 --> 00:16:32,160 CAN TAKE AS THEY'RE LEAVING THE PATTERN AND THE NEXT STEP IS TO 249 00:16:32,160 --> 00:16:34,930 BE ABLE TO ADD ALL OF THEM UP TO FIGURE OUT HOW MANY ARE LEAVING 250 00:16:34,930 --> 00:16:36,609 AT ONCE. 251 00:16:36,609 --> 00:16:39,970 SO IF I CAN HAVE THE FIRST IMAGE, PLEASE. 252 00:16:39,970 --> 00:16:42,149 ONE WAY OF GETTING AN ANSWER TO THIS QUESTION OF HOW MANY 253 00:16:42,149 --> 00:16:48,639 PARTICLES ARE LEAVING IS TO IMAGINE A FEAR AROUND MARS AT 254 00:16:48,639 --> 00:16:54,269 HIGH ALTITUDE ABOVE THE SURFACE AND EVERY TIME IT PASSES THROUGH 255 00:16:54,269 --> 00:16:58,269 WE CAN LOOK TO OUR OBSERVATIONS AND ASK WHETHER THERE ARE A LOT 256 00:16:58,269 --> 00:17:01,249 OF PARTICLES LEAVING THE PLANET OR NOT VERY MANY AT ALL. 257 00:17:01,249 --> 00:17:05,650 A LOT OF PARTICLES ARE INDICATED BY DARK BLUE COLORS AND NOT VERY 258 00:17:05,650 --> 00:17:08,860 MANY OF THE LIGHTISH BLUE COLORS. 259 00:17:08,860 --> 00:17:14,650 SO OVERTIME WE CAN PAINT A PICTURE ON THIS OF WHERE IONS 260 00:17:14,650 --> 00:17:18,190 ARE LEAVING IN ABUNDANCE AND NOT SO MUCH. 261 00:17:18,190 --> 00:17:20,890 AND THE FIGURE SUGGESTS TWO THINGS TO ME. 262 00:17:20,890 --> 00:17:24,459 TWO THINGS COME TO MY ATTENTION, NUMBER ONE T COLORS ARE NOT 263 00:17:24,459 --> 00:17:27,179 EVENLY DISTRIBUTED AROUND THIS SPHERE. 264 00:17:27,179 --> 00:17:31,850 ON THE NIGHT SIDE YOU SAW DARK BLUES AND THE TOP AND THE BOTTOM 265 00:17:31,850 --> 00:17:33,490 OF THE PLANET AS WELL. 266 00:17:33,490 --> 00:17:38,250 THIS IS CONSISTENT WHERE THERE'S MANY CHARGED PARTICLES LEAVING 267 00:17:38,250 --> 00:17:41,039 ON THE NIGHT SIDE AND FROM THE TOP OF THE PLANET. 268 00:17:41,039 --> 00:17:44,820 BY CONTRAST, IF THE CENTER OF THE DAY SIDE, YOU SEE LOTS OF 269 00:17:44,820 --> 00:17:47,679 WHITE AND LIGHTER COLORS, THERE'S NOT VERY MANY CHARGED 270 00:17:47,679 --> 00:17:49,940 PARTICLES LEAVING FROM THAT LOCATION. 271 00:17:49,940 --> 00:17:54,059 THIS IS ALSO CONSISTENT WITH THE OBSERVATIONS AND SIMULATIONS 272 00:17:54,059 --> 00:17:56,880 JUST SHOWED. 273 00:17:56,880 --> 00:17:59,930 SO THESE MAPS PROVIDE A STATISTICAL PICTURE OF WHERE 274 00:17:59,930 --> 00:18:03,559 IONS ARE ESCAPING IN ABUNDANCE FROM DIFFERENT REGIONS BUT TO 275 00:18:03,559 --> 00:18:06,440 GET A GLOBAL ESCAPE RATE, HOW MUCH IS ESCAPING FROM THE ENTIRE 276 00:18:06,440 --> 00:18:10,900 PLANET AT ONCE WE HAVE TO ADD UP THE DATA REPRESENTED ON THOSE 277 00:18:10,900 --> 00:18:12,000 MAPS. 278 00:18:12,000 --> 00:18:13,890 WHEN WE DO THAT, WE GET A NUMBER. 279 00:18:13,890 --> 00:18:19,190 A FEW OR SEVERAL TIMES 10 TO THE 24 ATMOSPHERIC PARTICLES LEAVING 280 00:18:19,190 --> 00:18:21,510 THE PLANET EVERY SECOND. 281 00:18:21,510 --> 00:18:24,700 THAT'S A REALLY BIG NUMBER AND I PERSONALLY HAVE A HARD TIME 282 00:18:24,700 --> 00:18:29,120 HAVING ANY INTUITION FOR A NUMBER THAT HAS 24 IN IT SO IT'S 283 00:18:29,120 --> 00:18:31,919 MORE CONVENIENT FOR ME TO THINK OF IT IN TERMS OF MASS. 284 00:18:31,919 --> 00:18:36,621 HOW MUCH IS ESCAPING EVERY SECOND AND WHEN WE DO THAT WE 285 00:18:36,621 --> 00:18:40,880 FIND THAT THERE ARE ROUGHLY 100 GRAMS OF ATMOSPHERE ESCAPING 286 00:18:40,880 --> 00:18:44,659 EVERY SECOND OR ABOUT A QUARTER POUND OF ATMOSPHERE ESCAPING 287 00:18:44,659 --> 00:18:45,820 EVERY SECOND. 288 00:18:45,820 --> 00:18:50,860 AND I CAN'T HELP BUT IMAGINE HAMBURGERS FLYING OUT ONE PER 289 00:18:50,860 --> 00:18:56,230 SECOND BUT IT'S CARBON DIOXIDE AND ATMOSPHERE LEAVING THE 290 00:18:56,230 --> 00:18:57,230 PLANET. 291 00:18:57,230 --> 00:19:01,909 WHICH ARE IMPORTANT FOR WATER AND CLIMATE OF THE PLANET OVER 292 00:19:01,909 --> 00:19:03,360 ALL. 293 00:19:03,360 --> 00:19:07,470 THIS IS A LOWER LIMIT FOR A COUPLE OF REASONS. 294 00:19:07,470 --> 00:19:11,860 WE EMITTED LOW ENERGY CHARGED PARTICLES TO THE MAPS AT THIS 295 00:19:11,860 --> 00:19:16,090 POINT AND ALSO NEUTRAL PART †-- PARTICLES. 296 00:19:16,090 --> 00:19:23,830 WHEN THEY'RE ULTIMATELY INCLUDED THE ESCAPE RATES WILL GO UP. 297 00:19:23,830 --> 00:19:27,660 THIS IS AVERAGE FOR TODAY'S CONDITION BUT THERE'S NO 298 00:19:27,660 --> 00:19:31,299 EXPECTATION THAT IT'S BEEN CONSTANT OVER THE HISTORY OF THE 299 00:19:31,299 --> 00:19:33,220 PLANET AS JASPER MENTIONED. 300 00:19:33,220 --> 00:19:37,420 IF I COULD HAVE THE NEXT GRAPHIC PLEASE. 301 00:19:37,420 --> 00:19:41,210 IN THE LEFT PANEL OF THE GRAPHIC YOU SEE MARS UNDER NORMAL 302 00:19:41,210 --> 00:19:45,200 CONDITIONS TODAY WHERE THE SOLAR WIND IS GOING TOWARD MARS AND 303 00:19:45,200 --> 00:19:54,679 INTERACTING WITH THE ATMOSPHERE AND THEY'RE ESCAPING THE PLANET. 304 00:19:54,679 --> 00:19:57,419 AND THE RIGHT PANEL OF THE FIGURE YOU SEE MARS UNDER VERY 305 00:19:57,419 --> 00:19:58,669 DIFFERENT CONDITIONS. 306 00:19:58,669 --> 00:20:02,440 WHEN ONE OF THESE SOLAR STORMS PASSES BY AND ENGULFS THE 307 00:20:02,440 --> 00:20:03,440 PLANET. 308 00:20:03,440 --> 00:20:06,659 WHEN THAT HAPPENS, AS WE OBSERVED WITH MAVEN, THE ESCAPE 309 00:20:06,659 --> 00:20:11,639 RATES GO UP AND THEY GO UP BY A FACTOR OF 10 TO 20 AT LEAST 310 00:20:11,639 --> 00:20:14,970 DURING ONE OF THESE SOLAR STORMS THAT MAVEN OBSERVED AND IT'S BY 311 00:20:14,970 --> 00:20:20,010 NO STRETCH THE LARGEST SOLAR STORM THAT MARS HAS EVER SEEN. 312 00:20:20,010 --> 00:20:25,429 THIS IS EXCITING TO ME TO THINK THAT EVENTS LIKE THIS INCREASE 313 00:20:25,429 --> 00:20:31,370 IT BECAUSE SOLAR STORMS ARE MORE COMMON AND MORE INTENSE EARLIER 314 00:20:31,370 --> 00:20:33,179 IN SOLAR SYSTEM HISTORY. 315 00:20:33,179 --> 00:20:39,120 SO LONG AGO WE EXPECT ESCAPE TO HAVE BEEN HAPPENING ALL THE TIME 316 00:20:39,120 --> 00:20:42,419 AND STRIPPING AWAY LOTS OF ATMOSPHERE FROM THE PLANET. 