According to Russian satellite network reported on the 8th, NASA's curiosity Rover found sulfate sediments in the gale crater on Mars, indicating that there may have been life in the gale crater. Gail crater is a dry lake bed on Mars.
According to a study published Monday in the journal Nature Geoscience, researchers found sulfate in sedimentary rocks 3.3 billion to 3.7 billion years ago. Researchers have previously found evidence of salt deposition elsewhere on the Martian surface. However, this is the first time researchers have found sulfate deposits in the Gail crater.
Scientists believe that these sulfates may have been left after the evaporation of ancient salt water containing some form of life, which evaporated during the Hesperian period in Martian history. During this period, a large number of volcanic activities and catastrophic floods occurred, which eventually made the climate of Mars more arid.
'the solubility of calcium sulfate minerals is relatively low, which leads to their widespread existence in the evaporation process. ' "The less common magnesium sulfate and chloride minerals represent the final evaporation," the authors explained in the study
The authors also point out that the saline lakes on earth are full of life, which may mean that the saline lakes on Mars may also be the habitat of bacteria or similar microorganisms.
"Sulfur is the basic element of life," said lead author William middot, a scientist at the California Institute of technology in Pasadena; Lapan told space. Com, 'we found sulfate in the water.'
The study also found that sulfate is located in the shallow area at the edge of gale crater, which means that 'gale lake may be divided into discrete lakes, and some ponds may form highly evaporated saline lakes'.