Carbonate-Rich Rocks on Mars Point to Water, Life

The Spirit rover on Mars has found rocks that are rich in carbonate minerals.
Carbonates form in water, and this would make it more likely that life in some form was once on Mars.

The rover hasn't found such rocks until now, because a recent modification in the rover made it more able to detect these rocks. They were found in a large outcropping that was actually visited in 2005. The instruments then were unable to determine the nature of the rocks, though, until now.


Article


[edit on 3/6/2010 by Chamberf=6]

the reality is that in the past, life existed on mars

we may very well have come from mars, since we can find mars all over earth from asteroids

This is a major discovery!

Mars officially has carbonates in high concentrations which were almost certainly formed by liquid water meaning it is very likely Mars once had an appreciable atmosphere.

Yet more evidence that Mars may have once supported life. If so that would be what, 2 out of 2 explored planets with life of some sort?

I like those odds.

reply to post by OZtracized


If Mars and its water and earlier atmosphere were conducive to life, and that life (however simple or small) was transferred to Earth, then would that have brought the first life to Earth?
Or would it have contributed to other life that was developing here?

reply to post by Chamberf=6


I guess either scenario is possibly but we will probably never know.

Read the other thread on PAHs in space. According to recent observations, the complex molecules that form our DNA are abundant in space so I guess it would be like throwing handfuls of seeds over various terrains.

Some will grow and flourish, some will not. Some will sprout but die due to harsh conditions.

Carbonates along with liquid water and an atmosphere are just ticks in the boxes for conditions conducive to life.