317 00:20:42,419 --> 00:20:45,740 THIS IMPLIES THAT NOT ONLY IS THE MARS ATMOSPHERE ESCAPING 318 00:20:45,740 --> 00:20:49,669 TODAY AND HAS BEEN OVERTIME BUT MUCH OF THAT ATMOSPHERE MAY HAVE 319 00:20:49,669 --> 00:20:52,010 BEEN LOST EARLY ON. 320 00:20:52,010 --> 00:20:54,730 SO THE MAVEN OBSERVATIONS ARE TEACHING US HOW THE ATMOSPHERE 321 00:20:54,730 --> 00:20:58,690 OF MARS HAS EVOLVED AND UNDERSTANDING WILL NOT ONLY HELP 322 00:20:58,690 --> 00:21:01,880 US TO UNDERSTAND THE MARS ATMOSPHERE BUT I'M HOPEFUL THAT 323 00:21:01,880 --> 00:21:04,529 THEY WILL HELP US TO UNDERSTAND HOW ATMOSPHERE IS EVERYWHERE 324 00:21:04,529 --> 00:21:07,509 INTERACT WITH THEIR STAR AND THEIR SPACE ENVIRONMENT. 325 00:21:07,509 --> 00:21:10,470 INCLUDING PLANETS ORBITING OTHER STARS. 326 00:21:10,470 --> 00:21:12,299 WITH THAT, I'LL PASS IT BACK TO YOU. 327 00:21:12,299 --> 00:21:13,559 >> THANKS, DAVE. 328 00:21:13,559 --> 00:21:18,039 FOR SOME REASON I HAVE A CRAVING FOR A HAMBURGER. 329 00:21:18,039 --> 00:21:21,670 THANK YOU UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO AND UNIVERSITY OF IOWA. 330 00:21:21,670 --> 00:21:24,309 BEFORE WE OPEN IT UP FOR QUESTIONS STARTING HERE AND 331 00:21:24,309 --> 00:21:27,700 ACROSS THE COUNTRY, GIVE THE PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR AN 332 00:21:27,700 --> 00:21:31,460 OPPORTUNITY TO SUMMARIZE WHY THESE FINDINGS ARE SO 333 00:21:31,460 --> 00:21:32,929 SIGNIFICANT. 334 00:21:32,929 --> 00:21:33,960 >> THANK YOU. 335 00:21:33,960 --> 00:21:37,221 WHAT WE HAVE SEEN IS THAT FOR THE FIRST TIME WE HAVE 336 00:21:37,221 --> 00:21:40,750 MEASUREMENTS THAT TELL US NOT ONLY THE ESCAPE RATE OF GAS OUT 337 00:21:40,750 --> 00:21:44,190 THE TOP OF THE ATMOSPHERE AND LOSS TO SPACE BUT THE PROCESSES 338 00:21:44,190 --> 00:21:45,470 THAT CONTROL IT. 339 00:21:45,470 --> 00:21:49,019 AND THIS IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE IF WE WANT TO LOOK BACKWARD IN TIME 340 00:21:49,019 --> 00:21:52,840 WE CAN'T JUST EXTRAPOLATE THE PROCESS OR ESCAPE RATE WITHOUT 341 00:21:52,840 --> 00:21:56,029 UNDERSTANDING HOW ESCAPE IS OCCURRING. 342 00:21:56,029 --> 00:22:00,830 WHEN WE LOOK AT THE PROCESSES, WE SEE THAT MANY OF THEM WOULD 343 00:22:00,830 --> 00:22:02,760 HAVE BEEN GREATER IN THE PAST. 344 00:22:02,760 --> 00:22:07,570 THE ESCAPE RATE TODAY, 100 GRAMS PER SECOND IS NOT A VERY LARGE 345 00:22:07,570 --> 00:22:08,570 NUMBER. 346 00:22:08,570 --> 00:22:10,789 IT'S ENOUGH TO REMOVE THE ENTIRE ATMOSPHERE IN A COUPLE OF 347 00:22:10,789 --> 00:22:14,690 BILLION YEARS BUT NOT ENOUGH TO ACCOUNT FOR THE THICK EARLY 348 00:22:14,690 --> 00:22:15,690 ATMOSPHERE. 349 00:22:15,690 --> 00:22:19,130 HOWEVER, WHEN WE ACCOUNT FOR THE GREATER LOSS RATES EARLY IN 350 00:22:19,130 --> 00:22:23,140 HISTORY, WE THINK THAT LOSS TO SPACE, STRIPPING BY THE SOLAR 351 00:22:23,140 --> 00:22:28,139 WIND WAS AN IMPORTANT PROCESS IN THE CHANGING CLIMATE OF MARS. 352 00:22:28,139 --> 00:22:30,570 AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO AIM AT. 353 00:22:30,570 --> 00:22:32,789 WE'RE CONTINUING THE OBSERVATIONS. 354 00:22:32,789 --> 00:22:34,029 WE HAVE AN EXTENDED MISSION. 355 00:22:34,029 --> 00:22:38,090 WE WILL BE LOOKING AT THE SECOND HALF OF THE FIRST MARS YEAR THAT 356 00:22:38,090 --> 00:22:41,269 WE HAVE BEEN THERE AND WE'LL BE LOOKING AT THE CHANGING 357 00:22:41,269 --> 00:22:43,750 CONDITIONS THROUGH THE SOLAR CYCLE. 358 00:22:43,750 --> 00:22:48,780 SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO MUCH IMPROVED UNDERSTANDING. 359 00:22:48,780 --> 00:22:50,559 >> OKAY. 360 00:22:50,559 --> 00:22:59,370 I WANT TO RECOGNIZE ANOTHER MEMBER OF AN INCREDIBLE TEAM OF 361 00:22:59,370 --> 00:23:05,139 PROGRAM SCIENTISTS HE MAY CHIME IN ON SOME OF THE QUESTIONS WE 362 00:23:05,139 --> 00:23:06,139 HAVE. 363 00:23:06,139 --> 00:23:09,429 WE HAVE A NUMBER OF MEDIA ON THE PHONE AND SOCIAL MEDIA IS ABUZZ 364 00:23:09,429 --> 00:23:10,429 WITH THE QUESTIONS. 365 00:23:10,429 --> 00:23:16,870 ARE THERE ANY MEDIA HERE OR IN WASHINGTON? 366 00:23:16,870 --> 00:23:22,299 LET'S SEE IF WE CAN†-- LET'S JUST GO TO SOCIAL MEDIA AND 367 00:23:22,299 --> 00:23:26,789 WHAT'S THE BUZZ OUT THERE IN THE SOCIAL MEDIA WORLD? 368 00:23:26,789 --> 00:23:34,720 >> SO THIS QUESTION WAS ASKED, IS THE SAME EFFECT OCCURRING TO 369 00:23:34,720 --> 00:23:38,440 THE EARTH NOW OR COULD IT HAPPEN IN THE FUTURE? 370 00:23:38,440 --> 00:23:41,720 >> LET ME TURN TO DAVE. 371 00:23:41,720 --> 00:23:44,150 >> DAVE DID YOU COPY THAT QUESTION? 372 00:23:44,150 --> 00:23:46,230 >> I DID. 373 00:23:46,230 --> 00:23:48,770 CAN THE SAME KIND OF THINGS HAPPEN TO EARTH NOW OR IN THE 374 00:23:48,770 --> 00:23:49,919 FUTURE? 375 00:23:49,919 --> 00:23:52,379 AND THE ANSWER IS MOSTLY YES. 376 00:23:52,379 --> 00:23:56,940 EARTH IS LOSING ATMOSPHERE PART CAR LENGTHS BUT EARTH HAS A BIG 377 00:23:56,940 --> 00:24:01,259 GLOBAL MAGNETIC FIELD THAT SHIELDS IT FROM THE WIND. 378 00:24:01,259 --> 00:24:07,200 SO SOME METHOD OR PATHWAYS THAT PARTICLES CAN TAKE ARE CHOKED 379 00:24:07,200 --> 00:24:09,440 OFF COMPARED TO MARS. 380 00:24:09,440 --> 00:24:11,840 OTHER PROCESSES THAT WE OBSERVE AT MARS AND ARE OBSERVING WITH 381 00:24:11,840 --> 00:24:14,039 MAVEN DO OCCUR AT EARTH. 382 00:24:14,039 --> 00:24:17,220 THE LOSS OF PATRIOT CAR LENGTHS THAT LACK ANY ELECTRIC CHARGE 383 00:24:17,220 --> 00:24:20,620 AND ESCAPE OUT OF THE POLAR REGIONS OF EARTH'S MAGNETIC 384 00:24:20,620 --> 00:24:25,470 FIELD SO THERE'S THINGS THAT WE CAN COMPARE BETWEEN WHAT WE'RE 385 00:24:25,470 --> 00:24:28,950 OBSERVING WITH MAVEN AND WHAT'S GOING ON AT EARTH EVEN TODAY AND 386 00:24:28,950 --> 00:24:32,549 THEN THE SECOND PART OF THAT QUESTION IS EARTH IN THE FUTURE 387 00:24:32,549 --> 00:24:36,720 AND IT MAY BE THAT SOME DAY A LONG TIME FROM NOW, EARTH'S 388 00:24:36,720 --> 00:24:40,779 MAGNETIC FIELD SHUTS OFF BECAUSE OF A LACK OF INTERIOR HEAT IN 389 00:24:40,779 --> 00:24:41,809 THE PLANET. 390 00:24:41,809 --> 00:24:45,059 WHEN THAT HAPPENS, EARTH BECOMES LIKE A LARGE VERSION OF MARS 391 00:24:45,059 --> 00:24:48,030 WITH ALL THE SAME ESCAPE PROCESSES OCCURRING. 