Ancient Hot Springs Discovered on Mars. Possible Life?

February 21st, 2009

The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) may have discovered some ancient hot springs on the red planet. The significance is that liike Earth, organisms may have also thrived in the springs. Life on Earth can thrive in and around hydrothermal springs.

Carlton C. Allen and Dorothy Z. Oehler, from the Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science Directorate at the NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas, propose that new image data from the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment on MRO depict structures in Vernal Crater that appear to have arisen as part of a major area of ancient spring activity. Their data is telling them that there may have been water flow from underground and may have been a site where martian life could have developed.

Interesting, but not conclusive yet. I still wonder if we will find life outside of Earth in my lifetime. Probably not something I should worry too much about I guess. Should be worried more aobut my Westgate resort trip coming up .

“Hot spring deposits are key target areas for future Mars missions,” says Sherry L. Cady, PhD, Editor of Astrobiology and Associate Professor in the Department of Geology at Portland State University.

“Such deposits on Earth preserve evidence of the fossilized remains of the microbial communities that inhabited the hot springs over a wide range of spatial scales. The potential to find key evidence indicative of life––biofabrics, microbial remains, chemical fossils in minerals––is high when sedimentary deposits form from hydrothermal fluids. Hot spring fluids are typically laden with dissolved mineral ions that, when they precipitate out and create the hydrothermal deposit, enhance fossilization of all types of biosignatures.”