The Hunt Continues: New Areas Where Signs of Life Might be Hiding on Mars Pinpointed by Scientists
Having concluded that a butte located near an ancient lake delta may potentially consist of remnants of life, the researchers also identified several other spots containing similar levels, which may be easier to access for the Perseverance rover.
Getting examined photos of Mars obtained by NASA’s Perseverance rover, a team of scientists has pinpointed a place where biosignatures may potentially be found.
According to CNET, researchers claim that certain areas in an ancient river delta that was as soon as located near the rover’s getting zone in the Jezero Crater could still harbour “ fossilised evidence of extraterrestrial lifestyle. ”
The particular team, whose study was recently published in the journal Science , furthermore turned their attention towards the Kodiak, a butte that sits near the primary delta.
This butte, as the press outlet points out, serves as “ geologic representation of the primary river delta’s features”, with researchers saying that Kodiak’s stratigraphy can be seen from afar.
“ Simply by understanding the stratigraphy at Kodiak, it enables us to recognize the deposits which are one of the most likely to be of interest for the preservation of life, ” mentioned Nicolas Mangold, a geologist at the University of Nantes in France and prospect author of the study.
Judging by the particular boulders the team spotted in the photos they examined, Mangold said that Jezero’s lake delta was likely from the type that are formed by a stronger water flow, using the team reportedly believing the flow of the river “ suddenly grew more extreme during the course of its life”.
“ A big question for us, ” Mangold said, “ is to discover why there was this change associated with hydrological activity, because which is probably the signature of a modify of climate”.
The examination of the particular Kodiak also allowed scientists to gauge the water amounts in that ancient body associated with water, with Mangold apparently surmising that it would’ve been about 2, 500 metres high, and that said height varied over time.
“ That type of observation is really key, ” he explained. “ Because it shows that there was a river in Jezero, no doubt about that … in addition , the change from horizontally bedding to the faults, that are deep in layers, indicates the past water level. ”
While the team suggests that deeper layers associated with Kodiak may potentially include remnants of life, Mangold remarked that the geological function in question is not quite easily available by the rover, due to the butte being “ a bit top to bottom facing”.
“ But we have recognized some locations on the main delta fault where we can access similar types of levels, ” he said. “ Those locations are some of our preferred targets for future rover travels. ”
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