392 00:24:48,030 --> 00:24:50,440 BETWEEN NOW AND THEN THERE'S TIME PERIODS WHEN THE EARTH'S 393 00:24:50,440 --> 00:24:54,649 MAGNETIC FIELD REVERSES AND THOSE CAN TAKE A COUPLE OF 394 00:24:54,649 --> 00:24:56,480 HUNDRED YEARS AT A TIME. 395 00:24:56,480 --> 00:24:58,970 DURING THOSE TIME PERIODS, EARTH'S ATMOSPHERE IS LEFT 396 00:24:58,970 --> 00:25:01,539 LARGELY EXPOSED TO THE SOLAR WIND. 397 00:25:01,539 --> 00:25:04,910 HOWEVER 100 OR 200 YEARS IS A RELATIVELY SHORT TIME IN THE 398 00:25:04,910 --> 00:25:10,100 GRAND SCHEME OF THINGS SO THE ATMOSPHERIC ESCAPE SHOULD NOT BE 399 00:25:10,100 --> 00:25:14,769 SIGNIFICANT ENOUGH TO REALLY DAMAGE OR IMPAIR THE CLIMATE OF 400 00:25:14,769 --> 00:25:17,129 EARTH IN A LARGE WAY. 401 00:25:17,129 --> 00:25:22,630 LET ME ALSO ADD THAT MOST OF THE STRIPPING BY THE SOLAR WIND AT 402 00:25:22,630 --> 00:25:26,659 MARS WAS THOUGHT TO HAVE TAKEN PLACE VERY EARLY IN THE HISTORY 403 00:25:26,659 --> 00:25:29,899 OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM WHEN THE SUN WAS MUCH MORE ACTIVE. 404 00:25:29,899 --> 00:25:32,629 WHEN THE SOLAR WIND WAS MORE INTENSE. 405 00:25:32,629 --> 00:25:35,480 SO TODAY THE RATE OF LOSS IS LOW. 406 00:25:35,480 --> 00:25:39,929 DURING THOSE TIMES WHEN THE EARTH MIGHT BE LOSING ATMOSPHERE 407 00:25:39,929 --> 00:25:41,419 THE RATE OF LOSS WOULD BE LOW. 408 00:25:41,419 --> 00:25:43,919 SO WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO WORRY ABOUT IN TERMS OF THE 409 00:25:43,919 --> 00:25:47,320 EARTH'S ATMOSPHERE DISAPPEARING ON US. 410 00:25:47,320 --> 00:25:49,110 >> TWO MORE QUESTIONS AND THEN WE'LL GO TO THE PHONE LINES. 411 00:25:49,110 --> 00:25:50,110 >> GREAT. 412 00:25:50,110 --> 00:25:53,460 THIS ONE FROM IS TREY ON TWITTER AND HE ASKS CAN YOU SIMPLIFY 413 00:25:53,460 --> 00:25:55,639 WHAT HAPPENED TO THE ATMOSPHERE AND WATER ON MARS? 414 00:25:55,639 --> 00:25:59,720 IS THERE AN EASY TO UNDERSTAND ANLAGE? 415 00:25:59,720 --> 00:26:04,899 >> THE SOLAR WIND STRIPPED IT AWAY. 416 00:26:04,899 --> 00:26:10,820 WHEN I STEP OUT OF THE SHOWER INTO THE BREEZE, THE WATER IN MY 417 00:26:10,820 --> 00:26:15,840 HAIR IS JUST WHISKED AWAY BY THE WIND. 418 00:26:15,840 --> 00:26:20,259 THIS IS AN INCREASINGLY THEORETICAL CONSTRUCT. 419 00:26:20,259 --> 00:26:22,460 >> OKAY. 420 00:26:22,460 --> 00:26:26,869 ONE MORE. 421 00:26:26,869 --> 00:26:29,110 >> THIS ONE IS FROM DUSTIN. 422 00:26:29,110 --> 00:26:33,239 WHAT'S THE EFFECT OF MARS LOSING IT'S ATMOSPHERE. 423 00:26:33,239 --> 00:26:42,269 >> PEOPLE TALK ABOUT MARS TAKING THE CO2, IF THAT'S WHERE ALL THE 424 00:26:42,269 --> 00:26:46,139 CO2 HAD GONE THAT MIGHT BE POSSIBLE. 425 00:26:46,139 --> 00:26:49,720 BUT WITH IT HAVING BEEN STRIPPED AWAY TO SPACE, IT'S NOT THERE. 426 00:26:49,720 --> 00:26:53,639 BEEN IT'S REMOVED FROM THE SOLAR SYSTEM ENTIRELY SO IT'S NOT 427 00:26:53,639 --> 00:26:56,809 POSSIBLE TO BRING IT BACK. 428 00:26:56,809 --> 00:27:04,840 >> WE'LL COME BACK TO SOCIAL MEDIA AND FOLLOWING THIS WE'LL 429 00:27:04,840 --> 00:27:06,899 HAVE SOME OF THE SCIENTISTS GET TOGETHER AND ANSWER ALL THE 430 00:27:06,899 --> 00:27:09,570 QUESTIONS IF WE DON'T GET THEM ANSWERED HERE TODAY BUT LET'S GO 431 00:27:09,570 --> 00:27:13,139 TO THE PHONE LINES AND FIRST UP WE HAVE THE HOUSTON CHRONICLE. 432 00:27:13,139 --> 00:27:14,360 MIKE TOLSON. 433 00:27:14,360 --> 00:27:15,360 >> YES. 434 00:27:15,360 --> 00:27:17,409 THIS IS FOR BRUCE. 435 00:27:17,409 --> 00:27:24,730 MY QUESTION IS WHETHER ANY OTHER ELEMENT OR FACTOR COULD HAVE 436 00:27:24,730 --> 00:27:25,730 ALSO CONTRIBUTED? 437 00:27:25,730 --> 00:27:31,871 OF COURSE IN POPULAR FICTION WE HAVE SEEN THE SPECULATIONS OF AN 438 00:27:31,871 --> 00:27:33,399 ASTEROID IMPACT HAVING DECIMATED SOME OF THE ATMOSPHERE. 439 00:27:33,399 --> 00:27:44,120 IS THERE ANY OTHER FACTOR THAT YOU HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DISCERN OR 440 00:27:44,120 --> 00:27:47,340 SPECULATED ABOUT THAT COULD HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO ATMOSPHERIC LOSS 441 00:27:47,340 --> 00:27:50,190 BESIDES THE SOLAR WIND? 442 00:27:50,190 --> 00:27:53,409 >> THERE ARE A LOT OF PROCESSES THAT HAVE THE ABILITY TO REMOVE 443 00:27:53,409 --> 00:27:55,240 GAS FROM THE ATMOSPHERE. 444 00:27:55,240 --> 00:27:57,399 MICHAEL MENTIONED SOME OF THEM AT THE VERY BEGINNING. 445 00:27:57,399 --> 00:28:02,070 IT CAN GO DOWN AND FORM CARBON BEARING MINERALS OR WATER BARING 446 00:28:02,070 --> 00:28:04,340 MINERALS. 447 00:28:04,340 --> 00:28:09,220 YOU MENTIONED THE ABILITY OF AN ASTEROID IMPACT. 448 00:28:09,220 --> 00:28:12,629 WE HAVE BEEN FOCUSED ON UNDERSTANDING THE PROCESSES 449 00:28:12,629 --> 00:28:16,380 INVOLVING THE SUN AS AN ENERGY DRIVER AT THE TOP OF THE 450 00:28:16,380 --> 00:28:17,380 ATMOSPHERE. 451 00:28:17,380 --> 00:28:22,240 SO WE SEE EVIDENCE FOR STRIPPING BY THE SOLAR WIND FOR A PROCESS 452 00:28:22,240 --> 00:28:27,620 CALLED SPUTTERING IN WHICH THESE IONS CAN HIT THE ATMOSPHERE AT 453 00:28:27,620 --> 00:28:31,980 HIGH SPEED AND EJECT OTHER STUFF OFF THE SPACE. 454 00:28:31,980 --> 00:28:36,169 THERMAL ESCAPE IN WHICH THE FASTEST HYDROGEN ATOMS THAT COME 455 00:28:36,169 --> 00:28:43,549 FROM WATER CAN BE FAST ENOUGH TO ESCAPE THE PLANET DIRECTLY. 456 00:28:43,549 --> 00:28:46,320 PHOTO CHEMICAL PROCESSES. 457 00:28:46,320 --> 00:28:49,580 WE'RE TRYING TO PIECE TOGETHER AN OVERALL PICTURE OF WHAT 458 00:28:49,580 --> 00:28:53,559 HAPPENED TO THE WATER AND THEY NEED TO LOOK AT MARS AS AN 459 00:28:53,559 --> 00:28:56,679 INTEGRATED SYSTEM WITH A LOT OF DIFFERENT PROCESSES TAKING 460 00:28:56,679 --> 00:28:57,779 PLACE. 461 00:28:57,779 --> 00:29:01,670 SO WE'RE PUTTING TOGETHER THIS PIECE OF THE PUZZLE. 462 00:29:01,670 --> 00:29:07,360 YOU CAN DO THEORETICAL MODELS THAT LOOK AT THE ROLE OF THE 463 00:29:07,360 --> 00:29:08,360 IMPACT. 464 00:29:08,360 --> 00:29:12,169 CERTAINLY THAT WAS AN IMPORTANT PROCESS BUT IT'S PROBABLY NOT 465 00:29:12,169 --> 00:29:14,730 MUCH OF AN ON GOING PROCESS TODAY. 