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A new study has shown that the acidic environment of Mars is very effective in destroying fossils. There is a lot of hematite on the surface of Mars; This mineral, iron oxide, forms well in acidic environments. This and other properties allow us to reasonably state that very acidic water flowed on Mars in the past. It could have affected the layers of clay, which would be the best place to preserve traces of past lives.
Mars images
© ElderFox Documentaries
The clay has likely formed in layers and fossils or molecules such as the amino acid glycine can remain between them. The researchers restored similar structures in the lab: layers of clay rocks with glycine inserted between them. This molecule was chosen because it decomposes quite easily under the conditions of Mars, allowing for quick results.
The rocks were exposed by scientists to acidic or alkaline solutions and then irradiated with ultraviolet radiation similar to that which reaches the surface of Mars. Acid-treated clays have been shown to soften, become silicone-like, and no longer protect glycine molecules from degradation. The alkalis had a similar but weaker effect.
Therefore, it seems that it will be more difficult to discover the signs of life in the past of Mars than previously thought.
The results of the study are published in Nature Scientific Reports.
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