Tag Archives: life

Could Mars gypsum preserve microbes?

Posted on July 24, 2014 by rburnham

Sulfate minerals, such as calcium sulfates (gypsum), are common in areas on Mars, having been documented with data from satellites, landers, and rovers. Could these minerals also preserve the remains of ancient life, ask Kathleen Counter Benison and Francis Karmanocky III … Continue reading →

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‘Early Mars’ topical website launched

Posted on July 1, 2014 by rburnham

The Lunar and Planetary Insitute in Houston has launched a new website on the subject of early Mars. It will provide links to new papers, conference programs and abstracts, field-trip guides, and more. The site’s introduction states, “The influx of … Continue reading →

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Microbes in a cave, eating rock

Posted on December 16, 2011 by rburnham

Life abounds on Earth, where it lives in every possible ecological niche, including deep in the crust. This comes from biology’s reproductive drive plus natural selection’s creativity in matching organisms’ needs with what nature provides. But what about Mars, where … Continue reading →

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Early Martian surface radiation not too strong for life

Posted on October 24, 2011 by rburnham

During the Noachian period (about 4.5 to 3.5 billion years ago), the Martian atmosphere was substantially thicker than it is currently, and the planet had a magnetosphere with a surface field strength about as strong as Earth’s today. Both factors … Continue reading →

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Mars in the Mojave?

Posted on July 26, 2011 by rburnham

Where do you go to order up some Mars on Earth? Several places, actually, such as the Atacama Desert in Peru (which is very dry), the Dry Valleys of Antarctica (dry and cold), and Houghton Island in Canada’s high arctic … Continue reading →

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