Martian Life Possible at the equator??

[majornature]

<p>I have a research project going with me and my group.&nbsp; We are trying to come up with ideas on what kind of life can exist on the&nbsp;Martian equator. We know that the Martian temperature is to low for any bacteria to thrive at least from earth's point of view.&nbsp; But&nbsp;as recently,&nbsp;it was assumed that water may exist deep with in the martian surface.&nbsp; Now we've come up with&nbsp;something that has a single&nbsp;cell...prokaryote organisms...&nbsp; Still&nbsp;looking that up.&nbsp; However, it is still to cold&nbsp;for a prokaryote to become active if you will.&nbsp; We assume that it would take some high velocity impact like a comet or asteroid and/or pressure deep with in the planet itself.&nbsp; These are just abstract Ideas....</p><p>Can any of you SDCers come up with&nbsp;idea on what kind of life can exist&nbsp;under the martian surface???&nbsp;</p> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font size="2" color="#14ea50"><strong><font size="1">We are born.  We live.  We experiment.  We rot.  We die.  and the whole process starts all over again!  Imagine That!</font><br /><br /><br /><img id="6e5c6b4c-0657-47dd-9476-1fbb47938264" style="width:176px;height:247px" src="http://sitelife.space.com/ver1.0/Content/images/store/14/4/6e5c6b4c-0657-47dd-9476-1fbb47938264.Large.jpg" alt="blog post photo" width="276" height="440" /><br /></strong></font> </div>

 

[billslugg]

YEAH! Life can certainly exist below the surface of Mars. Once you get a few tens of feet down, the internal heat flux keeps it warm enough. There were millions of Earth inspired collisions of organisms. There is living stuff all over that place. We've&nbsp; just got to find it. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p> </p> </div>

 

[neilsox]

<p><BR/>Replying to:<BR/><DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>I have a research project going with me and my group.&nbsp; We are trying to come up with ideas on what kind of life can exist on the&nbsp;Martian equator. We know that the Martian temperature is too low for any bacteria to thrive at least from earth's point of view.&nbsp; But&nbsp;as recently,&nbsp;it was assumed that water may exist deep within the martian surface.&nbsp; Now we've come up with&nbsp;something that has a single&nbsp;cell...prokaryote organisms...&nbsp; Still&nbsp;looking that up.&nbsp; However, it is still too cold&nbsp;for a prokaryote to become active if you will.&nbsp; We assume that it would take some high velocity impact like a comet or asteroid and/or pressure deep with in the planet itself.&nbsp; These are just abstract Ideas....Can any of you SDCers come up with&nbsp;idea on what kind of life can exist&nbsp;under the martian surface???&nbsp; <br />Posted by majornature</DIV><br />At some depth, below the surface of Mars, the temperature is likely 100 degrees f = 38 degrees c, which is ideal for many Earth type creatures, which live without oxygen.</p><p>We have not found any hot springs on Mars, but a simular search of Earth likely would not find any hot springs. A cliff could be concave so that it focused a narrow band of extra sun light on a small area. Typically the lowest elevations are the warmest. Since Mars has more carbon dioxide than Earth in it's atmosphere, photo synthesis type plants are more probable than oxygen breathing creatures. Plants which can survive (dormant)&nbsp;very low temperatures except for an hour or two per day may be possible.&nbsp;&nbsp; Neil</p>

 

[majornature]

<p><BR/>Replying to:<BR/><DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>At some depth, below the surface of Mars, the temperature is likely 100 degrees f = 38 degrees c, which is ideal for many Earth type creatures, which live without oxygen.We have not found any hot springs on Mars, but a simular search of Earth likely would not find any hot springs. A cliff could be concave so that it focused a narrow band of extra sun light on a small area. Typically the lowest elevations are the warmest. Since Mars has more carbon dioxide than Earth in it's atmosphere, photo synthesis type plants are more probable than oxygen breathing creatures. Plants which can survive (dormant)&nbsp;very low temperatures except for an hour or two per day may be possible.&nbsp;&nbsp; Neil <br />Posted by neilsox</DIV></p><p>&nbsp;You know, I that's the first thing I thought about too.&nbsp; But that got thrown out the window.</p> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font size="2" color="#14ea50"><strong><font size="1">We are born.  We live.  We experiment.  We rot.  We die.  and the whole process starts all over again!  Imagine That!</font><br /><br /><br /><img id="6e5c6b4c-0657-47dd-9476-1fbb47938264" style="width:176px;height:247px" src="http://sitelife.space.com/ver1.0/Content/images/store/14/4/6e5c6b4c-0657-47dd-9476-1fbb47938264.Large.jpg" alt="blog post photo" width="276" height="440" /><br /></strong></font> </div>

 

[qso1]