466 00:29:14,730 --> 00:29:19,020 SO IT'S VERY HARD TO STUDY. 467 00:29:19,020 --> 00:29:20,830 >> NEXT CALL IS FROM ALLEN. 468 00:29:20,830 --> 00:29:22,669 >> THANK YOU. 469 00:29:22,669 --> 00:29:29,364 ON THIS ISSUE OF HOW QUICKLY THE PLANET MAY HAVE LAUNCHED IT'S 470 00:29:29,364 --> 00:29:30,429 ATMOSPHERE DUE TO SOLAR STORMS, VERSUS THE TYPICAL SOLAR 471 00:29:30,429 --> 00:29:39,470 ACTIVITY, IS THERE A WAY TO TEASE OUT THAT QUESTION, ARE 472 00:29:39,470 --> 00:29:44,590 THOSE SOLAR STORMS FROM THE DAYS OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM REALLY THE 473 00:29:44,590 --> 00:29:48,770 CULPRIT HERE OR HOW MUCH OF A FACTOR MIGHT YOU BE ABLE TO FIND 474 00:29:48,770 --> 00:29:50,230 OUT THAT HAPPENED TO BE? 475 00:29:50,230 --> 00:29:51,669 THANK YOU. 476 00:29:51,669 --> 00:29:54,659 >> THAT'S A REALLY GOOD QUESTION AND I DON'T HAVE A REALLY GOOD 477 00:29:54,659 --> 00:29:56,240 ANSWER, YET. 478 00:29:56,240 --> 00:30:02,500 WHAT WE KNOW IS THAT THE RATE OF REMOVAL OF GAS DURING A SOLAR 479 00:30:02,500 --> 00:30:07,139 STORM GOES UP BY A FACTOR OF 10 OR 20 IN THE ONE EVENT WE 480 00:30:07,139 --> 00:30:10,179 EXAMPLED IN DETAIL AND THAT SOLAR STORMS WOULD HAVE BEEN 481 00:30:10,179 --> 00:30:12,669 MORE ABUNDANT EARLY IN HISTORY. 482 00:30:12,669 --> 00:30:17,370 WE ALSO KNOW THAT THE SOLAR WIND AS A STEADY ON GOING PROCESS CAN 483 00:30:17,370 --> 00:30:20,629 REMOVE GAS AND AT THAT RATE WOULD HAVE BEEN GREATER EARLY IN 484 00:30:20,629 --> 00:30:21,740 HISTORY. 485 00:30:21,740 --> 00:30:25,210 TOGETHER WE THINK THAT THESE WOULD HAVE BEEN VERY IMPORTANT 486 00:30:25,210 --> 00:30:29,840 PROCESSES BUT WE HAVEN'T DONE THAT BACKWARD IN TIME YET SO 487 00:30:29,840 --> 00:30:32,900 IT'S VERY HARD TO GIVE A QUANTITATIVE ESTIMATE TODAY OF 488 00:30:32,900 --> 00:30:35,330 WHICH WAS THE MOST IMPORTANT PROCESS. 489 00:30:35,330 --> 00:30:39,460 >> AND ALSO, BRUCE, JUST TO REMIND EVERYBODY, EARLY ON IN 490 00:30:39,460 --> 00:30:43,270 MARS HISTORY, MARS ACTUALLY DID HAVE A GLOBAL MAGNETIC FIELD. 491 00:30:43,270 --> 00:30:47,710 SO IT HAD PROTECTION FOR AWHILE UNTIL IT COOLED OFF ENOUGH THAT 492 00:30:47,710 --> 00:30:50,649 IT STOPPED. 493 00:30:50,649 --> 00:30:58,919 SO THAT PERIOD OF TIME IS UNDER DEBATE AND EXPERIENCE MUCH MORE 494 00:30:58,919 --> 00:31:02,309 SIGNIFICANT ATMOSPHERE. 495 00:31:02,309 --> 00:31:08,970 >> NEXT UP IS CAMILLE CARLYLE. 496 00:31:08,970 --> 00:31:25,989 >> IS IT THE ONE FROM LAST YEAR OR THIS PAST MARCH? 497 00:31:25,989 --> 00:31:29,510 >> WE WERE LOOKING AT THE EVENT IN MARCH OF THIS YEAR. 498 00:31:29,510 --> 00:31:33,369 IT WAS ACTUALLY THREE EVENTS ONE RIGHT AFTER ANOTHER. 499 00:31:33,369 --> 00:31:34,369 MARS WAS NEVER EASY. 500 00:31:34,369 --> 00:31:39,880 YOU CAN'T EXAMINE A SINGLE EVENT IN ISOLATION. 501 00:31:39,880 --> 00:31:43,610 WE HAVE TO SEPARATE OUT THE DIFFERENT EFFECTS. 502 00:31:43,610 --> 00:31:47,769 WE DID SEE AURORA AS A RESULT OF THIS EVENT THOUGH. 503 00:31:47,769 --> 00:31:52,029 THE PARTICLES DID TRIGGER AURORA WITH THAT EVENT AS WELL AS THE 504 00:31:52,029 --> 00:31:54,990 EARLIER ONE. 505 00:31:54,990 --> 00:31:57,460 >> NEXT UP IS ERIC BURGER AND ERIC IF YOU CAN GIVE THE 506 00:31:57,460 --> 00:31:59,799 AFFILIATION BEFORE YOU ASK YOUR QUESTION, THANK YOU, SIR. 507 00:31:59,799 --> 00:32:00,799 >> YEAH. 508 00:32:00,799 --> 00:32:01,799 THANK YOU FOR DOING THIS. 509 00:32:01,799 --> 00:32:02,799 THIS IS ERIC BURGER. 510 00:32:02,799 --> 00:32:09,179 I WAS WONDERING IF THIS INFORMATION FROM THE ATMOSPHERIC 511 00:32:09,179 --> 00:32:16,169 LOSS HAS GIVEN YOU ANY BETTER ESTIMATE OF WHEN MARS WOULD HAVE 512 00:32:16,169 --> 00:32:21,480 BEEN CONDUCIVE FOR WATER, LAKES, RIVERS, THINGS LIKE THAT THAT 513 00:32:21,480 --> 00:32:26,129 CARVED FEATURES MILLIONS OR BILLIONS OF YEARS AGO. 514 00:32:26,129 --> 00:32:30,260 >> FROM THE THEOLOGY WE GET A GOOD ESTIMATE OF THE TIMING IN 515 00:32:30,260 --> 00:32:33,110 WHICH MARS HAD EARLY. 516 00:32:33,110 --> 00:32:39,860 UP UNTIL 3.7†BILLION YEARS AGO WATER WAS ABUNDANT AND ACTIVE. 517 00:32:39,860 --> 00:32:47,100 SO THE STRIP BIG THE SOLAR WIND OF THE ATMOSPHERE WOULD HAVE 518 00:32:47,100 --> 00:32:48,830 OCCURRED IN THAT SAME TIME FRAME. 519 00:32:48,830 --> 00:32:52,950 THAT'S WHEN THE EXTREME ULTRA VIOLENT PROTONS FROM THE SUN AND 520 00:32:52,950 --> 00:32:55,620 SOLAR WIND WERE MOST INTENSE. 521 00:32:55,620 --> 00:32:58,850 SO WE THINK THAT THE LOSS OF THE ATMOSPHERE OCCURRED OVER A FEW 522 00:32:58,850 --> 00:33:04,639 HUNDRED MILLION YEARS FROM ABOUT 4.2 TO MAYBE 3.7†BILLION YEARS 523 00:33:04,639 --> 00:33:07,899 AGO. 524 00:33:07,899 --> 00:33:09,900 >> NEXT UP IS THE TIM CRAMER. 525 00:33:09,900 --> 00:33:10,900 >> CONGRATULATIONS ON THE RESULTS. 526 00:33:10,900 --> 00:33:22,120 I WAS INTERESTED IN YOUR UPDATING THINKING WHICH YOU KIND 527 00:33:22,120 --> 00:33:36,710 OF JUST ANSWERED ABOUT WHEN THE WATER WAS LOST. 528 00:33:36,710 --> 00:33:48,350 MAYBE YOU CAN REVIEW THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE. 529 00:33:48,350 --> 00:34:02,960 HOW LONG DO YOU THINK†-- HOW LONG DID IT TAKE TO LOSE THE 530 00:34:02,960 --> 00:34:08,310 MAGNETIC FIELD AND WHAT, HOW OLD DID THE WATER LAST IN LIQUID 531 00:34:08,310 --> 00:34:10,710 FORM ON THE SURFACE AND WHAT WAS THE LOSS REQUIRED TO HAVE A 532 00:34:10,710 --> 00:34:11,850 TREMENDOUS LOSS OF WATER? 533 00:34:11,850 --> 00:34:13,550 HOW MUCH MORE DID IT HAVE TO BE? 534 00:34:13,550 --> 00:34:14,850 IF IT'S ONLY A HUNDRED GRAMS A SECOND PER DAY CAN YOU GIVE US 535 00:34:14,850 --> 00:34:16,880 AN ESTIMATE OF WHAT IT WOULD HAVE TO BE TO CAUSE A TREMENDOUS 536 00:34:16,880 --> 00:34:17,880 LOSS IN THE PAST? 537 00:34:17,880 --> 00:34:19,690 >> WHAT WE THINK IS THAT THE EARLY MAGNETIC FIELD THAT MARS 538 00:34:19,690 --> 00:34:20,690 HAD WOULD HAVE PROTECTED THE PLANET. 