User:Robertinventor/Simple animals could live in Martian brines - Extended Interview with planetary scientist Vlada Stamenković: Difference between revisions

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<!-- details of atmosphere of Mars in http://science.sciencemag.org/content/341/6143/263 -->
<!-- details of atmosphere of Mars in http://science.sciencemag.org/content/341/6143/263 -->
[[File:Vlada Stamenković.jpg|thumb|left|Dr. Vlada Stamenković - planetary scientist at JPL and lead author of the paper. Wikinews interviewed him about the new Mars research via email.]]
[[File:Vlada Stamenković.jpg|thumb|left|Dr. Vlada Stamenković - planetary scientist at JPL and lead author of the paper. Wikinews interviewed him about the new Mars research via email.]]
The {{w|Atmosphere of Mars|atmosphere of Mars}} is far too thin for us to breathe, or indeed, to extract any oxygen at all in our lungs. It has on average only around 0.6% of the pressure of Earth's atmosphere, and it is mainly carbon dioxide; only 0.146% of that is oxygen. Yet the result of their modeling was clear. In the cold conditions on Mars these minute amounts of oxygen can get into salty seeps of water that may be present there. What's more, salty water anywhere on Mars can take up enough oxygen for microbial life that depends on oxygen, and in polar regions, perhaps 6.5% of the Martian surface, there may be enough oxygen for simple animals such as sponges.
The {{w|Atmosphere of Mars|atmosphere of Mars}} is far too thin for us to breathe, or indeed, for lungs like ours to extract oxygen at all. It has around 0.6% of the pressure of Earth's atmosphere, on average, mainly carbon dioxide; only 0.146% of that is oxygen. Yet the result of their modeling was clear. In the cold conditions on Mars these minute amounts of oxygen can get into the salty seeps of water which may be present there. What's more, the oxygen levels anywhere on Mars could reach levels needed for microbial life that depends on oxygen.


This is especialy interesting because of the relevance to multicellular life, even multicellular animal life such as those simple sponges. Some life forms can survive without oxygen, but oxygen permits more energy-intensive metabolism. Almost all complex multicellular life on Earth depends on oxygen.
Some life forms can survive without oxygen, but oxygen permits more energy-intensive metabolism. Almost all complex multicellular life on Earth depends on oxygen. They found that in salty water at the colder conditions found in the polar regions, perhaps 6.5% of the Martian surface, the oxygen levels can go far higher. Levels there may be enough for simple animals such as sponges.


As interviewed by Wikinews:
As interviewed by Wikinews:
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'''''(background information):''''' You might wonder why they would research into these cold salty solutions. What about fresh water? Well, fresh water is likely to be rare on present day Mars. Over most of the surface fresh water is not stable at 0&nbsp;°C. The higher pressure at the depths of the huge ancient impact crater of the {{w|Hellas Planitia|Hellas basin}}, raise the boiling point to 10&nbsp;°C, but that still means that fresh water is close to boiling point already at 0&nbsp;°C, and would evaporate rapidly after any ice melts. <!--see Making a Splash on Mars-->
'''''(background information):''''' You might wonder why they would research into these cold salty solutions. What about fresh water? Well, fresh water is likely to be rare on present day Mars. Over most of the surface fresh water is not stable at 0&nbsp;°C. The higher pressure at the depths of the huge ancient impact crater of the {{w|Hellas Planitia|Hellas basin}}, raise the boiling point to 10&nbsp;°C, but that still means that fresh water is close to boiling point already at 0&nbsp;°C, and would evaporate rapidly after any ice melts. <!--see Making a Splash on Mars-->


However, salty brines can be liquid at well below 0&nbsp;°C. Salts, and very salty brines can also take in water from the atmosphere, so counteracting the tendency of the water to evaporate at low pressures. They are especially good at doing this at low temperatures.
However, salty brines can be liquid at well below 0&nbsp;°C. These low temperatures also turn out to be ideal for taking up oxygen from the atmosphere.

Salts, and very salty brines can also take in water from the atmosphere, so counteracting the tendency of the water to evaporate at low pressures. They are especially good at doing this at low temperatures.


Curiosity discovered indirect evidence of this process in the equatorial regions (through humidity measurements). It is so dry that there isn't even any ice there, yet it found that brines form during winter nights in the top 15cm of the soil through {{w|Hygroscopy#Deliquescence|deliquescence}}. They take up water from the atmosphere at night when the salts reach temperatures of around -70&nbsp;°C. This water then evaporates again as the soil warms up through the day, and the process repeats every day - night cycle. <!-- "Evidence of liquid water found on Mars" in background information -->
Curiosity discovered indirect evidence of this process in the equatorial regions (through humidity measurements). It is so dry that there isn't even any ice there, yet it found that brines form during winter nights in the top 15cm of the soil through {{w|Hygroscopy#Deliquescence|deliquescence}}. They take up water from the atmosphere at night when the salts reach temperatures of around -70&nbsp;°C. This water then evaporates again as the soil warms up through the day, and the process repeats every day - night cycle. <!-- "Evidence of liquid water found on Mars" in background information -->
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