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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72"><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Curiosity has discovered manganese oxide on Mars. We know how that forms here: atmospheric oxygen or microbes. So how did Mars get MnO2?<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>An intriguing suggestion has been made by the Los Alamos scientists: during the periods where Mars’ magnetic field went to nearly nothing, solar radiation ionized atmospheric water, ionizing it, then the hydrogen ions being lighter were driven out of the atmosphere, leaving the oxygen ions free to react with their favorite locally available materials, which would be any alkaline metals first, probably manganese second, iron third? That makes sense, ja?<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>spike<o:p></o:p></p></div></body></html>