Right here’s the most recent grime on Mars.
NASA’s trusty Curiosity rover, which has been exploring the so-called pink planet for years, simply unearthed one thing large — a stash of carbon-rich carbonate minerals indicating that the spinning object of Elon Musk’s affection might have as soon as had the products to host human life.
“It tells us that the planet was liveable and that the fashions for habitability are right,” mentioned Ben Tutolo, lead examine writer and affiliate professor on the College of Calgary, in a matter-of-fact assertion.
Carbonate minerals usually kind when carbon dioxide reacts with water and rock — which makes them a cosmic calling card for life-friendly environments.
Scientists have noticed them on Mars earlier than, however Curiosity’s newest batch presents the clearest proof but that Mars was as soon as moist, heat — possibly even welcoming.
And these weren’t simply any previous carbonates — they have been full of a mineral known as siderite, an iron-heavy substance that makes up a staggering 5–10% of the samples.
What’s extra, they have been discovered alongside salts that dissolve simply in water — an indication that liquid H2O was doubtless flowing throughout formation.
“The broader implications are the planet was liveable up till this time, however then, because the [carbon dioxide] that had been warming the planet began to precipitate as siderite, it doubtless impacted Mars’ potential to remain heat,” Tutolo defined.
In brief: Mars might have gone from cozy greenhouse to ice-cold rock because of its personal carbon cycle.
Including to the intrigue, Curiosity additionally sniffed out iron oxyhydroxides — minerals that counsel Mars as soon as had a biking local weather system not in contrast to Earth’s, with carbon dioxide bouncing between rock and environment.
In reality, based mostly on the brand new readings and knowledge from orbit, scientists consider comparable layers throughout Mars might’ve trapped as much as 36 millibars’ value of atmospheric carbon dioxide.
That’s a large local weather shift in planetary phrases.
In the meantime, again on Earth, Tutolo is engaged on methods to combat local weather change utilizing comparable rock-forming methods — by turning CO₂ into carbonates right here at residence.
“What we’re attempting to do on Earth to combat local weather change is one thing that nature might have already carried out on Mars,” he mentioned.
“Studying in regards to the mechanisms of constructing these minerals on Mars helps us to higher perceive how we will do it right here,” he continued.
Tutolo additionally shared that learning the collapse of Mars’ “heat and moist early days” additionally tells us that “habitability is a really fragile factor.”
Curiosity might have simply cracked one among Mars’ greatest mysteries — and thrown Earth a scientific lifeline within the course of.
