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Microbial Scale Habitability on Mars

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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

Habitability can be defined on many scales. The early Earth was globally habitable because of its global ocean, but early Mars was not. Relatively dry conditions appear to have reigned on Mars throughout its history, but, from a microbial point of view, the necessary conditions for the appearance of life were still theoretically possible. The lack of connectivity between potential habitats in time and space may have resulted in life appearing and disappearing simultaneously in different geographical locations. The absence of habitable environments on geologically long timescales of 100s My together with the likelihood that lakes and seas were covered by ice are inhibiting factors for the evolution of photosynthesis. Martian life thus probably remained in a primitive chemotrophic form. Nevertheless, established life could have colonized newly formed habitats, even on an ephemeral basis, providing that viable cells could be transported into the habitats. For in situ missions and the search for Martian life, its heterogeneous distribution implies that the search for past traces of life will be challenging, but such environments do exist.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Note in press: NASA has just announced that the landing site at Gale Crater was habitable since they have evidence for water, the bioessential elements C H N O P S, and the possibility of chemical energy.

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  1. CNRS-Centre de Biophysique Moléculaire, Rue Charles Sadron, 45071, Orléans cedex 2, France

    Frances Westall

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

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    Joseph Seckbach

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Westall, F. (2013). Microbial Scale Habitability on Mars. 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_11

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