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The Role of Terrestrial Analogs in the Exploration of the Habitability of Martian Evaporitic Environments

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Habitability of Other Planets and Satellites

Part of the book series: Cellular Origin, Life in Extreme Habitats and Astrobiology ((COLE,volume 28))

Abstract

The existence of hydrated, salt-rich deposits on Mars has been demonstrated remotely and by rovers, and they have been largely interpreted as deriving from the desiccation of preexisting bodies of standing water. On Earth, terrains considered as Martian analogs of evaporitic environments host diverse halophilic communities, and despite the difficulty of life in salty environments, and the tempo and mode of the preservation of their fossil remains is still a controversial issue, salt-bearing deposits are primary candidates in the search for traces of Martian life.

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4. Acknowledgments

Thanks are due to Frances Westall and an anonymous reviewer for their careful review.

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  1. Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, University of Bologna, Via Zamboni, 67, 40126, Bologna, Italy

    Roberto Barbieri

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  1. Roberto Barbieri
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Correspondence to Roberto Barbieri .

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  1. Experimental Planetary Physics, Institute of Planetary Research, Berlin, Germany

    Jean-Pierre de Vera

  2. The Hebrew Univ. of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel

    Joseph Seckbach

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Barbieri, R. (2013). The Role of Terrestrial Analogs in the Exploration of the Habitability of Martian Evaporitic Environments. In: de Vera, JP., Seckbach, J. (eds) Habitability of Other Planets and Satellites. Cellular Origin, Life in Extreme Habitats and Astrobiology, vol 28. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-6546-7_10

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