539 00:34:20,690 --> 00:34:24,780 AND THE EVIDENCE SUGGESTS THAT THE MAGNETIC FIELD DISAPPEARED 540 00:34:24,780 --> 00:34:27,580 4.2†BILLION YEARS AGO. 541 00:34:27,580 --> 00:34:31,490 THE AMOUNT OF GAS THAT WOULD HAVE HAD TO HAVE BEEN REMOVED†-- 542 00:34:31,490 --> 00:34:35,230 LET ME START BACK WITH THE CURRENT MARS ATMOSPHERE WHICH 543 00:34:35,230 --> 00:34:41,870 HAS A THICKNESS OF 6 MILIBARS. 544 00:34:41,870 --> 00:34:45,270 WE THINK YOU WOULD HAVE TO REMOVE AN AMOUNT OF GAS ABOUT 545 00:34:45,270 --> 00:34:48,120 EQUIVALENT TO WHAT'S IN THE EARTH'S ATMOSPHERE. 546 00:34:48,120 --> 00:34:53,770 SO THE RATE WOULD HAVE HAD TO HAVE BEEN A FACTOR OF MAYBE 100 547 00:34:53,770 --> 00:34:57,670 HIGHER IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO REMOVE THE GAS EARLY IN THAT 548 00:34:57,670 --> 00:35:00,740 TIME PERIOD. 100 TO 1000 TIMES HIGHER. 549 00:35:00,740 --> 00:35:05,170 THAT'S CONSISTENT WITH WHAT SOME OF THE MODELS HAVE PREDICTED. 550 00:35:05,170 --> 00:35:09,150 THE LOSS RATE BACK IN EARLY HISTORY WOULD HAVE BEEN. 551 00:35:09,150 --> 00:35:10,960 >> OKAY. 552 00:35:10,960 --> 00:35:13,620 BACK TO SOCIAL MEDIA AND EMILY BACK TO YOU. 553 00:35:13,620 --> 00:35:16,850 WE'LL TAKE THREE MORE QUESTIONS AND THEN OUR PHONE LINES AND 554 00:35:16,850 --> 00:35:18,300 WE'LL WRAP UP. 555 00:35:18,300 --> 00:35:19,300 EMILY. 556 00:35:19,300 --> 00:35:21,140 >> THANK YOU. 557 00:35:21,140 --> 00:35:23,350 HE ASKS HOW DOES THE NEW INFORMATION LIKE TODAY'S 558 00:35:23,350 --> 00:35:25,990 ANNOUNCEMENT SHAPE FUTURE RESEARCH ON MARS? 559 00:35:25,990 --> 00:35:28,020 WHAT SHOULD WE LOOK AT NEXT? 560 00:35:28,020 --> 00:35:29,680 >> LET ME GIVE A TRY AT THAT ONE. 561 00:35:29,680 --> 00:35:32,610 THAT'S AN IMPORTANT QUESTION BECAUSE ONE OF THE THINGS THAT 562 00:35:32,610 --> 00:35:41,860 WE LEARNED FROM THE WHOLE SUITE OF MISSIONS THAT WE SENT, MARS 563 00:35:41,860 --> 00:35:47,670 ODYSSEY MOST RECENTLY IS THAT MARS IS A VERY COMPLEX SYSTEM. 564 00:35:47,670 --> 00:35:51,980 YOU CAN'T STUDY THE GEOLOGY IN ISOLATION IN EVERYTHING ELSE OR 565 00:35:51,980 --> 00:35:55,070 THE ATMOSPHERE IN ISOLATION FROM EVERYTHING ELSE. 566 00:35:55,070 --> 00:35:58,570 IT'S A VERY COMPLEXED COUPLE SYSTEM. 567 00:35:58,570 --> 00:36:02,540 SO WHEN WE WANT TO LEARN, FOR EXAMPLE, ABOUT LIFE, THE 568 00:36:02,540 --> 00:36:05,510 POTENTIAL FOR LIFE, WE HAVE TO STUDY THE ATMOSPHERE, THE 569 00:36:05,510 --> 00:36:06,680 GEOLOGY. 570 00:36:06,680 --> 00:36:09,230 NOW WE HAVE TO STUDY THE UPPER ATMOSPHERE TO LEARN ABOUT THE 571 00:36:09,230 --> 00:36:10,890 HISTORY OF THE CLIMATE. 572 00:36:10,890 --> 00:36:14,760 ALL OF THESE PLAY A ROLE BECAUSE THE GASES CAN EXCHANGE BETWEEN 573 00:36:14,760 --> 00:36:16,580 ALL OF THE PLACES. 574 00:36:16,580 --> 00:36:21,690 ALL OF THEM REPRESENT IMPORTANT PROCESSES TO MAVEN IS FILLING A 575 00:36:21,690 --> 00:36:26,420 GAP IN OUR UNDERSTANDING WHERE WE HAVE REALLY VERY LITTLE IDEA 576 00:36:26,420 --> 00:36:31,870 OF HOW IT OPERATED AND WHAT PROCESSES PLAYED A ROLE THERE. 577 00:36:31,870 --> 00:36:35,140 THIS FEEDS BACK INTO OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE BEHAVIOR OF 578 00:36:35,140 --> 00:36:39,940 THE CLIMATE AS A WHOLE AND WHAT DROVE CLIMATE CHANGE ON MARS AND 579 00:36:39,940 --> 00:36:44,670 THAT FEEDS BACK INTO ISSUES RELATED TO THE POTENTIAL FOR 580 00:36:44,670 --> 00:36:45,670 LIFE. 581 00:36:45,670 --> 00:36:49,330 AND I BROUGHT IT BACK TO THE LIFE QUESTION BECAUSE THAT'S AT 582 00:36:49,330 --> 00:36:54,400 THE CENTER OF SCIENTIFIC EXPLORATION OF MARS. 583 00:36:54,400 --> 00:37:00,780 MARS APPEARS TO MEET ALL OF THE CONDITIONS REQUIRED FOR LIFE OR 584 00:37:00,780 --> 00:37:04,240 TO HAVE MET THEM AT THE SURFACE IN THE PAST AND THAT BEGS THE 585 00:37:04,240 --> 00:37:07,850 QUESTION OF WHETHER THERE WAS ANY LIFE THERE AND THEN IF THERE 586 00:37:07,850 --> 00:37:15,010 WAS, WHETHER IT'S GENETICALLY RELATED TO TERRESTRIAL LIFE. 587 00:37:15,010 --> 00:37:19,830 SO AS WE GO INTO THE FUTURE THE QUESTIONS ABOUT LIFE AND CLIMATE 588 00:37:19,830 --> 00:37:23,280 AND THE HISTORY OF THE PLANET AS A WHOLE REALLY ARE AT THE CENTER 589 00:37:23,280 --> 00:37:24,700 OF THE EXPLORATION. 590 00:37:24,700 --> 00:37:26,810 >> TWO MORE. 591 00:37:26,810 --> 00:37:27,860 >> SURE. 592 00:37:27,860 --> 00:37:29,180 THIS IS FROM DAKOTA. 593 00:37:29,180 --> 00:37:32,920 HE SORT OF TOUCHED ON THIS AS WELL. 594 00:37:32,920 --> 00:37:35,820 IF THIS EROSION FROM THE SOLAR WIND IS STILL HAPPENING WILL 595 00:37:35,820 --> 00:37:39,850 MARS EVENTUALLY HAVE NO ATMOSPHERE AT ALL? 596 00:37:39,850 --> 00:37:42,420 >> AT THE CURRENT RATE OF ESCAPE IT WOULD LOSE IT'S ENTIRE 597 00:37:42,420 --> 00:37:47,580 ATMOSPHERE IN ANOTHER COUPLE OF BILLION YEARS BUT WE THINK THAT 598 00:37:47,580 --> 00:37:50,870 THE GAS IN THE ATMOSPHERE ISN'T ALL THAT'S THERE. 599 00:37:50,870 --> 00:37:53,280 THERE'S GAS LOCKED UP IN THE POLAR CAPS. 600 00:37:53,280 --> 00:37:58,120 THE ATMOSPHERE EXCHANGES WITH GAS IN THE TOP METER OF THE SUB 601 00:37:58,120 --> 00:38:01,970 SURFACE AND DEEPER TO THE TOP TENS OF METERS. 602 00:38:01,970 --> 00:38:04,440 SO ONE OF THE QUESTIONS ABOUT MARS IS WHAT IS THE TOTAL 603 00:38:04,440 --> 00:38:05,440 INVENTORY? 604 00:38:05,440 --> 00:38:10,480 HOW MUCH GAS IS THERE ANYWHERE ON THE PLANET AS WE REMOVE GAS 605 00:38:10,480 --> 00:38:14,630 TO SPACE, WE THINK THAT IT IS PROBABLY BEING REPLENISHED FROM 606 00:38:14,630 --> 00:38:17,340 THE NONATMOSPHERIC RESERVOIRS. 607 00:38:17,340 --> 00:38:21,740 SO I THINK THE ATMOSPHERE IS NOT GOING TO DISAPPEAR IN THE NEXT 608 00:38:21,740 --> 00:38:24,870 COUPLE OF BILLION YEARS BUT I CAN'T TELL YOU EXACTLY WHAT IT'S 609 00:38:24,870 --> 00:38:27,370 GOING TO BE LIKE EITHER. 610 00:38:27,370 --> 00:38:29,100 >> ONE MORE AND THEN WE'LL GO BACK TO THE PHONES. 611 00:38:29,100 --> 00:38:30,100 >> SURE. 612 00:38:30,100 --> 00:38:32,080 THIS IS FROM WILLIAM. 