How Martian Microbes Could Survive in the Salty Puddles of the Red Planet

[Judi Lynn]

By Charles Q. Choi 21 June 2019

To survive on Mars, bacteria need a tolerance for salt and cold.



Could microbes survive on the surface of the Red Planet?
(Image: © NASA/JPL-Caltech)

In extraordinarily salty puddles of water resembling ones you might find on Mars, bacteria can survive getting completely dried out, suggesting that the Red Planet may be more habitable than previously thought, according to a new study.

Since there is life virtually wherever there is water on Earth, research into whether Mars was once capable of hosting life — and whether it still might host it — typically focuses on the past or current presence of liquid water on or below its surface. However, the cold, thin atmosphere that Mars has nowadays means liquid water likely cannot exist on its surface for any length of time.

Still, just before dawn, evaporating frost on the Martian surface can drive humidity up to 100 percent, said the study's senior author Mark Schneegurt, an astrobiologist at Wichita State University in Kansas. At its peak, the humidity on Mars can resemble the drier parts of the Atacama Desert in Chile, the driest place on Earth aside from its poles, which nevertheless is home to life.

In addition, a variety of salts often found on the surface of Mars could absorb this moisture. Because the briny fluids that result have a lower freezing point than water, they could withstand the frigid temperatures that prevail on the Red Planet's surface — and potentially harbor life.

More:
https://www.space.com/amp/salt-tolerant-microbes-life-on-mars.html?utm_source=notification

[Kurt V.]

1. mars is a weird subject. Its mostly an escapist fantasy. imo