<p><font color="#800080">I have a research project going with me and my group.&nbsp; We are trying to come up with ideas on what kind of life can exist on the&nbsp;Martian equator. We know that the Martian temperature is to low for any bacteria to thrive at least from earth's point of view.</font></p><p>Bacteria on mars could well have adapted to the temperatures. Even here on earth, extremophiles and thermophiles exist in conditions thought not possible for them to exist in as recently as three decades ago.&nbsp;</p><p><font color="#800080"> But&nbsp;as recently,&nbsp;it was assumed that water may exist deep with in the martian surface.&nbsp; Now we've come up with&nbsp;something that has a single&nbsp;cell...prokaryote organisms...&nbsp; Still&nbsp;looking that up</font>. <font color="#800080">However, it is still to cold&nbsp;for a prokaryote to become active if you will.</font></p><p>Water may still be present under such places as the polar caps. The best bet IMO, would be to send a human expedition with the intent of establishing the mars base primarily for the search for life on mars.&nbsp;</p><p><font color="#800080"> We assume that it would take some high velocity impact like a comet or asteroid and/or pressure deep with in the planet itself.&nbsp; These are just abstract Ideas....Can any of you SDCers come up with&nbsp;idea on what kind of life can exist&nbsp;under the martian surface???&nbsp; <br /> Posted by majornature</font></p><p>I'm not real well versed on earthly biology, much less martian biology if it exists. I have considered the possibility that martian life probably never went beyond the microbiological stage and that the heartiest of the organisms may still be present if life is present on mars at all.</p><p>A base on mars would be needed simply because life forms may not be found right away. A little like dinosaur fossil hunting, it often takes awhile to find dino fossils. And thats true even when you know where to look.</p> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><strong>My borrowed quote for the time being:</strong></p><p><em>There are three kinds of people in life. Those who make it happen, those who watch it happen...and those who do not know what happened.</em></p> </div>

 

[majornature]

Replying to:<BR/><DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>I have a research project going with me and my group.&nbsp; We are trying to come up with ideas on what kind of life can exist on the&nbsp;Martian equator. We know that the Martian temperature is to low for any bacteria to thrive at least from earth's point of view.Bacteria on mars could well have adapted to the temperatures. Even here on earth, extremophiles and thermophiles exist in conditions thought not possible for them to exist in as recently as three decades ago.&nbsp; But&nbsp;as recently,&nbsp;it was assumed that water may exist deep with in the martian surface.&nbsp; Now we've come up with&nbsp;something that has a single&nbsp;cell...prokaryote organisms...&nbsp; Still&nbsp;looking that up. However, it is still to cold&nbsp;for a prokaryote to become active if you will.Water may still be present under such places as the polar caps. The best bet IMO, would be to send a human expedition with the intent of establishing the mars base primarily for the search for life on mars.&nbsp; We assume that it would take some high velocity impact like a comet or asteroid and/or pressure deep with in the planet itself.&nbsp; These are just abstract Ideas....Can any of you SDCers come up with&nbsp;idea on what kind of life can exist&nbsp;under the martian surface???&nbsp; Posted by majornatureI'm not real well versed on earthly biology, much less martian biology if it exists. I have considered the possibility that martian life probably never went beyond the microbiological stage and that the heartiest of the organisms may still be present if life is present on mars at all.A base on mars would be needed simply because life forms may not be found right away. A little like dinosaur fossil hunting, it often takes awhile to find dino fossils. And thats true even when you know where to look. <br />Posted by qso1</DIV><br />&nbsp;I know this would sound crazy but will adding some of earth's plant life to a martian surface alter mars' composition? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font size="2" color="#14ea50"><strong><font size="1">We are born.  We live.  We experiment.  We rot.  We die.  and the whole process starts all over again!  Imagine That!</font><br /><br /><br /><img id="6e5c6b4c-0657-47dd-9476-1fbb47938264" style="width:176px;height:247px" src="http://sitelife.space.com/ver1.0/Content/images/store/14/4/6e5c6b4c-0657-47dd-9476-1fbb47938264.Large.jpg" alt="blog post photo" width="276" height="440" /><br /></strong></font> </div>

 

[bearack]

Replying to:<BR/><DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>&nbsp;I know this would sound crazy but will adding some of earth's plant life to a martian surface alter mars' composition? <br />Posted by majornature</DIV><br /><br />No way for it to survive.&nbsp; You would have to establish a green house with constant temps. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><br /><img id="06322a8d-f18d-4ab1-8ea7-150275a4cb53" src="http://sitelife.space.com/ver1.0/Content/images/store/6/14/06322a8d-f18d-4ab1-8ea7-150275a4cb53.Large.jpg" alt="blog post photo" /></p> </div>

 

[majornature]