613 00:38:32,080 --> 00:38:35,380 AND SORT OF BRANCHING OFF OF THAT, IF THERE WAS LIQUID WATER 614 00:38:35,380 --> 00:38:39,310 FOUND ON MARS WOULDN'T THAT PROVE THAT THERE'S STILL 615 00:38:39,310 --> 00:38:47,190 ATMOSPHERE THAT IS SUSTAINABLE TO SOME TYPE OF LIFE? 616 00:38:47,190 --> 00:38:50,400 >> THE QUESTION OF LIQUID WATER IS AT THE HEART OF THIS AND THE 617 00:38:50,400 --> 00:38:53,990 REASON WE FLEW THE MAVEN MISSION IS TO UNDERSTAND THE HISTORY OF 618 00:38:53,990 --> 00:38:57,070 LIQUID WATER BY LOOKING AT THE CLIMATE. 619 00:38:57,070 --> 00:39:02,600 WATER CAN EXIST, COULD HAVE EXISTED EARLY IN HISTORY AND IT 620 00:39:02,600 --> 00:39:03,600 WAS STABLE. 621 00:39:03,600 --> 00:39:06,430 IT COULD HAVE EXISTED AT THE SURFACE TODAY. 622 00:39:06,430 --> 00:39:12,920 BUT SOME OF THE RECENT MEASURES SUGGEST THERE MIGHT EVEN BE 623 00:39:12,920 --> 00:39:18,370 TRACE AMOUNTS OF LIQUID WATER OCCURRING INTERMITTENTLY. 624 00:39:18,370 --> 00:39:23,750 SO WE HAVE THIS CONTRAST OF GLOBAL SCALE†LIQUID WATER THAT 625 00:39:23,750 --> 00:39:27,870 EVOLVED ALONG WITH THE CLIMATE OVER 4 BILLION YEARS AND IS 626 00:39:27,870 --> 00:39:35,080 BEING EXPLORED BY MAVEN AND TINY AMOUNTS IS IN THE PRESENCE 627 00:39:35,080 --> 00:39:36,080 TODAY. 628 00:39:36,080 --> 00:39:43,690 IT'S ALL PART OF THE 629 00:39:43,690 --> 00:39:48,020 UNDERSTANDING. 630 00:39:48,020 --> 00:39:49,170 >> THERE'S STILLWATER ON MARS. 631 00:39:49,170 --> 00:39:53,230 WE CERTAINLY HAVE MEASURES SHOWING THE POLLS AND MID 632 00:39:53,230 --> 00:40:00,280 LATITUDE BUT ALSO MAYBE THERE COULD BE THAT ON MARS SO IF LIFE 633 00:40:00,280 --> 00:40:05,480 EVER DID GET STARTED PERHAPS THE HABITABLE PLACE ON MARS TODAY 634 00:40:05,480 --> 00:40:09,660 WOULD BE IN THE SUBSURFACE WHERE LIQUID WATER IS STILL A 635 00:40:09,660 --> 00:40:10,970 REASONABLE ASSUMPTION. 636 00:40:10,970 --> 00:40:11,970 >> OKAY. 637 00:40:11,970 --> 00:40:16,810 LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, WE'RE COMING UP ABOUT 15 MINUTES, 20 638 00:40:16,810 --> 00:40:17,810 MINUTES. 639 00:40:17,810 --> 00:40:22,930 WE ARE GOING TO THE PHONE LINES AND TAKE THREE MORE CALLS AND WE 640 00:40:22,930 --> 00:40:27,160 HAVE A QUESTION HERE AND WE'RE GOING TO END THE BRIEFING. 641 00:40:27,160 --> 00:40:30,930 BUT SOCIAL MEDIA KEEP THOSE QUESTIONS COMING IN AT†#ASKNASA. 642 00:40:30,930 --> 00:40:35,160 WE'LL HAVE A TEAM OF SCIENTISTS ANSWERING QUESTIONS LATER TODAY 643 00:40:35,160 --> 00:40:38,890 AND FOR THE MEDIA THAT WE DON'T GET TO ON THE PHONE WE WILL MAKE 644 00:40:38,890 --> 00:40:41,490 SURE THAT SCIENTISTS ARE AVAILABLE TO DO ANY ONE-ON-ONE 645 00:40:41,490 --> 00:40:43,640 INTERVIEWS FOLLOWING THE PRESS CONFERENCE. 646 00:40:43,640 --> 00:40:47,230 SO LET'S START WITH ADRIEN FROM THE ATLANTIC. 647 00:40:47,230 --> 00:40:50,290 >> THANK YOU FOR TAKING MY QUESTION. 648 00:40:50,290 --> 00:40:55,910 I UNDERSTAND THAT THE UNUSUAL AURORAS ON MARS ALSO INFORM YOUR 649 00:40:55,910 --> 00:40:58,730 UNDERSTANDING OF ATMOSPHERIC LOSS AND I'M HOPING YOU CAN 650 00:40:58,730 --> 00:41:07,150 DESCRIBE IN VIVID DETAIL WHAT AN AURORA ON MARS LOOK LIKE. 651 00:41:07,150 --> 00:41:10,900 >> LET ME ASK DAVE IF HE CAN TAKE THAT ONE AS WELL. 652 00:41:10,900 --> 00:41:12,160 >> SURE. 653 00:41:12,160 --> 00:41:17,530 THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION AND AURORA ON MARS ARE EXCITING AND 654 00:41:17,530 --> 00:41:20,910 INTERESTING AND THERE ARE ESSENTIALLY TWO KINDS OF AURORA 655 00:41:20,910 --> 00:41:22,700 ON MARS OBSERVED. 656 00:41:22,700 --> 00:41:27,130 ONE WE KNEW ABOUT BEFORE MAVEN ARRIVED AND THIS IS FAIRLY 657 00:41:27,130 --> 00:41:32,450 SIMILAR TO NORTH'S AURORA THAT TAKE PLACE IN SMALL SCALE 658 00:41:32,450 --> 00:41:36,050 MAGNETIC FIELDS THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH SPECIFIC REGION 659 00:41:36,050 --> 00:41:37,370 OF THE MARS CRUST. 660 00:41:37,370 --> 00:41:40,930 THE BIG DIFFERENCE THERE IS THAT THE AURORA AND MALL MAGNETIC 661 00:41:40,930 --> 00:41:45,270 FIELDS ARE WEAKER THAN THOSE ON EARTH. 662 00:41:45,270 --> 00:41:51,900 FOR MAVEN, A NEW KIND OF AURORA FRANKLY SURPRISED US AND THIS 663 00:41:51,900 --> 00:41:56,590 WAS IN A PART OF THE ATMOSPHERE THAT IS ABOVE REGIONS THAT DON'T 664 00:41:56,590 --> 00:41:59,100 HAVE ANY MAGNETIC FIELD AT ALL. 665 00:41:59,100 --> 00:42:01,820 IT'S STRANGE TO THINK ABOUT, BASED ON OUR PERSONAL 666 00:42:01,820 --> 00:42:05,340 EXPERIENCE, THOSE THAT DON'T TAKE PLACE IN MAGNETIC FIELDS. 667 00:42:05,340 --> 00:42:13,660 NOT ONLY DID WE SEE AURORA ON MARS BUT ALSO THE PARTICLES THAT 668 00:42:13,660 --> 00:42:16,260 WENT CRASHING INTO THE ATMOSPHERE TO CREATE THEM. 669 00:42:16,260 --> 00:42:20,330 THEY'RE VERY ENERGETIC ELECTRONS THAT COME FROM THE SUN AND THOSE 670 00:42:20,330 --> 00:42:24,380 INTENSE EVENTS ARE AT LEAST RARE IN MAVEN'S EXPERIENCE. 671 00:42:24,380 --> 00:42:27,600 THEY ONLY HAPPENED TWO OR THREE TIMES SINCE WE HAVE BEEN THERE 672 00:42:27,600 --> 00:42:30,290 INCLUDING AROUND CHRISTMAS 2014. 673 00:42:30,290 --> 00:42:33,360 SO AMONG THE TEAM WE'RE CALLING THOSE THE CHRISTMAS LIGHTS BUT 674 00:42:33,360 --> 00:42:36,250 THEY ALSO HAPPEN DURING THE SOLAR STORM THAT JASPER TALKED 675 00:42:36,250 --> 00:42:39,040 ABOUT IN HIS COMMENTS AS WELL. 676 00:42:39,040 --> 00:42:43,020 SO WE HAVE SEEN THESE IN ULTRA VIOLET AND IT'S POSSIBLE THAT 677 00:42:43,020 --> 00:42:47,180 THE NEW AURORA LIGHTS UP THE ENTIRE NIGHT SKY OVER MUCH OF 678 00:42:47,180 --> 00:42:48,720 THE PLANET. 679 00:42:48,720 --> 00:42:51,980 YOU CAN DO MODEL CALCULATIONS OF WHETHER THEY WOULD BE VISIBLE TO 680 00:42:51,980 --> 00:42:56,030 THE NAKED EYE AND THOSE ARE STILL PREMATURE. 681 00:42:56,030 --> 00:43:00,040 BUT A GOOD GUESS IS THAT THEY MAY BE VISIBLE TO THE NAKED EYE 682 00:43:00,040 --> 00:43:03,450 SO THAT IF YOU'RE STANDING ON THE NIGHT SIDE OF MARS WHERE 683 00:43:03,450 --> 00:43:06,710 THERE'S NO LIGHT POLLUTION AND LOOKING UP TO THE SKY, YOU CAN 684 00:43:06,710 --> 00:43:09,060 SEE THE WHOLE SKYLIGHT UP DURING ONE OF THESE EVENTS. 