Minerals in Mars – Tests Determine Presence of Nutrients in Martian Soil

In what is sure to be a thrilling find for scientists and alien life-watchers across the world, the Martian mystery continues to unravel, with the robotic lab on board the Phoenix spacecraft discovering nutrients that could support plant life.

The lab on the Phoenix Mars lander came up with the spectacular result after analyzing dirt collected from Mars’ northern Arctic plains. Scientists said the dirt was mostly moderately alkaline, and had nutrients that help plants grow.

While this does not necessarily mean that Mars could be the site of the next exotic botanical garden, scientists are pretty excited about the discovery nevertheless. According to the man running the lab in Mars from the University of Arizona in Tucson, William Boynton, these were ‘spectacular results.’

Speaking about the findings, the person leading the chemical analysis of the Martian soil samples, Tufts University’s Samuel P. Kounaves, “We basically have found what appears to be the requirements, the nutrients, to support life whether past, present or future.”

Speaking during the course of a news conference over telephone Thursday, Kounaves went on to add, “The sort of soil you have there is the type of soil you’d probably have in your backyard.”

The soil samples were found to contain minerals like soluble magnesium, sodium, potassium, and a number of chlorides. The new findings show that it is possible for plants that thrive in alkaline conditions to grow in Mars, given that the other conditions for life are also met.

The experiment on board Phoenix involved mixing the samples with water carried from earth (in the form of a small piece of ice) and then heating it, through stages, to temperatures of 400 to 1,200 degrees.

As the soil sample and water mix got heated, it first released little amounts of carbon dioxide. Next to be released was Martian vapor that had been trapped in the minerals in the soil. Further analysis revealed the presence of the nutrients.

It is not a good idea to raise our expectations about finding life on Mars during the course of this mission, because the Phoenix is not equipped for that. The mission objective was to determine if the planet has ever – now or earlier – had conditions that made it ideal for life, such as the presence of water and nutrients. The equipment on board the Phoenix is designed to achieve this limited objective alone.

While the Martian surface today is desolate and cold, with constant exposure to UV radiation, conditions unsuitable for life, the possibility of life being present earlier continues to tantalize scientists.

The current findings are definitely not enough to generate the answer to that vital question in most scientists’ minds – did life exist in Mars, or is it still existing there, tucked away safely underground? But it still is good enough for scientists to press forward and hopefully get an answer to that one in the near future.