According to the United States scientists conducted a new study, if Mars now or past life exists on Mars, we may in the northern part of Assi Dalia plain found signs of life. This area may be distributed with a large number of scientists say is the geological structure of mud volcanoes. Mud volcanoes can be underground in the sediment, sludge sediments may contain organic substances, which can be used as in the past and now Mars life a biological marker.
Mud volcano number can be up to 4 million
Research papers main authors, NASA Johnson Space Center celestial substances of Scientific Council of scientists Dorothy · Austrian Heller said: "If there was life on Mars, they may exist in an environment rich in liquid multiplied. The existence of mud volcanoes themselves contain rich liquid on the ground floor, they will be down to the depths of the Earth's substance emitted, these substances may be we could not see in other areas. ”
According to the published in the August edition of the international journal for the study of the solar system on the research papers, kaneohe Le and dissertations co-author Carleton · Alan first 1.8 000 circular structure mapping. According to their estimates, if you continue with the work they are expected to surveying and mapping in this region found more than 4 000 building mud volcanoes. United States Geological Survey celestial geology Center scientist Kenneth · Tower Naka said: "Oleg Heller's thesis regarding the number and distribution of mud volcanoes details simultaneously richer, further analysis of their origins and the ancient animal habitats may imply that this is not available in previous studies. ”
The study process, Heller and Alan on Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) photography provides an analysis of the picture. Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter's observation to help them learn more about some of the mud volcano of structure and flow characteristics of similar, compact Mars Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer (CRISM) Gets the data you provided them for similar mineralogical mud volcanoes rise of the new information.
In the oil industry to play the heavy point
Through the assessment, two scientists exclude these rise caused by another process. In the papers, they explained why the rise not impact structure, ice rise, evaporation sediments or caused by the lava flow. Late 1970s, scientists through the analysis of the "pirate" Mars mission gets image first in ALSEDA Leah plain found these rise. But until recently, the rise was considered a mud volcano. Tower of Nagorny Karabakh is first proposed the idea of one of the scientists. He said: "I also believe that other regions of the Northern Plains of Mars also exist such geological structure, they are looking for signs of life. ”
Mud volcano is a geological structure, gases, liquids and fine-grained rock or mud mixed together, and in force from underground several meters or thousands of metres down on the surface. On Earth, mud volcanoes in the oil industry has a very important significance. Those found on land mud volcanoes can predict reservoir aspects play an important role. Kaneohe Le said that mud volcanoes in the sea will bring a great threat to drilling, because mud volcanoes surrounding soil and instability, the Interior is more active, with unpredictable, it is difficult to predetermine how mud rises to the surface and the entire process will be quiet or violent way.
A new approach to land has not been
Mud volcanoes of diameter up to reach the tens of thousands of km and a height of up to several hundred meters. Because many mud mixture of buoyancy than the surrounding rock, mud flows upward movement. Mars exploration plans a major goal is to determine whether there have been on Mars evolution. In this procedure, Astrobiology home has been in the search to prove the existence of biological life.
Mars surface does not apply to microbial life exists, may survive in the ground. Mud volcanoes can be deep underground to the surface of the material, thereby offering samples of Martian deep inside. In a similar way of planet Mars, scientists could not otherwise obtain the samples. Tower Naka explained that: "If life exists on the ground floor, consisting of mud volcanoes of water and mud will be brought to the surface. Life may not be possible to survive in the ground, but they can in this way was taken to the ground. ”
Such research will help determine the red planet which areas may be the most suitable for life. Mars tasks can take advantage of these data lock those most likely to find organic biological marker of the region. O Heller said: "previous any Mars landers or Rover is not on any possible is mud volcanoes for exploration of the structure. In other words, Assi Dalia Plains rise is a brand new on Mars was not the exploration target of exploration. ”
The closer the greater chance '
But tha Naka, mud volcanoes of 20 million to 30 million years, may not quite fit here looking for signs of life. He said: "in such a long period of time, UV radiation, and other surface process may have destroyed the surface rock and soil of Microfossils. For this reason, it cannot determine whether the mud volcanoes is looking for retention of signs of life. Better place may include recently formed by meteorite impact craters and dating more recent sediments of the flood. ”
Tower Naka indicate Martian Athabasca Valley maybe look for celestial biologists biological markers for a good place to go. According to the scientists estimate that the Canyon of 200 000 to 3 000 million, is the youngest on Mars. Geological structure of the closer and found that saved more good possibility of biological markers.
Kaneohe Le and his colleagues hope to continue on the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter gets image analysis to obtain further evidence Assi Dalia plain round structure is mud volcanoes. In addition, they also plan on surface of distribution as well as how different structural shape changes for analysis. This analysis enables them to acquire the Assi Dalia area for more information about the underground environment. O Heller said: "we believe ALSEDA
Leah is there was a lot of life, because here the long-existing water resources. If you have a life on Mars, Assi Dalia is looking for evidence of life in which one of the more desirable. ”
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