685 00:43:09,060 --> 00:43:11,599 IT WOULD BE MAGNIFICENT. 686 00:43:11,599 --> 00:43:12,880 >> THANK YOU. 687 00:43:12,880 --> 00:43:15,990 NEXT UP IS FRANK FROM AVIATION WEEK. 688 00:43:15,990 --> 00:43:18,630 >> THANK YOU. 689 00:43:18,630 --> 00:43:24,330 YOU MENTIONED EARLIER THAT COME MET IMPACTS MIGHT HAVE HAD A 690 00:43:24,330 --> 00:43:26,130 ROLE IN THE LOSS OF MARS ATMOSPHERE. 691 00:43:26,130 --> 00:43:30,270 I WONDER IF YOU CAN SAY YET WHETHER THE PASSAGE OF THE 692 00:43:30,270 --> 00:43:36,580 COMMON SIGHTING SPRING CLOSE TO MARS LAST FALL MIGHT HAVE HAD 693 00:43:36,580 --> 00:43:39,720 THE SAME KIND OF EFFECT. 694 00:43:39,720 --> 00:43:43,440 >> WE DID HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO OBSERVE ONE COMET PASS BY AS 695 00:43:43,440 --> 00:43:45,820 YOU MENTIONED. 696 00:43:45,820 --> 00:43:50,230 IT PASSED BY 140,000 KILOMETERS AWAY FROM MARS. 697 00:43:50,230 --> 00:43:53,170 WE WERE ABLE TO MAKE OBSERVATIONS OF THE EFFECTS IT 698 00:43:53,170 --> 00:43:57,410 HAD ON THE PLANET AT THE TIME. 699 00:43:57,410 --> 00:44:04,400 WE SAW THE DUST THAT WAS DEPOSITED INTO THE ATMOSPHERE 700 00:44:04,400 --> 00:44:07,250 AND PERHAPS HINTS OF SOME OTHER THINGS. 701 00:44:07,250 --> 00:44:10,130 THE DUST COMING IN HAS THE ABILITY TO CHANGE THE 702 00:44:10,130 --> 00:44:15,350 COMPETITION AND TO DRIVE CHEMICAL PROCESSES IN THE UPPER 703 00:44:15,350 --> 00:44:18,410 ATMOSPHERE BUT COME METS ARE RELATIVELY RARE. 704 00:44:18,410 --> 00:44:23,190 PERHAPS MORE SIGNIFICANT IS THE REGULAR INTERPLANETARY DUST 705 00:44:23,190 --> 00:44:24,750 COMING IN ALL THE TIME. 706 00:44:24,750 --> 00:44:28,010 THIS HAS ITS ORIGIN WITH COME METS BUT IT'S NOT ASSOCIATED 707 00:44:28,010 --> 00:44:30,640 WITH A SPECIFIC COME MET PASSING BY. 708 00:44:30,640 --> 00:44:33,460 IT'S JUST ALL WAS THERE AND ALL WAS COMING IN. 709 00:44:33,460 --> 00:44:37,420 MAVEN IN FACT HAS FOR THE FIRST TIME DETECTED WITH A WE THINK IS 710 00:44:37,420 --> 00:44:41,150 THIS DUST COMING IN FROM INTERPLANETARY SPACE AND IT 711 00:44:41,150 --> 00:44:44,880 WOULD HAVE THE EFFECT OF PRODUCING A LONG LIVED, LONG 712 00:44:44,880 --> 00:44:52,180 STANDING LAYER OF METAL IONS IN THE UPPER ATMOSPHERE AND 713 00:44:52,180 --> 00:44:58,080 CREATING A LAYER AND THE CHEMICAL PROCESSES DRIVEN BY 714 00:44:58,080 --> 00:45:01,650 THAT MAY BE EFFECTING THE ATMOSPHERE AS A WHOLE. 715 00:45:01,650 --> 00:45:05,440 SO WE SEE THIS DUST, WHETHER IT'S FROM COMETS OR 716 00:45:05,440 --> 00:45:12,240 INTERPLANETARY DUST AS A POSSIBLE DRIVER OF PROCESSES 717 00:45:12,240 --> 00:45:16,420 THAT CAN LEAD TO ESCAPE OR CAN CONTRIBUTE TO ESCAPE BUT IT'S 718 00:45:16,420 --> 00:45:18,450 NOT A DIRECT CONNECTION. 719 00:45:18,450 --> 00:45:24,240 I COULDN'T TELL YOU TODAY HOW MUCH ESCAPE IT'S DRIVING. 720 00:45:24,240 --> 00:45:26,750 >> NEXT UP, WE HAVE TRACY WATSON FROM USA TODAY. 721 00:45:26,750 --> 00:45:29,060 >> HI, THANKS FOR TAKING MY QUESTION. 722 00:45:29,060 --> 00:45:33,480 I UNDERSTAND YOU QUANTIFIED THE AMOUNT OF ATMOSPHERIC LOSS BUT 723 00:45:33,480 --> 00:45:37,310 CAN YOU HELP ME OUT TO UNDERSTAND HOW THIS GETS YOU 724 00:45:37,310 --> 00:45:40,440 CLOSER TO UNDERSTANDING WHAT HAPPENED EONS AGO BECAUSE FROM 725 00:45:40,440 --> 00:45:44,060 WHAT I HEARD TODAY YOU HAVEN'T QUANTIFIED WHETHER THE STORMS 726 00:45:44,060 --> 00:45:52,910 WERE ENOUGH TO STRIP AWAY A LARGE PART OF THE ATMOSPHERE. 727 00:45:52,910 --> 00:45:55,210 THANKS. 728 00:45:55,210 --> 00:46:00,030 >> THE IDEAL SITUATION WOULD HAVE BEEN TO OBSERVE THE SOLAR 729 00:46:00,030 --> 00:46:06,190 WIND EARLY IN MARS HISTORY AS IT WAS STRIPPING AWAY GAS FROM THE 730 00:46:06,190 --> 00:46:07,190 ATMOSPHERE. 731 00:46:07,190 --> 00:46:11,200 BUT NASA TENDS NOT TO FUND 4 BILLION YEARLONG MISSIONS. 732 00:46:11,200 --> 00:46:14,990 SO WE SETTLE FOR LOOKING AT THE ATMOSPHERE TODAY, UNDERSTANDING 733 00:46:14,990 --> 00:46:19,770 THE PROCESSES AND TRYING TO EXTRAPOLATE BACKWARDS IN TIME. 734 00:46:19,770 --> 00:46:24,990 TODAY THE MAIN RESULT THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS A MUCH BETTER 735 00:46:24,990 --> 00:46:29,730 UNDERSTANDING OF THE LOSS OUT THE ATMOSPHERE TODAY AND OF THE 736 00:46:29,730 --> 00:46:31,210 PROCESSES DRIVING IT. 737 00:46:31,210 --> 00:46:34,640 I'M ONLY WAVING MY ARMS A LITTLE BIT ON WHAT THIS DID OVERTIME 738 00:46:34,640 --> 00:46:38,390 BECAUSE THE TEAM HAS BEEN SO FOCUSED ON WHAT'S GOING ON TODAY 739 00:46:38,390 --> 00:46:40,950 THAT WE HAVEN'T HAD THE CHANCE TO DO THAT EXTRAPOLATION 740 00:46:40,950 --> 00:46:44,740 BACKWARD IN TIME BUT ALL THE INDICATIONS ARE THAT THE LOSS 741 00:46:44,740 --> 00:46:50,000 RATE AT THE GREATER RATE, APPROPRIATE FOR EARLY IN HISTORY 742 00:46:50,000 --> 00:46:54,520 WOULD HAVE BEEN ADEQUATE TO REMOVE VERY LARGE ATMOSPHERE AND 743 00:46:54,520 --> 00:46:58,100 TAKE US FROM A WARM, WET PLANET EARLY IN HISTORY TO THE COLD, 744 00:46:58,100 --> 00:46:59,600 DRY PLANET TODAY. 745 00:46:59,600 --> 00:47:04,950 I'LL HAVE TO ASK YOU TO HANG ON UNTIL WE CAN DO THAT ANALYSIS 746 00:47:04,950 --> 00:47:08,770 AND THEN WE'LL GIVE YOU A MUCH MORE QUANTITATIVE ESTIMATE. 747 00:47:08,770 --> 00:47:10,720 >> OKAY. 748 00:47:10,720 --> 00:47:13,510 ONE LAST QUESTION FROM THE PHONE AND THEN WE'LL COME HERE IN 749 00:47:13,510 --> 00:47:14,510 WASHINGTON. 750 00:47:14,510 --> 00:47:15,510 TOM. 751 00:47:15,510 --> 00:47:16,510 >> CONGRATULATIONS TO THE MAVEN TEAM. 752 00:47:16,510 --> 00:47:23,450 I'M CURIOUS AFTER DOING ALL OF THIS INDEPTH STUDY OF CLIMATE 753 00:47:23,450 --> 00:47:28,760 CHANGE, WHAT KIND OF LESSON DOUSE THINK IT COULD HAVE FOR 754 00:47:28,760 --> 00:47:33,080 PEOPLE THAT ARE STUDYING HOW EARTH'S CLIMATE IS EVOLVING OR 755 00:47:33,080 --> 00:47:34,710 COULD CHANGE RAPIDLY? 756 00:47:34,710 --> 00:47:38,150 >> THE PROCESSES THAT WE'RE LOOK AT FOR DRIVING MARS CLIMATE 757 00:47:38,150 --> 00:47:41,620 CHANGE ARE THOUGHT TO BE VERY DIFFERENT FROM THE PROCESSES 758 00:47:41,620 --> 00:47:43,950 THAT DRIVE EARTH CLIMATE CHANGE. 