Rocky Sediments in Curiosity Images May Hold Clue to Life on Mars
New observations from images taken by NASA's Mars rover Curiosity adds to the mounting evidence that life may have existed on the planet.
According to The Huffington Post, Nora Noffke, an academic at Old Dominion University in Virginia, the rocks on Mars show patterns similar to those on Earth which were shaped by microbes. The hypothesis is that microbes living in the ground could have shaped the rocks on the red planet in the past. While it does not prove existence of life, it argues for the possibility, which can only be confirmed by microscopic analysis of rock samples. However it adds to recent finds including spike in methane activity on the planet.
NBC News reported that Noffke made observations from the images taken by the rover as it drove through the Gillespie Lake outcrop in Yellowknife Bay a dry lakebed which researchers believe was flooded in the past. The rock patterns are known as microbially induced sedimentary-like structures or MISS.
"On Earth, if such MISS occurred with this type of spatial association and temporal succession, they would be interpreted as having recorded the growth of a microbially dominated ecosystem that thrived in pools that later dried completely," Noffke said in a published paper.
Other researchers lauded Noffke for identifying the patterns but said that her work is not conclusive.
"The fact that she pointed out these structures is a great contribution to the field. Along with the recent reports of methane and organics on Mars, her findings add an intriguing piece to the puzzle of a possible history for life on our neighboring planet," said New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology's Penelope Boston, according to NBC News.
