Latest news with #BenTutolo
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Scientists reveal signs of crucial life-sustaining process on Mars: 'I knew right away how important this discovery was'
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Generate Key Takeaways When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. An artist's illustration of Mars's Gale Crater beginning to catch the morning light. | Credit: Universal History Archive/ Universal Images Group via Getty Images NASA's Curiosity rover has found some of the best evidence yet that ancient life may have existed on Mars — and an answer for what could have wiped it out. When drilling into rocks on Mount Sharp, the central peak of the Red Planet's Gale Crater, the rover found evidence of siderite, an iron carbonate whose presence suggests Mars once had a carbon cycle. This hints that Mars once had potentially habitable conditions, and therefore possibly even life. The finding, hidden from satellite scans, raises hopes that once samples collected by the Perseverance rover are brought to Earth, scientists may find evidence that ancient life once thrived on our now-desiccated neighbor. The researchers published their findings April 17 in the journal Science . "When it became apparent that these rocks contained siderite in such high quantities, I was unbelievably excited," study lead-author Ben Tutolo , an associate professor with the department of earth, energy and environment at the University of Calgary, told Live Science. "One of the biggest questions in Mars science is: 'Where are all the carbonates?' So I knew right away how important this discovery was." For roughly the last 4 billion years, Earth's carbon cycle has been key to its habitability — cycling carbon between the atmosphere, land and ocean, thus providing the key material for all living things and setting the atmospheric thermostat for them to thrive. The slow carbon cycle makes up half of this system. Spewed out from volcanoes, carbon dioxide is absorbed by calcium-rich oceans to form limestone rock that is subducted back into the mantle, heated and released once more. Related: Mars was once a 'vacation-style' beach planet, Chinese rover scans reveal Yet despite Mars showing plentiful signs that ancient rivers and lakes once criss-crossed the planet, neither rovers nor satellite scans had found any evidence of carbonate minerals that would imply a carbon cycle there. The Curiosity rover's discovery changes all of that. Landing on Mars' Gale Crater in 2012, the rover has traversed 21 miles (34 kilometers) of the 96-mile-wide (154 km) meteor impact crater, dutifully investigating the geology within. In 2022 and 2023, Curiosity drilled four samples from rocks in the crater and analyzed the mineralogy using its onboard X-ray diffractometer before beaming the results back to Earth. When Tutolo and his colleagues unpacked this analysis, they found that the rocks didn't just contain traces of siderite, they were rich in it — making up between 5 % to 10% of the sample's total weight. Mixed among the carbonate were other minerals, particularly highly water-soluble magnesium sulfate salts, which the researchers believe are acting to "mask" the siderite's signal from satellite scans. "Because similar rocks containing these salts have been identified globally, we infer that they, too, likely contain abundant carbonate minerals," Tutolo said. "Summing the carbonate that all of these deposits likely contain indicates that they may hold a substantial portion of the CO2 that was formerly implicated in warming Mars." An 'imbalanced' cycle The researchers believe that if their sample is representative of the whole planet, it likely points to Mars having an "imbalanced" carbon cycle. As Mars seemingly lacked Earth-like plate tectonics, toward the tail-end of its habitability Mars likely recycled its carbon into its atmosphere through chemical reactions with acidic water, a hypothesis supported by the presence of sulfate and iron-oxide minerals found within the sample. RELATED STORIES —NASA may have unknowingly found and killed alien life on Mars 50 years ago, scientist claims —'Building blocks of life' discovered on Mars in 10 different rock samples —Just 22 people are needed to colonize Mars — as long as they are the right personality type, study claims But this process was top-heavy, pulling more carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere and into rocks than it released back. In the long run, this diminished the planet's ability to support an atmosphere, possibly snuffing out Mars' ancient life at the same time it began to flourish on Earth. "Life may have been forming about that time on Earth. Our oldest fossils are about 3.5 billion years old and life must have formed before then," Janice Bishop , a senior research scientist at the Search For Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) Institute and the writer of an accompanying perspective piece on the study, told Live Science. "As the atmospheric gasses [on Mars] were lost over time to space, the atmosphere became thinner and the planet became colder. Estimates of surface ages indicate that Mars has been cold and dry for at least 2 billion years."
