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Saturday, May 26, 2012

New Evidence Of Reduced Carbon On Mars

ALH84001 meteorite
Meteorite ALH84001
Strong evidence of the possibility of life in the past on Mars, had been recovered. NASA reported a reduction of carbon molecules in Mars meteorites arriving on Earth. Carbon is the main material for building blocks of life, and this is an indicator of a complex system of carbon chemistry on Mars. Researchers from the Carnegie Institution for Science in Washington - where NASA funded this research - who found reduced carbon molecules now have better insight into the chemical processes taking place on Mars. Reduced carbon is carbon that is bonded to hydrogen or itself. Their findings also may assist in future quests for evidence of life on the Red Planet.


"These findings show that the storage of reduced carbon molecules on Mars occurred throughout the planet's history and might have been similar to processes that occurred on the ancient Earth," said Andrew Steele, lead author of the paper and researcher from Carnegie. "Understanding the genesis of these non-biological, carbon-containing macromolecules on Mars is crucial for developing future missions to detect evidence of life on our neighboring planet."

The study was considered very important, because for a number of researchers do not agree about how the carbon in them was formed and whether it came from Mars. Before, scientists have theorized that the large carbon macromolecules detected on Martian meteorites could have originated from terrestrial contamination from Earth or other meteorites, or chemical reactions or biological activity on Mars. This new information proves Mars can produce organic carbon.

"Although this study has not yielded evidence that Mars has or once may have supported life, it does address some important questions about the sources of organic carbon on Mars," said Mary Voytek, director of NASA's Astrobiology Program at the agency's Headquarters in Washington. "With the Curiosity rover scheduled to land in August, these new research results may help Mars Science Laboratory scientists fine-tune their investigations on the surface of the planet by understanding where organic carbon may be found and how it is preserved." 

Steele's team examined samples from 11 Martian meteorites from a period spanning about 4.2 billion years of Martian history. They detected large carbon compounds in 10 of them. The molecules were found inside grains of crystallized minerals. 

Using an array of sophisticated research techniques, the team was able to show that at least some of the macromolecules of carbon were indigenous to the meteorites themselves and not contamination from Earth. 

It is quite interesting is, the team showed that the carbon is derived from volcanic activity on Mars. Not only that, in another paper, Steele and his team report their findings on the same meteorite announced in 1996 to contain possible -- but subsequently discounted -- relics of ancient biological life on Mars. Called ALH84001, the meteorite was found to also contain organic macromolecules of non-biological origin. 

The Steele team's research indicates that Mars does have a pool of reduced carbon. Their findings should help scientists involved in current and future Mars missions distinguish non-biologically formed carbon molecules from potential life. 


This story has edited by authors of threelas
Source: NASA

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