Hundreds of salt deposits might bring proof of life at mars

March 24, 2008

Mikki Osterloo of the University of Hawai and co-workers found small depressions that appear to be filled with salt deposits. These deposits seem to be like the ones we have on Earth when the water evaporates which increases the probability that there was liquid water in Mars. Two hundred salt deposits smaller than 10 square miles (26 square kilometers) and 3.8 billions years old were found on Mars.

This is an extremely significant discovery because it increases considerably the probability of Mars having water in the past. Also, salt is an excellent preservative of organic material which means that if there was life or precursors of life in Mars it should be preserved in the salt. Proving that there was life on Mars is an objective that the scientists pursue for a long time, and now that these salt deposits were discovered the answer might be closer to be unveiled.

Image courtesy Mikki M. Osterloo

A false-color image taken by the Mars Odyssey Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) shows chloride minerals (blue) in the Terra Sirenum region of Mars

.

Filed under: Uncategorized, news, science, space |