Monday, November 18

New and intriguing evidence of various organic molecules found in the Jezero crater on Mars

The Jezero crater on arid Mars would have been a lake in the past and evidence of various organic molecules has been detected in it, suggesting that there could be a more complex geochemical cycle than thought.

A study that publishes Nature coordinated by the California Institute of Technology (USA) has studied data from NASA’s Perseverance rover that has been traveling through Jezero for more than two years.

Organic matter can form from various processes, not just those related to life. Geological processes and chemical reactions can also form organic molecules, and these processes are favored for the origin of these possible Martian organics, says the University of Florida (USA), one of the signatories of the study.

Better understanding of the presence and distribution of organic matter conserved on the planet’s surface may provide key information about the Martian carbon cycle and the planet’s potential to support life throughout its history, the study indicates.

Nature research paper: Diverse organic-mineral associations in Jezero crater, Mars https://t.co/yw0yxkWJB4

— nature (@Nature) July 13, 2023

Evidence of organic molecules on Mars

The investigation indicates that Perseverance, in its journey, has detected evidence of various types of organic molecules. Several types had previously been found in Martian meteorites and in Gale Crater.

Among the possible explanations for the origin of these compounds are the interactions between water and rock, or deposits of interplanetary dust or meteorites, although biotic origins have not been ruled out, summarizes the publication.

The existence of organic material on the Martian surface sheds light “on the possible habitability” of the planetadds the aforementioned university in a note.

SHERLOC instrument on the Perseverance rover

For this finding, the SHERLOC instrument has been used, one of those carried by the rover, which allows large-scale mapping and analysis of the organic mineral molecules of the planet.

The instrument detected signals from organic molecules in all ten targets it observed on the floor of Jezero crater, to the north of the Martian equator and where about 3.7 billion years ago there would have been a lake, a favorable place to look for signs of past life.

UF Geology Prof. Amy Williams (@lotelab_UF) studies how organic materials are preserved in Mars-like environments on Earth. But now as part of the @NASA Perseverance Rover team, they?ve identified a diverse set of organics on Mars itself. https://t.co/TPZ7UkiC40

— UF Geological Sciences (@UFGeology) July 13, 2023

Those targets are in two crater floor formations, Máaz and Séítah, and signals from organic molecules were more concentrated in the former than in the latter, showing diverse mineral association and spatial distribution that may be unique to each formation.

The study detected “signals consistent” with molecules linked to aqueous processesindicating that water may have played a key role in the diverse range of organic matter on Mars.

The diversity among these observations can provide insight into the different ways organic matter may have originated: potentially through deposition by water, or through synthesis with volcanic materials.

“The possible detection of various organic carbon species on Mars has implications for understanding the carbon cycle on Mars, and the planet’s potential to support life throughout its history,” said Amy Williams, one of the study’s signatories and from the University of Florida.

We did not originally expect to detect these potential organic signatures on the Jezero Crater floor,” Williams added, “but their diversity and distribution across different crater floor units now suggest potentially different fates of carbon in these environments.”

“The findings mark an important step forward in our exploration of the Red Planet. and lay the groundwork for future research on the possibility of life beyond Earth.”

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