Before venturing into space, by comparing our climate to that of other planets we can better understand the state of water on Earth in the present. Research in this area was carried out by a number of IAS Fellows during the Water year.
Monica Grady and Ian Wright examined a set of meteorites believed to originate from Mars, which contain minerals derived from the rocks’ interaction with water. They presented their research in a variety of venues across Durham and to a wide-range of audiences, from school children to research scientists working in this area. Grady’s co-edited volume, Atlas of Meteorites, will be published later this year by Cambridge University Press. Closer to home, rocks on Earth provide useful archival records of how our climate has changed over many millennia, and are the focus of Andrew Baker’s research. During the course of his Fellowship, he developed several research papers on stalagmites and paleontological environments.
Grasping the interaction of water with rocks, whether in space or on Earth, may help us better to predict the long-term effects of our currently changing climate. Blue sky thinking – or, in this case, deep space thinking – may turn out to have revealing implications for our present climate crisis and eventually for our future exploration of the solar system and beyond.
Is There a Galactic Water Cycle?
The confirmation of water on the moon led Ian Wright to introduce research postgraduates to some speculations on the possibility that, as well as there being an Earth-based water cycle, there could be such a thing as a galactic water cycle. He challenged the group to consider what the implications would be to our understanding of the natural world if such a cycle existed. Although it may seem trivial to ask whether there is such a thing as a galactic water cycle, these new interdisciplinary topics may ultimately develop new knowledge.
Monica Grady’s lecture on the possibility of life on Mars can be heard at:
www.durham.ac.uk/ias/events/fellowslectures200910/grady
Reflections
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