Deliquescence, liquid water, and the search for sources and sinks of methane on Mars

N. O. Rennó; M. Mehta

doi:10.1117/12.863653

7 September 2010 Deliquescence, liquid water, and the search for sources and sinks of methane on Mars

N. O. Rennó, M. Mehta

Proceedings Volume 7819, Instruments, Methods, and Missions for Astrobiology XIII; 78190G (2010) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.863653
Event: SPIE Optical Engineering + Applications, 2010, San Diego, California, United States

Abstract

The recent discoveries of evidence for liquid saline water^1,2,3,4 and methane⁵ on Mars have excited the science community by reviving the possibility of extant microbial life in this nearby planet. Here we report recently discovered photometric and spectral evidence that liquid saline water exists on Mars⁴. We show that this finding indicates that deliquescence occurs seasonally on some areas of Mars' polar region⁴. These discoveries support the hypothesis that liquid saline water is ubiquitous in the shallow Martian subsurface. This has important implications for the search for extraterrestrial life because a diverse array of terrestrial microorganisms thrives in highly saline water or brines^6,7. We conclude this article by describing in situ and remote sensing instruments for detecting brines in the Martian subsurface and studying their relationship with sources and sinks of trace gases.

Citation Download Citation

N. O. Rennó and M. Mehta "Deliquescence, liquid water, and the search for sources and sinks of methane on Mars", Proc. SPIE 7819, Instruments, Methods, and Missions for Astrobiology XIII, 78190G (7 September 2010); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.863653

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