Scientists show that Mars can support life even today

#science #nasa #mars #lifeonmars #perseverance

A new study published in the journal Astrobiology suggests that the Martian subsurface might be a good place to look for possible present-day life. The analysis of Martian rocks determined that if it is consistently in contact with water, it would produce the chemical energy needed to support microbial communities similar to those that survive in the unlit depths of the Earth. Earth's depths are home to a vast biome that exists largely separated from the world above. Lacking sunlight, these creatures survive using the byproducts of chemical reactions produced when rocks come into contact with water. One of those reactions is radiolysis, which occurs when radioactive elements within rocks react with water molecules and cause them to split into hydrogen and oxygen. The hydrogen dissolves in the water, while the rocks soak up the oxygen to form sulfates. Microbes can ingest both hydrogen and sulfates and use them as energy sources. These findings suggest that much of the Mars subsurface today could be habitable, if it has groundwater.

Reference
http://dx.doi.org/10.1089/ast.2020.2386

1 minute science, weekly dose of science, science news, science news 2021, science news podcast, science news story, science news direct, science news today, science news update, science, science experiments, science experiment, mars, life on mars, radiolysis, perseverance rover, nasa, perseverance, nasa mars, mars helicopter, mars images, life on mars?, chemosynthesis, nasa live, jet propulsion laboratory