Did You See Them
25th September 2018, 11:20
https://e3.365dm.com/18/01/1096x616/skynews-mars-space-sunrise_4209550.jpg?bypass-service-worker&20180119184723
New research suggests that microbial life could have existed beneath the surface, taking energy from dissolved hydrogen molecules.
Scientists now believe that there was enough chemical energy beneath the surface on the planet for microbes to thrive.
"We showed, based on basic physics and chemistry calculations, that the ancient Martian subsurface likely had enough dissolved hydrogen to power a global subsurface biosphere," said Jesse Tarnas, lead author of the study.
Mr Tarnas, a graduate student at Brown University, added: "Conditions in this habitable zone would have been similar to places on Earth where underground life exists."
The work, published in the journal Earth and Planetary Science Letters, refers to subsurface lithotrophic microbial ecosystems - also known as SliMEs.
These ecosystems allow microbes beneath the surface to receive their energy without sunlight, but by peeling electrons from molecules in their environments.
One of the easiest ways to do this is by peeling electrons from dissolved hydrogen, and the new study has found that there would have been an abundance of this on ancient Mars.
Are they prepping the general public for a "small" disclosure first ?
https://news.sky.com/story/ancient-mars-was-ripe-for-underground-life-study-suggests-11508058
New research suggests that microbial life could have existed beneath the surface, taking energy from dissolved hydrogen molecules.
Scientists now believe that there was enough chemical energy beneath the surface on the planet for microbes to thrive.
"We showed, based on basic physics and chemistry calculations, that the ancient Martian subsurface likely had enough dissolved hydrogen to power a global subsurface biosphere," said Jesse Tarnas, lead author of the study.
Mr Tarnas, a graduate student at Brown University, added: "Conditions in this habitable zone would have been similar to places on Earth where underground life exists."
The work, published in the journal Earth and Planetary Science Letters, refers to subsurface lithotrophic microbial ecosystems - also known as SliMEs.
These ecosystems allow microbes beneath the surface to receive their energy without sunlight, but by peeling electrons from molecules in their environments.
One of the easiest ways to do this is by peeling electrons from dissolved hydrogen, and the new study has found that there would have been an abundance of this on ancient Mars.
Are they prepping the general public for a "small" disclosure first ?
https://news.sky.com/story/ancient-mars-was-ripe-for-underground-life-study-suggests-11508058