Dust storms may rule out Martian life on surface
Posted: Wed, Aug 2, 2006, 8:01 AM ET (1201 GMT)
Planet-wide dust storms that periodically form on Mars may create powerful chemicals that would inhibit the development of life on the planet's surface, according to research published this week. In papers published in the journal Astrobiology, scientists described how giant dust storms on Mars would create electrical discharges, ionizing gases in the Martian atmosphere. These ions would recombine to form new molecules, including hydrogen peroxide, that would precipitate onto the Martian surface. The peroxide would "scavenge" organic compounds on the surface, preventing life from forming. The existence of peroxide might also explain the inconclusive results from the two Viking landers in the 1970s, which carried experiments designed to look for life.
Planet-wide dust storms that periodically form on Mars may create powerful chemicals that would inhibit the development of life on the planet's surface, according to research published this week. In papers published in the journal Astrobiology, scientists described how giant dust storms on Mars would create electrical discharges, ionizing gases in the Martian atmosphere. These ions would recombine to form new molecules, including hydrogen peroxide, that would precipitate onto the Martian surface. The peroxide would "scavenge" organic compounds on the surface, preventing life from forming. The existence of peroxide might also explain the inconclusive results from the two Viking landers in the 1970s, which carried experiments designed to look for life.
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
|
|
news links
|
|
Friday, March 14
Britt, Tuberville talk Space Command and legislative updates for Alabama
Alabama Daily News — 4:24 am ET (0824 GMT) Calls Swell For The U.S. To Invest In Space Superiority
Aviation Week — 4:23 am ET (0823 GMT) Autonomy Has Outpaced International Space Law
War on the Rocks — 4:20 am ET (0820 GMT) Sonic boom expected from SpaceX's second launch this week from Vandenberg SFB
KSBY-TV San Luis Obispo, CA — 4:20 am ET (0820 GMT) X announces Bracket Challenge promising trip to Mars with SpaceX as grand prize
Awful Announcing — 4:19 am ET (0819 GMT) |
