A patchwork of polygon-shaped cracks in ancient Martian mud are evidence of past wet-dry cycles, which could have helped extraterrestrial life emerge on the Red Planet.
A"patchwork of well-preserved ancient mud cracks" on the Martian surface hints that past extraterrestrial life on Mars was possible, a new study reveals.
Researchers initially identified the shapes as mud cracks, which was further proof that Mars was once a much wetter planet. But in a new study, published Aug. 9 in the journal Nature, researchers reanalyzed the markings and found that they were formed during wet-dry cycles, similar to the seasonal cycles on Earth, which, until now, had not been previously known to occur on Mars.
But the newer cracks have traces of sulfates, which suggests that they had dried out multiple times as they were created, meaning they were made during a time where the level of water in the lake continually rose and fell. This also explains why these cracks have a polygonal shape compared to the T-shape of the Old Soaker cracks. As the same types of cracks formed repeatedly, they morphed into a more complex shape, the researchers wrote.
Mars rovers have already discovered organic compounds in a range of different Martian rocks. Scientists have also found these compounds hiding inside Martian meteorites that have crashed to Earth. But natural geological processes can also create these compounds, and asteroids also carry them, which suggests they may have crash landed on the Red Planet.
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