IS THERE EVIDENCE OF LIFE ON MARS HIDDEN IN AN ANCIENT MUD LAKE?

Sun 22 October 2023:

Amid the ongoing efforts to understand Mars’ habitability, scientists have recently found a new idea that the evidence of life on the red planet is probably hiding in an ancient mud lake, as per the latest research.

Although, they have not been able to identify the specific regions where evidence of life must be searched, however, they have come to the conclusion that regions with plenty of sediments will be a good starting point.

Mars: Movie in 3D - Hydraotes Chaos - YouTube

This is one of the reasons why NASA’s Perseverance rover has been placed in Jezero Crater, which is the site of an ancient paleolake and has sediment deposits around one km deep. However, the planet has many such sediment-rich regions. So the question arises, in which places should scientists look for life to widen their scope?

Selecting sediment-rich regions to explore life on Mars

In the research paper, the researchers have stated, “The quest for past Martian life hinges on locating surface formations linked to ancient habitability.”

One region which has attracted the attention of scientists is where the material from the Southern Highlands of Mars is carried by the massive outflow channels into its Northern Lowlands and towards the east of Valles Marineris.

In these northern lowlands, there have been reports of accumulation of massive amounts of sediments, which might suggest that it is a good place for exploration. However, the authors of a new paper said that this might be a mistake.

The paper has been titled “Exploring the evidence of Middle Amazonian aquifer sedimentary outburst residues in a Martian chaotic terrain”. It was published in Nature Scientific Reports, and its lead author is Alexis Rodriguez, who is a Senior Researcher at the Planetary Science Institute.

According to Rodriguez, scientists should look into the source of the sediments and not explore the region where the sediments flow.

A buried lake may have been found on Mars. What does it mean for life? | Mashable

“Venturing into the northern plains for sampling could prove precarious, as distinguishing between materials sourced from the aquifers and those eroded and transported during channel formation could become an intricate task,” stated Rodriguez.

“The plains, situated within Hydraotes Chaos, offer a unique glimpse into ancient aquifer materials. These plains, which we think formed from mud extruding into a basin directly above their source aquifer, provide a more targeted exploration opportunity,” Rodriguez added, as reported by sciencealert.com.

“Unlike vast flood channels with their complex erosion patterns, this finding simplifies the examination of Martian aquifers, reducing the risk of overland sedimentary acquisition, and opens a new window into Mars’ geological past,” he further stated.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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