Presenter: Professor Valerie Payre, University of Iowa Geology Department
Program: Exploring Mars to Understand Earth History
Synopsis: Mars is both similar and different from Earth. Earth thrives with water and life, while Mars is dry and rusty. On Earth, plate tectonics have repeatedly reshaped most of its surface, erasing over a billion years of history after the planet's formation. What did the Earth surface look like 4.5 billion years ago after its formation? How did plate tectonics start? When –and how– did life blossom? These questions remain unanswered and spark a lot of debates. Unlike Earth, Mars lacks plate tectonics, thus exhibiting terrains from right after its formation to today. Exploring Mars enables us to explore a missing window of the Earth’s geological history.
This talk will present the up-to-date data from spacecrafts orbiting around Mars and from Mars rovers, discussing traces of liquid water in the past, current existence of polar ice, and diverse volcanic activities. We will discuss whether life could exist on Mars and how Mars and Earth could have been very similar Mars and Earth about 4.5 billion years ago.
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https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85901560042?pwd=crJb0bVH0ocDnFsxu3oyZZfYtyVgVs.1
Meeting ID: 859 0156 0042
Passcode: 567824
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• +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
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Public Event Details:
* Members and the public may attend in-person at the EIOLC or on Zoom
* Public events are free – no tickets or reservations needed. We do accept and welcome donations in the jar at the welcome table.
* After the presentation and weather permitting, we offer tours of the observatory, viewing of celestial objects through the society’s telescopes, and an informative tour of the night sky at our outdoor amphitheater.
* Members and the public are encouraged to bring their own equipment to enjoy on our concrete pads.
Also check out other Meetups in Mt Vernon.
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