Mars' Argyre basin, which contains numerous ingredients that scientists believe are integral for the evolution of life, is the best place to search for signs of both past and present life on the Red Planet, according to a new study. The study's authors believe that future Mars missions should ensure to focus on analyzing and exploring this area in detail.
"Argyre displays a collection of landscape features that are promising from an astrobiological point of view, including hydrothermal deposits, pingos [mounds of dirt-covered ice fed by water] or ancient glacier deposits," said Alberto Fairén, lead author of the study. "This large collection of special features all together in the same setting, accessible by a single mission, is what makes Argyre unique."
In addition, the low elevation of the basin's floor provides ideal landing conditions for a spacecraft, giving it more time to slow down before it reaches the planet's surface.
The geology of Mar's Argyre basin is of great interest to scientists due to its existence when liquid water was plentiful on the planet approximately 4 billion years ago. When a massive space rock slammed into the planet's southern hemisphere around this time, the basin was excavated and likely became a region of hydrothermal activity, with studies pointing to a large body of water in the basin at some point after the impact.
Various NASA Mars craft have helped shed light on the evolution of the region, revealing signs that point to large-scale glacial activity and an abundance of water. Furthermore, small mounds of ice near the basin suggest the existence of ancient pingos, which are chunks of ice fed by underground water systems.
The team believes that this ice must have kept liquid water around for longer than it otherwise would have and could have led to the creation of stable environments that might have supported evolving life.
The surface environment of ancient Mars' Argyre basin also could have been an ideal location for fossil preservation due to the minerals formed by water sheltering cellular structures over billions of years.
"Argyre's unique geological setting may have contributed to the existence of life and may have significant implications for the search for life on Mars," the team said.
The findings were published in the Feb. 16 issue of Astrobiology.
