Hydrothermal springs may prove existance of martian life

BEIJING, April 25 (Xinhuanet) -- The high-powered zoom lens of NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) has picked up the features -- two possible ancient hydrothermal springs are viewed as light-toned, elliptical structures, media reported Friday.

The martian features have a striking similarity to spring mounds here on Earth. Hydrothermal spring deposits on Mars might preserve evidence of martian life. The "spring-like" mounds have been found in Vernal Crater in Arabia Terra on the red planet.

These features would not only have supplied energy-rich waters in which martian life may have evolved, but also would have provided warm, liquid water to martian life forms as the climate on the red planet became colder and drier.

At present, whether life has existed on Mars in the past or may still dwell there today, remains an open question.

"More work is needed to better analyze these features and also look for other similar spots on Mars," said Carlton Allen of NASA's Johnson Space Center.

In particular, use of MRO's Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars (CRISM) can sort out the composition of the features in Vernal Crater. However, due to the dusty nature of Arabia Terra, that has crimped mineralogical assessment of the mounds.

"Meanwhile, the prospect of identifying ancient thermal springs on Mars would be a boost for astrobiologists," said Allen.

(Agencies)