In
terms of global warming it is useful to re-cap on the new Martian
geological periods;
The Phyllocian
(named after the clay-rich phyllosilicate minerals that date from
that epoch) lasted from the formation of the planet until around
4 billion years ago. In order for the phyllosilicates to form an
alkaline water environment would have been present.
After this period
was the Theiikian Era (named, in Greek, after the sulfate minerals
that were formed), lasting until about 3,500 million years ago.
This was a period of volcanic activity. In addition to lava, gases
- and in particular sulfur dioxide - were released, combining with
water to create sulfates and an acidic environment.
During the third,
the Siderikan Era, from 3,500 million years ago until the present,
with the end of volcanism and the absence of liquid water, the most
notable geological process has been the oxidation of the iron-rich
rocks by atmospheric peroxides, leading to the red iron oxides that
give the planet its familiar colour.
In terms of the
crustal movement and contraction I have suggested in the sections
above, it is interesting to correlate this sequence of Epochs to
the present Earth's global warming period, particularly in terms
of the transition from the Phyllocian to the Theikian, which consisted
of volcanic activity releasing gases into the atmosphere, creating
an acidic environment and eventually resulting in the absence of
water at the end of volcanism in the Siderikan. This transition
from the Phyllocian to the Theikian bears the same basic hallmarks
as the changes it is believed that this Earth will see over the
coming centuries with Global Warming.
This is outlined
in the Mars sub-section of 'Global
Warming'.
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