Mars Facts Devil and Angels

Determine Whether Life Ever Arose on Mars
Conditions Needed for Life to Thrive
On Earth, all forms of life need water to survive. If life ever evolved on Mars, it likely did so in the
presence of a long-standing water supply. That's why our search for evidence of life on Mars focuses
on areas where liquid water was once stable, below the surface where it still might exist, or in current
"hot spots" where hydrothermal pools (like those at Yellowstone) might be habitable. Data from
multiple NASA Mars missions suggest the presence of liquid water just below the surface in rare
places, and on water ice at the Martian poles. Mars missions also search for energy sources other than
sunlight, since life on the Mars surface is unlikely because "superoxides" break down organic (carbon-
based) molecules on which life is based. We find life on Earth in many places without sunlight--dark
ocean depths, inside rocks, and deep below the surface. Chemical and geothermal energy, for
example, are also energy sources for life forms on Earth. Perhaps tiny, subsurface microbes on Mars
could use such energy sources, too.
Looking for Life Signs
Differentiating life from non-life is a challenge, no matter where one finds it. On Earth, we know which
markers, or biosignatures, to look for, but life on another planet might be very different in chemistry,
structure, and other characteristics. Life detection technologies under development will help us define
life in non-Earth-centric terms, to detect it in all the forms it might take. In the meantime, NASA Mars
missions look for telltale biosignatures of current and past life. Knowing the location and form on
Mars of the element carbon, a fundamental building block of life, would tell us a lot about where life
might have developed. The current Martian atmosphere consists mostly of carbon dioxide. Any
discovery of carbonate minerals formed on the Martian surface by chemical reactions between water
and the atmosphere would be a clue that water had been present for a long time--perhaps long
enough for life to have developed. By studying fossils in sedimentary rock on Earth that leave a record
of past life, we know that only certain environments and types of deposits preserve fossils well. We
look for lakes and streams on Mars that may have left behind similar deposits.
Images like this from the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera on NASA's Mars
Reconnaissance Orbiter show many channels from approximately 3 feet to 33 feet (1 meter to 10
meters) wide on a scarp in the Hellas impact basin.
NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona
Characterize the Climate of Mars
What's the Martian Climate Like Today?
The current Martian climate is regulated by seasonal changes of carbon dioxide ice caps, atmospheric
movement of large amounts of dust, and water vapor exchange between the surface and atmosphere.
One of Mars' most dynamic weather patterns is the generation of dust storms, generally in the
southern spring and summer. These storms can grow to encompass the whole planet. Understanding
how these storms develop and grow is one science goal.
These two views from NASA’s Curiosity rover, acquired specifically to measure the amount of dust
inside Gale Crater, show that dust has increased over three days from a major Martian dust storm.
NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS
What Can the Current Climate on Mars Reveal about the Past?
A better understanding of Mars' current climate helps scientists more effectively model its past
behavior. To do this, they need Mars weather maps and information about quantities of dust and
water vapor in the atmosphere. Monitoring the planet for this information over one full Martian year
(687 Earth days) and repeated years helps us understand how Mars behaves over its seasonal cycle
and guides us toward understanding how the planet changes over millions of years. The layered
terrain of Martian polar regions also holds clues about the planet's past, much as a tree's rings provide
a record of its history. When and how were these polar layers deposited? Was the climate of Mars
ever like that of Earth? And if so, what happened to change the planet into the dry, cold, barren desert
it is today? Our current missions are striving to answer those important questions.

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Mars Facts Devil and Angels

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Determine Whether Life Ever Arose on Mars

Conditions Needed for Life to Thrive

Looking for Life Signs

Characterize the Climate of Mars

What's the Martian Climate Like Today?

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