759 00:47:43,950 --> 00:47:49,290 ESPECIALLY WHEN THE CLIMATE CHANGE, WHEN YOU USE THOSE WORDS 760 00:47:49,290 --> 00:47:52,640 HERE FOR THE EARTH, MOST PEOPLE THINK THAT APPLIES TO THE 761 00:47:52,640 --> 00:47:57,150 POTENTIAL FOR HUMAN INDUCED CLIMATE CHANGE SO IT'S REALLY 762 00:47:57,150 --> 00:47:59,890 COMPARING APPLES AND ORANGES. 763 00:47:59,890 --> 00:48:05,270 THERE'S NOT A DIRECT COMPARISON THAT I WANT TO MAKE BUT WE DO 764 00:48:05,270 --> 00:48:08,550 GET A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF ATMOSPHERE FEARIC PROCESSES IN 765 00:48:08,550 --> 00:48:09,550 GENERAL. 766 00:48:09,550 --> 00:48:11,810 MICHAEL, DO YOU WANT TO ADD ANYTHING TO THAT? 767 00:48:11,810 --> 00:48:14,200 >> NO, I THINK THAT'S ABOUT RIGHT. 768 00:48:14,200 --> 00:48:17,990 CERTAINLY MARS, ALL THE CLIMATE CHANGE THAT WE HAVE SEEN HAS 769 00:48:17,990 --> 00:48:23,420 BEEN INDUSED BY THE FAILURE OF THE GLOBAL MAGNETIC FIELD ON 770 00:48:23,420 --> 00:48:28,960 MARS AND ACTING MOSTLY WITH THE SOLAR WIND. 771 00:48:28,960 --> 00:48:31,160 ON EARTH IT'S AN ENTIRELY DIFFERENT STORY WHERE WE'RE 772 00:48:31,160 --> 00:48:35,730 SEEING THE HEATING OF THE ATMOSPHERE. 773 00:48:35,730 --> 00:48:37,560 >> OKAY. 774 00:48:37,560 --> 00:48:40,050 IF YOU CAN GIVE YOUR NAME AND AFFILIATION AND YOUR QUESTION 775 00:48:40,050 --> 00:48:41,050 PLEASE. 776 00:48:41,050 --> 00:48:42,050 >> OKAY. 777 00:48:42,050 --> 00:48:44,130 MARSHA FREEMAN WITH EXECUTIVE INTELLIGENCE REVIEW. 778 00:48:44,130 --> 00:48:49,190 WE HAD LITTLE ATMOSPHERIC STATIONS ON THE SURFACE OF MARS 779 00:48:49,190 --> 00:48:52,310 ON A NUMBER OF LANDERS FOR A NUMBER OF CAREERS AND YOU 780 00:48:52,310 --> 00:48:55,790 MENTIONED THAT SOME OF THE SOLAR WIND PROCESSES COULD BE 781 00:48:55,790 --> 00:49:02,610 ACCELERATING IONS NOT JUST TO ESCAPE BUT DOWN. 782 00:49:02,610 --> 00:49:07,000 IS ANY OF THE DATA FROM ANY OF THE SURFACE INSTRUMENTS USEFUL 783 00:49:07,000 --> 00:49:12,340 FOR THE STUDY YOU ARE DOING AND CONTINGENT TO THAT WOULD IT BE 784 00:49:12,340 --> 00:49:17,420 HELPFUL TO HAVE BALLOONS OR SOMETHING IN BETWEEN THE SURFACE 785 00:49:17,420 --> 00:49:19,680 AND AN ORBITER? 786 00:49:19,680 --> 00:49:23,730 >> THERE IS AN EXPERIMENT ON THE CURIOSITY ROVER THAT IS VERY 787 00:49:23,730 --> 00:49:25,900 RELEVANT TO WHAT MAVEN IS MEASURING. 788 00:49:25,900 --> 00:49:28,420 IT MAY HAVE MEASURED THE RADIATION ENVIRONMENT AT THE 789 00:49:28,420 --> 00:49:29,700 SURFACE. 790 00:49:29,700 --> 00:49:33,440 AND THE PARTICLES THAT MAKE IT TO THE SURFACE ARE THE SAME 791 00:49:33,440 --> 00:49:36,730 PARTICLES THAT HIT THE TOP OF THE ATMOSPHERE SO ONE OF THE 792 00:49:36,730 --> 00:49:39,150 THINGS WE'RE HOPING TO DO IS TO COUPLE THOSE MEASUREMENTS 793 00:49:39,150 --> 00:49:43,590 TOGETHER WITH MEASUREMENTS AT THE TOP AND AT THE BOTTOM OF THE 794 00:49:43,590 --> 00:49:48,000 ATMOSPHERE AND REALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT THE RADIATION ENVIRONMENT 795 00:49:48,000 --> 00:49:50,510 IS AND WHAT DRIVES IT. 796 00:49:50,510 --> 00:49:55,010 IN TERMS OF CLIMATE, WE HAVE†-- WE'VE HAD MULTIPLE STATIONS AT 797 00:49:55,010 --> 00:49:56,010 THE SURFACE. 798 00:49:56,010 --> 00:49:58,910 WE ALSO HAVE CLIMATE-RELATED MEASUREMENTS BEING MADE FROM 799 00:49:58,910 --> 00:50:01,040 ORBITING SPACECRAFT. 800 00:50:01,040 --> 00:50:07,630 FOR EXAMPLE, THE MARS CLIMATE SOUNDER ON THE ORBITER MEASURING 801 00:50:07,630 --> 00:50:11,180 THE PROPERTIES OF THE MAIN PART OF THE ATMOSPHERE. 802 00:50:11,180 --> 00:50:15,410 ALL OF THIS COUPLES TOGETHER AND BY MEASURING THE DIFFERENT 803 00:50:15,410 --> 00:50:19,380 PIECES OF THE ATMOSPHERE, AT THE SAME TIME OR EVEN AT DIFFERENT 804 00:50:19,380 --> 00:50:22,620 TIMES, WE CAN UNDERSTAND THE COUPLING BETWEEN THEM. 805 00:50:22,620 --> 00:50:26,360 TO GIVE YOU ONE EXAMPLE, BY UNDERSTANDING THE LOWER 806 00:50:26,360 --> 00:50:30,640 ATMOSPHERE, WE UNDERSTAND THE WAYS IN WHICH ATMOSPHERIC WAVES 807 00:50:30,640 --> 00:50:33,880 GENERATED IN THE BOTTOM PART OF THE ATMOSPHERE CAN WORK THEIR 808 00:50:33,880 --> 00:50:37,260 WAY UP INTO THE TOP OF THE ATMOSPHERE AND DEPOSIT ENERGY 809 00:50:37,260 --> 00:50:38,730 AND MIX THINGS UP. 810 00:50:38,730 --> 00:50:41,390 AND THAT'S AN IMPORTANT COMPONENT OF UNDERSTANDING THE 811 00:50:41,390 --> 00:50:43,240 BEHAVIOR OF THE UPPER ATMOSPHERE. 812 00:50:43,240 --> 00:50:46,510 SO, AGAIN, I WANT TO COME BACK TO THIS THEME OF MARS AS A VERY 813 00:50:46,510 --> 00:50:51,020 COMPLEX SYSTEM IN WHICH ALL THE PIECES ARE COUPLED TOGETHER. 814 00:50:51,020 --> 00:50:54,500 AND WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND EACH ONE SEPARATELY BUT ALSO HOW THEY 815 00:50:54,500 --> 00:50:57,390 COUPLE TOGETHER. 816 00:50:57,390 --> 00:50:59,920 >> OKAY. 817 00:50:59,920 --> 00:51:01,690 WELL WE'RE GOING TO WRAP UP HERE. 818 00:51:01,690 --> 00:51:06,550 LET ME FIRST THANK OUR FOLKS THAT JOINED US FROM OUR 819 00:51:06,550 --> 00:51:07,550 UNIVERSES. 820 00:51:07,550 --> 00:51:10,770 FIRST, JASPER FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA AND IOWA 821 00:51:10,770 --> 00:51:11,770 CITY. 822 00:51:11,770 --> 00:51:13,050 THANK YOU, AGAIN. 823 00:51:13,050 --> 00:51:17,480 AND OF COURSE OUR FOLKS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO. 824 00:51:17,480 --> 00:51:23,540 AGAIN, KEEP THOSE QUESTIONS COMING IN ON SOCIAL MEDIA 825 00:51:23,540 --> 00:51:24,540 AT†#ASKNASA. 826 00:51:24,540 --> 00:51:27,440 A TEAM OF SCIENTISTS WILL BE ANSWERING YOUR QUESTIONS AS 827 00:51:27,440 --> 00:51:28,720 QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. 828 00:51:28,720 --> 00:51:32,650 FOR MEDIA, WE WILL BE TAKING YOUR CALLS AND REQUESTS AND SET 829 00:51:32,650 --> 00:51:36,400 UP TEAM MEMBERS TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS AND OF COURSE ALL OF 830 00:51:36,400 --> 00:51:43,070 THIS INFORMATION AND MORE IS ONLINE AT NASA.GOV/MAVEN.