On January 18th 2013, the Mars Laboratory department of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, led by Justin Makin, announced Curiosity’s discovery of Calcium Carbonate in Yellow Knife Bay. Curiosity’s first drill activity provided with evidence of CaCO3 in the veins of rocks where the drilling took place. For life of on Earth, calcium is a relevant element. Chalk, which consists mainly of calcium carbonate, is used in practically all of America’s classrooms and it has been used as a fertilizer to promote agriculture. However, this abundant substance could possibly be the clue to the mystery of the past existence of water in Mars. On Earth, carbonate rocks only occur through chemical means or with aid of living organisms both of which require water. Also, these carbonates could have concealed the fossils of ancient bacteria that once existed in the Red Planet. According to a previous statement of scientist Ken Nealson JPL, “If you were lucky enough to find some carbonates in the layered terrains on Mars, scientists would get very excited…” This is now a reality! It is now safe to hypothesize that maybe at one point Mars was not the deserted place it now is because on Earth, calcium carbonate can be found on the sea floor but it can also be found on the shells of marine creatures. And while Earth can only serve as a point of reference, as both planets are quite different, and since Mar’s atmosphere only contains CO2, scientist still expect the water that possibly flowed in Mars to be liquid as well.
Sources: http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/, http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/msl/index.html
Chemistry group: Carmen Echavarria, Valentina Leon, Marlenis Rey.
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