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
What Happened to Mars' Lost Atmosphere? New Clues May Explain Why It Disappeared.
All evidence points to Mars having had a carbon dioxide-rich atmosphere billions of years ago, but insufficient carbonates in Martian soil challenge this theory. Now, a new study using data from NASA's Curiosity Rover claims that sulfate layers on the Martian surface may have been hiding siderite—iron carbonate—from orbital survey missions. If similar levels of siderite are found in sulfate layers in other surveys, this could be a big missing piece to the puzzle of Mars' prior habitability. For all of human history, Mars has hung in the heavens as a tantalizing, red-hued mystery. Past civilizations associated the planet with the gods of war, and with the advent of telescopes in the 19th century, some even came to believe that the Red Planet was criss-crossed with artificial canals. Today—even though we know more about our celestial neighbor than at any point in history—many, many mysteries remain. One of the big remaining conundrums is what exactly happened in Mars' ancient past that transformed the world from a wet and warm one to the cold, dry orb we see today. Plenty of evidence indicates that water once flowed on the surface of Mars and that the planet once had a carbon dioxide-rich atmosphere, and this set of conditions should've interacted with Martian rocks to create carbonate minerals. However, even with the 18 orbital spacecraft and six rovers we've sent to Mars—each laden with various spectroscopic and scientific tools—scientists haven't found enough carbonate to support this theory. Now, in a new study, a team of more than 30 scientists analyzing data from NASA's Curiosity rover announce that they may have found the evidence they (and past teams just like them) have been looking for. The breakthrough comes from the discovery of siderite (an iron carbonate mineral) in the Martian topsoil that would've been 'invisible in previous orbital observations,' the scientists wrote in a paper published in the journal Science. 'The discovery of large carbon deposits in Gale Crater represents both a surprising and important breakthrough in our understanding of the geologic and atmospheric evolution of Mars,' Ben Tutolo, the lead author of the study and geochemist from the University of Calgary, said in a press statement. 'The abundance of highly soluble salts in these rocks and similar deposits mapped over much of Mars has been used as evidence of the 'great drying' of Mars during its dramatic shift from a warm and wet early Mars to its current, cold and dry state.' While climbing up a mountain in the Gale Crater, NASA's Curiosity rover—which originally arrived at the Red Planet back in 2011—analyzed three to four centimeters into the Martian soil by drilling into the subsurface and then dropping samples into its CheMin instrument. According to NASA, this instrument uses X-ray diffraction to analyze the chemical composition of the rocks and soil, and using this method, the rover discovered the iron carbonate siderate with sulfate-rich rocky layers. These highly water-soluble magnesium sulfate salts are what likely masked the siderite signature from orbital analysis. This evidence points to an imbalanced carbon cycle on Mars—the rocks and soil pulled more carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere than they replenished, causing the planet to lose its ability to support an atmosphere. Result? A cold, dry, and dead Mars. 'The broader implications are that the planet was habitable up until this time, but then, as the CO2 that had been warming the planet started to precipitate as siderite, it likely impacted Mars' ability to stay warm,' Tutolo said in a press statement. 'The question looking forward is how much of this CO2 from the atmosphere was actually sequestered? Was that potentially a reason we began to lose habitability?' It's taken humanity millennia of star-gazing and scientific inquiry to understand its red-hued neighbor, and now its puzzling planetary history is quickly coming into focus. You Might Also Like The Do's and Don'ts of Using Painter's Tape The Best Portable BBQ Grills for Cooking Anywhere Can a Smart Watch Prolong Your Life?
