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First Boron Detection On Mars Points To Possible Martian Life In The Past
Swarajya Staff
Dec 16, 2016, 04:44 PM | Updated 04:44 PM IST
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NASA’s Curiosity rover has detected boron for the first time on the surface of Mars, indicating the potential for long-term habitable groundwater in the ancient past. Patrick Gasda of the US Department of Energy's Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico said:
No prior mission to Mars has found boron. If the boron that we found in calcium sulfate mineral veins on Mars is similar to what we see on Earth, it would indicate that the groundwater of ancient Mars that formed these veins would have been 0-60 degrees Celsius and neutral-to-alkaline pH.
The temperature, pH, and dissolved mineral content of the groundwater could make it habitable, according to the scientists. Boron is famously associated with arid sites where much water has evaporated. However, environmental implications of the boron found by Curiosity are still open to debate.
Whether Martian life has ever existed is still unknown. No compelling evidence for it has been found. When Curiosity landed in Mars' Gale Crater in 2012, the mission's main goal was to determine whether the area ever offered an environment favourable for microbes.
With inputs from IANS
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