Was There A Nuclear Explosion In The Past On Mars?

An article published in the Epoch Times discusses a theory by Dr. John Brandenburg, in which he states that a nuclear explosion may have occurred at some point in the past on Mars. Dr. Brandenburg also believes that this nuclear explosion on Mars is what wiped out all life on the red planet.

Evidence that Brandenburg uses in his paper talks about the isotope Xenon 129. Brandenburg’s paper can be read in full here. According to the paper, Mars has a high concentration of Xenon 129 in the atmosphere of Mars. This particular isotope is produced during a nuclear reaction. Other elements on Mars that are considered evidence of a nuclear explosion on Mars are uranium and thorium. According to Brandenburg, two large nuclear explosions occurred at some point in the past on Mars. Mars is not the only planet that has evidence of a nuclear explosion in their past.

In 1972, uranium-235 was found in a mine in Oklo, Gabon. Uranium that exists naturally has a composition of 0.7 percent. The uranium-235 that was found in the Oklo mine has a composition of 0.6 percent. This suggests that some of the uranium had already been burned off. Doctor Francis Perrin, the former head of the French High Commission for Atomic Energy. Perrin believed that a nuclear reaction had taken place 1.7 billion years ago.

Some scientists say that these nuclear reactions could have happened naturally while others disagree. Those who disagree would say that these nuclear reactions were due to some form of intelligent life on Mars and during prehistoric Earth. If these nuclear explosions did happen naturally, scientists wonder if a natural nuclear explosion could occur again and cause mass destruction.

Doctor Glenn T. Seaborg explained that a natural nuclear reaction could occur with water but the water would need to be exceptionally pure. The water would have had to enter the mine in Oklo and set off the chain reaction with the uranium. Seaborg studied heavy metals and won a Nobel Prize for his effort. Based on his knowledge, Seaborg believes that these nuclear reactions could not have happened naturally.

“Even a few parts per million of any contaminant will ‘poison’ the reaction, bringing it to a halt. The problem is that no water that pure exists naturally anywhere in the world!

“A second objection to Dr. Perrin’s report involved the uranium itself. Several specialists in reactor engineering remarked that at no time in the geologically estimated history of the Oklo deposits was the uranium ore rich enough in U235 for a natural reaction to have taken place.

“Even when the deposits supposedly were first formed … the fissionable material would have constituted only 3 percent of the deposits—far too low a level for a ‘burn.’ Yet a reaction did take place, suggesting that the original uranium was far richer in U235 than a natural formation could have been.”

Brandenburg does not think the natural explanation is the right one. He states that the abundance of the isotope Xenon 129 is proof that a some type of nuclear process occurred on Mars. He states that the lighter isotopes would normally erode first and faster than the heavier ones. This would mean that more of the heavier isotope would exist. This is not the case on Mars.

“However, on Mars, whatever process disturbed the … isotopes made the lighter isotopes relatively more abundant than heavier ones. This requires a predominantly nuclear process rather than mass fractionation.”

“Taken together, the data requires that the hypothesis of Mars as the site of an ancient planetary nuclear massacre must now be considered.”

Do you think that there was a nuclear explosion on Mars?

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