May 20, 2009

A Cold and Wet History on Early Mars?

Written by Anne Minard

Even if an early Mars never got above freezing, the brine on its surface could have stayed liquid and supported life, a new study says.

Lead author Alberto G. Fairen, of NASA Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, California, and his colleagues have analyzed the behavior of Martian chemical concentrations found at various mission landing sites, and revealed that warm temperatures wouldn’t have been necessary to support salt-loving life forms.

The authors point out that many features on the Martian surface are believed to have been formed by flowing water and related mineral activity on the surface. Water is a key ingredient for life, but models were having a hard time envisioning a Mars warm enough to support it.

Much evidence has indicated surface temperatures well below freezing.

According to the new study, life may have fared all right anyway.

“Solutes could depress the melting point of water in a frozen Martian environment, providing a plausible solution to the early Mars climate paradox,” the authors write.

Full article here:

http://www.universetoday.com/2009/05/20/a-cold-and-wet-history-on-early-mars/