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A group of scientists led by Mackenzie Day, a researcher at the University of Washington in Seattle ( United States ), believes that the best place to find evidence that March hosted life microbes are the "ghost dunes" that are on its surface, as it appears in a study published June 5 in the scientific journal Journal of Geophysical Research .
According to the study, hundreds of "ghost dunes" in half-moon covering the surface of the red planet could reveal new clues about the possibility of microbial life in 19459003 March, as they mark the 39 where they used to be, hundreds of meters from the ground, large sand dunes.
In addition to providing information on the climate of Mars in the past and the change in wind patterns, scientists claim that these natural marks could be a useful target in looking for signs of ancient life, since they could have protected microbes against strong radiation.
"Ghost dunes" are marks left by lava or sediment that has been carried by the water, buried by the sand and they have retained their contours. Experts say that although the wind may have ejected the sand from the upper parts, it is likely that the remains of the base are preserved.
An ancient dune system
The extraordinary sand mountains have been seen in many areas. Earth opportunities, as well as satellite imagery from different parts of Mars, for example in the Hellas Plain or Noctis Labyrinthus. The scientific team found more than 480 possible "dune ghosts" at Noctis Labyrinthus and about 300 east of the Hellas Plain. The average height of the dunes found in these places is between 39 and 75 meters.
"We know that the dunes on Earth can support life, and that the dunes on Earth are very similar to those of Mars." said Day. In addition, the researcher adds that the shape and size of the dunes observed show that some of them come from an "ancient dune system" caused by a climate different from that of today. ; hui.
The article concludes stating that, if there was life in March the best place to trace its evidence is precisely in the remains of these ancient dunes, which would have functioned as protection caves for microbial life that could have existed.
] (Source: RT in Spanish)
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