Discoveries of new minerals rekindle debates on established concepts
In a groundbreaking discovery, NASA's Perseverance rover has identified the minerals Vivianite and Greigite in a sedimentary rock formation on Mars, a finding that could potentially redefine our understanding of Martian geology and the possibility of past life on the Red Planet.
Vivianite and Greigite, both phosphate and sulfide minerals with iron in a reduced form, are typically formed under oxygen-poor conditions on Earth, usually under the influence of microorganisms. However, these minerals can also form without biological activity, given sustained high temperatures and acidic conditions.
The discovery was made in a sedimentary rock formation called 'Bright Angel', within the Neretva Vallis. The river that flowed into a lake, filling the Jezero crater, deposited these sediments more than three billion years ago. The data reveals mineral grains in these sedimentary rocks, containing enrichments of the iron minerals Vivianite and Greigite.
Joel Hurowitz, the lead author of a study analysing the data sent by Perseverance, suggests that the Bright Angel formation's chemical compounds could have been a rich energy source for microbial metabolism. However, Janice Bishop from the SETI Institute cautions that such minerals on Mars could also have formed without biological activity, over immense geological timescales.
The NASA research team operating the Perseverance rover is analysing the Mars rock samples containing the minerals Vivianite and Greigit to determine whether their formation is due to biological or abiotic processes. However, definitive conclusions require more data and ideally bringing samples back to Earth for detailed study, a mission currently under review.
This discovery is significant as neither Vivianite nor Greigite had been definitively identified on Mars before this finding. Studying isotope ratios could determine whether the reduced phosphates and sulfides from the Neretva Vallis were likely formed biologically.
It is important to note that a 'Sample-Return Mission' was planned by NASA for the 2030s, but it was cancelled due to harsh cuts in NASA's science budget. The rock samples collected by Perseverance at the site of the currently discussed minerals would need to be brought from Mars to Earth for further analysis, a process that can only be performed in laboratories on Earth.
While this discovery is the closest to finding life on Mars so far, the geological context in Neretva Vallis shows no signs of such conditions during the time of sediment deposition. The search for life on Mars continues, with Perseverance's mission set to uncover more secrets about the Red Planet and potentially redefine our understanding of its past and present.
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