Researchers have found evidence of sufficiently warm water on Mars, a
proof that the Red Planet may have supported life. New study by the University of Leicester
and The Open University into evidence of water on Mars, found that hydrothermal
fractures around Martian impact craters may have been a habitable environment
for microbial life.
The study determined that water temperatures on the Red Planet ranged
from 50 to 150 degrees Celsius. Microbes on Earth can live in similar waters,
for example in the volcanic thermal springs at Yellowstone Park, the scientists
note. The research is based on detailed scrutiny of Mars meteorites on Earth using powerful microscopes in the University of Leicester
Department of Physics and Astronomy. This was followed-up by computer modeling
work at The Open University.
"Rovers on Mars - the Mars Exploration rovers Spirit and
Opportunity, and the Mars Science Laboratory rover Curiosity -- are studying
rocks to find out about the geologic history of the Red Planet. Some of the
most interesting questions are what we can find out about water, how much there
was and what temperature it might have had," researcher John Bridges, from
the University of Leicester Space Research Centre said. "While the
orbiters and rovers are studying the minerals on Mars, we also have meteorites
from Mars here on Earth. They come in three different groups, the shergottites,
the nakhlites and the chassignites.
"Of most interest for the question of water on Mars are the
nakhlites, because this group of Martian meteorites contains small veins, which
are filled with minerals formed by the action of water near the surface of
Mars," said Bridges. Bridges and his group studied those alteration
minerals in great detail. Altogether eight nakhlite Martian meteorites are
known, and all have small but significant differences between them and in their
alteration minerals.
Lafayette is one of them; and the most complete succession of newly
formed minerals can be found in its veins. Careful investigations of the
minerals with an electron microscope and a transmission electron microscope have
revealed that the first newly formed mineral to grow along the walls of the
vein was iron carbonate. The carbonate would have been formed by CO2-rich water
around 150 degree Celius. When the water-cooled to 50 degree Celsius, it would
have formed the clay minerals, which were then followed by an amorphous phase
that has the same composition as the clay. Microbes use the reactions during
mineral formation to gain energy and elements essential for their survival. Sufficiently
warm enough to support life, has been published this week in the journal Earth
and Planetary Science Letters.
Source: Times of India
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