NASA’s Curiosity rover sheds light on the possibility of past life support on Mars. understands!

Researchers use Rover Curiosity from NASA New information about climate change revealed in Mars, Focusing on how these changes make its surface inhospitable to terrestrial life forms. Analysis of samples collected in Gale Crater indicates the presence of carbon-rich minerals, indicating a past in which liquid water was more widespread on the surface of the red planet.

Rover Curiosity NASA And evidence of previous climates

Currently, the climate of Mars is too harsh to support life forms known on Earth. However, studies show this Mars It probably already contained liquid water. Isotopic analysis of carbonates – minerals filled with different types of carbon – found in Gale Crater indicates that the atmosphere of ancient Mars underwent significant changes.

NASA and discoveries about the formation of carbonates

David Burt of Goddard Space Flight Center NASAIt is reported that the isotopic values ​​of these carbonates indicate the presence of large amounts of evaporation, indicating a climate that can only support liquid water temporarily. This research, recently published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, provides a record of the planet’s ancient climates, enabling an understanding of atmospheric and surface conditions.

Hypotheses about climate change on Mars

This has led scientists to consider two possibilities for the appearance of carbonates in Gale Crater. The first theory suggests that they arose from cycles of moisture and drought, while the second suggests that they formed in hypersaline waters and under freezing conditions. Both hypotheses suggest different scenarios, potentially revealing variable durations Mars It was rather hospitable to life forms.

• Wet and dry cycles: They indicate an alternation of environments, from more to less habitable.
• Cryogenic conditions: They point to a mostly cold environment, where the water turns icy or is very salty.

Implications for understanding the Martian past

Study co-author Jennifer Stern highlights that wet and dry cycles can indicate differences in habitable environments on the planet, while cooling temperatures in mid-latitudes indicate an uninhabitable environment. In such conditions, the water may be trapped in ice or may be too salty, creating an environment unsuitable for life as we know it.

These discoveries Rover Curiosity from NASA Promoting the ongoing search for evidence of climate conditions that would have allowed liquid water to exist on Mars, an essential step toward understanding whether the planet had the potential to support some form of life in the past.

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