Water is the very essence of life.
Scientists discovered evidence of water on Mars’ north pole in 1976, sparking hypotheses about the possibility of life on the Red Planet. The subsequent finding of hidden ice at the South Pole further fueled the idea.
In 2003, NASA’s orbiter spacecraft, equipped with advanced cameras capable of capturing visible light and infrared reflections from Mars’ surface, unveiled a remarkably robust geology across the planet. Were these and other missions attempting to answer one of science’s greatest questions: Has Mars ever been a habitable world—and more crucially, is it still?
Water is merely one component of the complex scenario. Solar radiation is another example. Radiation has a profound impact on DNA, causing devastating damage that leads to mutations and the development of most cancers. For astronauts, a sudden increase in photovoltaic radiation could potentially overwhelm their body’s ability to self-regulate, even with protective shielding in place?
“On Mars, the lack of an effective ozone layer allows approximately 30% more harmful UV radiation to reach the surface compared to Earth,” notes Aditya Khuller at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, highlighting the planet’s inhospitable environment in a recent study on Martian habitability.
If life has evolved on Mars, organisms would need to develop resilience against intense radiation and access to liquid water. A potentially fascinating avenue of exploration that aligns with the requirements. Dusty ice. Typically, ice allows damaging levels of ultraviolet radiation to penetrate through. A groundbreaking study simulated radiation and water flow, revealing that even a modest amount of Martian sediment within ice led to hazardous ultraviolet levels, a staggering 25 times lower than those found in pure ice? The findings suggest that organisms within the contaminated ice shield could potentially drink water while still being shielded from radiation.
Researchers shifted their focus from Mars’ icy poles to the planet’s temperate region. Stretching across much of North America, Europe, Asia, North Africa, and Australia, this imaginary zone would cover vast swaths of land, encompassing numerous locations where humans currently reside.
Ice, Ice, Child
Mars isn’t precisely .
The atmosphere’s thinness, comprising mainly carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and argon, makes it inhospitable to human life as we know it. On Mars, a stark contrast exists between the reddish hue of the sky and the terrestrial blue vistas on Earth. Temperatures fluctuate dramatically, ranging from a comfortable 70 degrees Fahrenheit to unbearable extremes. Gale-force gusts unleash a global onslaught of dust and debris, reducing visibility to mere inches.
Unlike Earth, where ice melts year-round, Mars features ancient glaciers in its polar regions that remain frozen forever. As Earth’s temperate regions bask in the warmth of summer, the once-solid ice melts into tiny droplets of water, creating a nurturing environment that fosters life across the planet?
Are scientists asking: Is it possible that there could be life on Mars currently?
The query isn’t all educational. Are we scanning the cosmos? While astronomers search far and wide for Earth-like planets, a more feasible option might exist in our own cosmic backyard – Mars, potentially habitable and closer than ever. SpaceX, famously, is headed to Mars.
Will humanity’s initial footprint on Martian soil be met with evidence of microbial existence, sparking a thrilling chapter in the interplanetary quest for life? As numerous cinematic depictions have warned: Unleashing knowledge of extraterrestrial microorganisms can be perilous. Don’t we sometimes crave to conserve existence as well? Discovering one solution lies in exploring the process of photosynthesis, the chemical reaction responsible for supporting an abundance of life on Earth today. On ancient Earth, primitive life forms—microorganisms, plants, and algae—harnessed specific solar wavelengths and converted them into energy.
Mild Up the Life
Throughout its existence, plants have always required access to water and a range of sunlight wavelengths necessary for photosynthesis, while also seeking protection from harmful radiation.
Here’s where dusty ice might play a role. The Martian ice likely originated from dusty snow that condensed and compressed over millions of years to form ice. Some of these masses transformed into smaller ice fields, while others evolved into glaciers. In the mid-latitudes, a specific region often referred to as the “snug” zone, some ice fields have become covered in dust and then later had rocks removed to re-expose the underlying ice.
On Mars, polar regions remain too frigid for snow and ice to thaw. “Despite being buried beneath dust and debris, mid-latitude ice deposits are expected to be currently melting due to their exposed state.”
It’s possible that Mars has already developed habitable zones where microbes could thrive.
Researchers created a computer program to predict how snow transforms into ice blobs or glaciers on both Earth and Mars by analyzing historical data. The simulation leveraged the intricate physics governing water, ice, and snow, as well as their transformations when interacting with impurities mirroring those found in Martian soil? The researchers further elaborated on their approach by devising a method to quantify the extent to which Martian mud responds to various forms of radiation, including mild and intense exposure. Researchers compared the Martian ice sheet outcomes to those of impure ice sheets in Greenland.
Researchers found that Martian soil-infused ice demonstrated a significant enhancement in radiation absorption, absorbing at least seven orders of magnitude more general radiation and significantly reducing ranges of hazardous ultraviolet radiation compared to pure water ice.
When composed solely of 0.1% mud, the ice allows ultraviolet radiation to pass through unobstructed, thereby transmitting the essential wavelengths of sunlight necessary for photosynthesis.
While Mars is significantly colder than Earth, fascinatingly, simulations of Martian conditions have revealed striking similarities with real-world scenarios found in freezing temperatures here on our home planet. In these areas, microbial habitats flourish beneath shallow ice sheets, glaciers, and frozen lake surfaces, where layers of dark sediment absorb solar radiation and heat, creating openings in the ice. In areas where liquid water and soil meet, a unique ecosystem develops at the bottom of these natural cavities, with a mixture forming that sustains aquatic life below, utilizing sunlight for photosynthesis through frozen, transparent ice caps that prevent excessive moisture from escaping, thereby preserving vital nutrients.
While Martian polar ice remains impossibly frigid, modest mid-latitude snowpacks, merely a few inches beneath the surface and infused with a hint of moisture, could potentially yield sufficient water resources to sustain life and counteract the effects of solar radiation. On Mars, a striking resemblance emerges in various scenarios, bearing uncanny parallels to conditions found on our home planet, potentially nurturing the growth of microbial life.
To clarify, these potential outcomes are purely speculative. On Mars, the flow of water is influenced by the size and shape of ice fragments. The potential distribution of mud amidst Martian ice could potentially alter its melting patterns in a significant manner. Notwithstanding the findings, the possibility of photosynthesis existing among organisms buried in snow and ice on Mars remains a reality.
“If small quantities of liquid water are detected at these depths, mid-latitude ice exposures may represent the most straightforward avenues for searching for extant life on Mars,” stated the researchers.
