New Discovery Suggests Mars Was Once Home to Lifeforms

Scientists have been studying Mars for years, attempting to understand if the planet was ever habitable and discover if it could be habitable in the future. A recent study made a fascinating discovery on Mars that leads scientists to believe there was, in fact, life on Mars at one time.

The Study

Dr. Ben Tutolo, researcher at the University of Calgary, led a research team to study materials on Mars using the Curiosity rover. The team is studying Mars’ current climate to gain a deeper understanding of its former environment, why it changed, and if it could be habitable again in the future.

Studying the Gale Crater

The team of researchers discovered large deposits of carbon in Gale Crater. This is an area of Mars that was formed from an asteroid or comet impact. The crater was once filled with lakes and rivers, which built up sediment that forms Mount Sharp. Researchers chose the Gale Crater as a landing site for NASA’s Curiosity rover because of its history with water. It makes it an ideal environment to study why the water vanished from the Red Planet. 

The Discovery

In its exploration of the crater, the Curiosity rover found large deposits of iron carbonate in the sediment layers that make up Mount Sharp. So, why is this a significant discovery for the search for answers to if there was life on Mars?

What the Discovery Means

Dr Tutolo explained that this kind of discovery was the long-term goal of the Curiosity rover’s mission. He stated, “The abundance of highly soluble salts in these rocks and similar deposits mapped over much of Mars has been used as evidence of the ‘great drying’ of Mars during its dramatic shift from a warm and wet early Mars to its current, cold and dry state.” 

Further Explanation

In other words, the presence of these large deposits supports the idea that there was once liquid water on the planet, meaning it could have supported life. This iron carbonate confirms that there was once a carbon cycle similar to the one we have on Earth. 

So, What Changed?

If these deposits confirm that there was once water on the Red Planet’s surface, the next question is, what happened to change the environment? Why did it become dry and uninhabitable? 

More Research

These are the questions that scientists seek to answer with more research. These deposits are the largest that have been found on the planet so far in the rover’s 20 miles of exploration. More findings like these could paint a clearer picture of life on ancient Mars.

Fascination with Mars

Scientists have such a fascination with Mars because of the fact that it may have at one point hosted lifeforms. The eagerness to understand past life on Mars helps us understand what makes our own planet different and opens up possibilities of inhabiting other planets as well.

Conclusion

Dr. Tutolo’s research team continues to strive for an understanding of the Red Planet and its evolving climate. More research is needed to truly identify what Ancient Mars looked like but the large carbon deposits found by the team are a large step in the direction of piecing together Mars’ history.