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
NASA's Curiosity rover finds major clue that Mars was once habitable
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. While slowly climbing the slopes of Mount Sharp — a towering peak inside Mars' Gale Crater — NASA's Curiosity rover made a remarkable discovery: large deposits of carbon locked away in carbonate minerals. That may sound a little dry at first, but in reality this find could be a major piece of the puzzle in our search for ancient life on the Red Planet. Carbonate minerals form when carbon dioxide interacts with water and rock, making them an important marker of past environmental conditions. Scientists have spotted these minerals before on Mars — by rovers on the ground, orbiters above, and even in Martian meteorites that fell to Earth — but Curiosity's latest data adds exciting new details. "It tells us that the planet was habitable and that the models for habitability are correct," said the study's lead author, Ben Tutolo, associate professor with the Department of Earth, Energy and Environment in the Faculty of Science at the University of Calgary, in a statement. The minerals found by the rover likely formed in extremely dry conditions through chemical reactions between water and rock followed by the process of evaporation. This process points to a time when Mars had a thick enough atmosphere, rich in carbon dioxide, to support liquid water on the surface. However, as the atmosphere thinned, that carbon dioxide would have begun turning into stone. One standout mineral in Curiosity's new discovery is siderite, an iron-rich carbonate found in surprisingly high amounts — between five and 10% by weight — alongside salts that dissolve easily in water. "The broader implications are the planet was habitable up until this time, but then, as the [carbon dioxide] that had been warming the planet started to precipitate as siderite, it likely impacted Mars' ability to stay warm," said Tutolo. What makes this find even more fascinating is the presence of iron oxyhydroxides in the same deposits. These minerals suggest Mars may have once also had a functioning carbon cycle — similar to Earth's — where some of the carbon dioxide locked in rocks eventually made its way back into the atmosphere. Related Stories: — NASA's Perseverance rover hits the Mars rock gold mine: 'It has been all we had hoped for and more' — Curiosity Mars rover discovers largest organic molecules ever seen on Red Planet — Curiosity rover rolls past 'Devil's Gate' on Mars: Space picture of the day By comparing Curiosity's findings with orbital data, scientists believe similar layers across the planet could have trapped up to 36 millibars' worth of atmospheric carbon dioxide — enough to dramatically change Mars' climate. This Martian discovery also ties in closely with work being done right here on Earth. Tutolo says he's been exploring ways to combat climate change by turning human-made carbon dioxide into stable carbonate minerals — essentially locking carbon away in rock. "What we're trying to do on Earth to fight climate change is something that nature may have already done on Mars," he said. "Learning about the mechanisms of making these minerals on Mars helps us to better understand how we can do it here. Studying the collapse of Mars' warm and wet early days also tells us that habitability is a very fragile thing."
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Curiosity rover finds key ingredient for past life on Mars
New samples collected and analyzed by NASA's Curiosity rover are pushing researchers closer than ever to finding out if Mars was once truly capable of supporting life. According to a paper published on April 18 in Nature, ancient geologic samples indicate the Red Planet at one time featured a carbon cycle—an atmospheric condition that's necessary for sustaining liquid water on the Martian surface. Taken together with previous evidence pointing to the existence of dried rivers, lakes, and possibly even oceans, it's looking increasingly likely that Earth's neighbor featured at least some form of life in its distant past. As with all of Curiosity's previous work, these latest discoveries come from inside the 96-mile-wide Gale Crater. Located about 4.5 degrees south of the Martian equator, Gale Crater formed following an asteroid or comet strike roughly 3.5 to 3.8 billion years ago. At one time, it likely hosted a large, beach-rimmed lake. Curiosity has traveled over 21 miles from its landing site since 2012, and has obtained multiple drill site samples from layers of Martian sediment beneath it. One of the mission's long term goals has been digging deep enough into the geological layers so that researchers can peer as far back into the planet's history as possible. Recently, Curiosity achieved just that at three sulfate-rich drill sites located on Gale Crater's Mount Sharp. In those drill sites, Curiosity detected deposits containing an iron carbonate material called siderite. According to Ben Tutolo, a University of Calgary associate professor of Earth, Energy, and Environment Studies as well as a NASA Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity Rover team, the data marks a major moment in the search for extraterrestrial life. 