General, Research, Technology

Martian oceans could smell of hydrogen sulfide

Despite the fact that by now scientistsable to detect more than 4,000 exoplanets, the Earth is still the only known place where life exists in the Universe. Life on Earth is present in various forms: from the ubiquitous microorganisms to higher animals and people that can even influence the planet’s climate. Be that as it may, the solar system offers many potential options for where biological life might form. According to the phys.org portal, one of these places was our neighbor Mars, which in the distant past owned vast oceans and seas rich in minerals.

The surface of Mars aboard the “Curiosity” rover

What were the oceans on Mars?

Red Planet Mars - the closest planet to Earthafter Venus. Due to the fact that under the dense atmosphere of the “morning star” lies a prototype of the biblical hell, Mars has been and remains the most suitable place to create the first extraterrestrial colony of mankind. So, the planet is located relatively close to the Earth, the details of its surface can be easily observed even with a small telescope due to the lack of a dense atmosphere in Mars, and the temperature and pressure of the surface of the red planet make it possible to judge the presence of liquid water on it, so important for human existence. Studies of dried river deltas and ancient lakes show that water once flowed on Mars and life could exist in the oceans of the planet. In order to find the answer to the question whether life outside the Earth is possible, scientists decided to analyze the types of chemistry of ancient Martian water, which could be rich in salts and minerals, similar to those found on the blue planet.

See also: NASA showed new panoramas of Mars

The ancient oceans of Mars

As you know, one of the clay mineralssmectite, can trap ions in water by ion exchange. So, even after the loss of water, smectite retains ionic compositions inside its inner interlayers. It is known that salinity, acidity and the presence of certain gases in water are fundamental properties of natural waters. Recent remote measurements on Mars show that its ancient environment can provide a key to understanding the early habitability of the red planet. In particular, an analysis of the properties of water in the sediments of Gale Crater suggests that they could have formed in the presence of a large amount of liquid water with characteristics similar to that of the earth's liquid.

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Due to the fact that in one key in historyof the planet the moment all the liquid on Mars began to evaporate, the rising level of minerals in the oceans of the planet provided the local liquid with a persistent smell of hydrogen sulfide and a bitter taste of water. Such characteristics somewhat limit the diversity of life forms that potentially inhabited the ancient Martian lakes, but do not completely destroy them. As you know, on Earth there is a huge variety of billions of life forms, so the theory that alien life could have arisen on Mars seems to be convincing. However, a mystery arises here: why haven’t we yet found any significant evidence of the ancient habitability of the red planet?