'The discovery of large carbon deposits in Gale Crater represents both a surprising and important breakthrough in our understanding of the geologic and atmospheric evolution of Mars,' Tutolo said in a statement. 'The abundance of highly soluble salts in these rocks and similar deposits mapped over much of Mars has been used as evidence of the 'great drying' of Mars during its dramatic shift from a warm and wet early Mars to its current, cold and dry state.' Previously, experts learned the ancient Martian atmosphere was rich in carbon dioxide (CO2), but lacked enough evidence of sedimentary carbonate materials. These materials would suggest that Mars once included enough carbon dioxide in its atmosphere to support not just ice, but liquid water. This past era on the planet now seems far more likely, thanks to Curiosity's latest findings. Over time, however, solar wind and radiation likely siphoned away the Martian atmosphere, gradually thinning it to the point where carbon dioxide began transforming into rock. 'The broader implications are [that] the planet was habitable up until this time, but then, as the CO2 that had been warming the planet started to precipitate as siderite, it likely impacted Mars' ability to stay warm,' Tutolo explained. Moving forward, the team hopes to further study additional sulfate-rich regions of Mars to reinforce their latest findings. Doing so will also help them gain a better understanding of the planet—and any past residents. In the meantime, exploring these Martian mechanisms can help scientists better understand similar processes here on Earth. 'The most remarkable thing about Earth is that it's habitable and it has been for at least four billion years. Something happened to Mars that didn't happen to Earth,' said Tutolo, before offering a word of caution: 'Studying the collapse of Mars' warm and wet early days also tells us that habitability is a very fragile thing.'
Telegraph
17-04-2025
- Science
- Telegraph
Life on Mars was possible, scientists say
Mars was once habitable, scientists have said, after discovering evidence that a carbon cycle once operated on the Red Planet. Finding life on Mars is a holy grail for researchers, but it is still not clear whether the planet could have sustained life. Although the Martian landscape shows clear signs that liquid water once flowed on the surface, it would have required a lot of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere to keep it warm enough. Previous rock sampling suggested there was not enough carbon on the planet to create such an atmosphere, leaving experts in a quandary about whether Mars really was a wet, warm planet that could allow life to evolve. Now, new sampling by Nasa's Curiosity rover has found large deposits of siderite, a carbon-rich mineral, in the Gale Crater, a dried-up ancient sea. It suggests that the atmosphere contained enough carbon dioxide to support liquid water, and as the atmosphere thinned, the carbon dioxide was absorbed into the rocks. 'It tells us that the planet was habitable and that the models for habitability are correct,' said Dr Ben Tutolo, an associate professor at the University of Calgary, and a scientist on the rover team. 'The broader implications are that the planet was habitable up until this time, but then, as the CO2 that had been warming the planet started to precipitate as siderite, it likely impacted Mars's ability to stay warm. 'The question looking forward is how much of this CO2 from the atmosphere was actually sequestered? Was that potentially a reason we began to lose habitability?' 'Potentially habitable environments' It is thought Mars lost its atmosphere around four billion years ago, about the time that life was starting to get going on Earth. Carbon is the chemical backbone of life on Earth, being the fundamental building block of life and regulating the planet's temperature. But to do this, it needs to be constantly moving around the planet, a process which happens through mechanisms including photosynthesis, respiration, erosion and volcanic activity. Nasa had hoped that sedimentary layers at the Gale Crater would show evidence of carbon being pulled into the rocks because they were formed when Mars was drying out and becoming colder. The findings suggest that large amounts of carbon dioxide have been locked into the planet's crust, and if they are representative of similar regions globally, then it suggests a huge carbon reservoir, indicative of a thick atmosphere. Dr Tutolo says it's clear that small changes in atmospheric CO2 can lead to huge changes in the ability of the planet to harbour life. 'The most remarkable thing about Earth is that it's habitable and it has been for at least four billion years,' he adds. 'Something happened to Mars that didn't happen to Earth.'