<p><BR/>Replying to:<BR/><DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>No way for it to survive.&nbsp; You would have to establish a green house with constant temps. <br />Posted by bearack</DIV><br /><br />That why I said it was a crazy question.... but that green house theory only pertains to earth is it not.&nbsp; Mars may have a different chemistry than earth...&nbsp; Some sort impact, a high velocity type, cxould trigger an evolution process....or wait till the sun swells up to be suitable...</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Isn't the Martian temperature constant under the surface where the core and mantle is at a constant temperature...?</p> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font size="2" color="#14ea50"><strong><font size="1">We are born.  We live.  We experiment.  We rot.  We die.  and the whole process starts all over again!  Imagine That!</font><br /><br /><br /><img id="6e5c6b4c-0657-47dd-9476-1fbb47938264" style="width:176px;height:247px" src="http://sitelife.space.com/ver1.0/Content/images/store/14/4/6e5c6b4c-0657-47dd-9476-1fbb47938264.Large.jpg" alt="blog post photo" width="276" height="440" /><br /></strong></font> </div>

 

[MeteorWayne]

<p><BR/>Replying to:<BR/><DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>That why I said it was a crazy question.... but that green house theory only pertains to earth is it not.&nbsp; Mars may have a different chemistry than earth...&nbsp; Some sort impact, a high velocity type, cxould trigger an evolution process....or wait till the sun swells up to be suitable...&nbsp;Isn't the Martian temperature constant under the surface where the core and mantle is at a constant temperature...? <br />Posted by majornature</DIV></p><p>The difference is that, by our standrads, Mars has no atmopshere. Sure it's there (mostly CO2) but is so thin it would be almost impossible for earth life to survive there. There are a few reasons...Mars' low gravity (it's only 1/10 the mass of Earth) and lack of a magnetosphere to protect the atmosphere lead to depletion of anything that can be dissociated by the sun's radiation or swept away by the solar wind. It's better than the moon, but has it's own challenges. Any life on Mars would have to be much different from that on earth to be able to live there; IMO that means it likely developed there, or was transported from earth a long time agop....of course, if life exists there at all. We just don't know yet, though I suspect we might find some in the next decade or two.</p><p>Under the surface is a good place to look, as the conditions are less extreme there...no UV, More even (and warmer?) temperature. More moisture.</p><p>MW</p> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080"><em><font color="#000000">But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id.</font></em> </font></p><p><font color="#000080">I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function</font><font color="#000080"> </font></p> </div>

 

[majornature]

<p><BR/>Replying to:<BR/><DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>The difference is that, by our standrads, Mars has no atmopshere. Sure it's there (mostly CO2) but is so thin it would be almost impossible for earth life to survive there. There are a few reasons...Mars' low gravity (it's only 1/10 the mass of Earth) and lack of a magnetosphere to protect the atmosphere lead to depletion of anything that can be dissociated by the sun's radiation or swept away by the solar wind. It's better than the moon, but has it's own challenges. Any life on Mars would have to be much different from that on earth to be able to live there; IMO that means it likely developed there, or was transported from earth a long time agop....of course, if life exists there at all. We just don't know yet, though I suspect we might find some in the next decade or two.Under the surface is a good place to look, as the conditions are less extreme there...no UV, More even (and warmer?) temperature. More moisture.MW <br />Posted by MeteorWayne</DIV></p><p>&nbsp;But would if&nbsp;high velocity impact reverse those conditions?&nbsp; May sound like the same question...but anyways...<br /></p> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font size="2" color="#14ea50"><strong><font size="1">We are born.  We live.  We experiment.  We rot.  We die.  and the whole process starts all over again!  Imagine That!</font><br /><br /><br /><img id="6e5c6b4c-0657-47dd-9476-1fbb47938264" style="width:176px;height:247px" src="http://sitelife.space.com/ver1.0/Content/images/store/14/4/6e5c6b4c-0657-47dd-9476-1fbb47938264.Large.jpg" alt="blog post photo" width="276" height="440" /><br /></strong></font> </div>

 

[neilsox]

<p><BR/>Replying to:<BR/><DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>&nbsp;But would if&nbsp;high velocity impact reverse those conditions?&nbsp; May sound like the same question...but anyways... <br />Posted by majornature</DIV><br />I don't think we know. A large very fast impactor would produce a ring of volitiles orbiting Mars. Sufficient volitiles might re-enter the atmosphere of Mars, But would the composition of the new atmosphere be suitable for photosynthesis plant life? Would enough light get though the dust storms for the plants to thrive? Would they make enough oxygen for humans even after a million years?&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Neil</p>

 

[majornature]

<p><BR/>Replying to:<BR/><DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>I don't think we know. A large very fast impactor Would produce a ring of volitiles orbiting Mars. Sufficient volitiles might re-enter the atmosphere of Mars, But would the composition of the new atmosphere be suitable for photosynthesis plant life? Would enough light get though the dust storms for the plants to thrive? Would they make enough oxygen for humas even after a million Years?&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Neil <br />Posted by neilsox</DIV></p><p>Yes... but it is possible...I know it seems long but it can happen<br /></p> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font size="2" color="#14ea50"><strong><font size="1">We are born.  We live.  We experiment.  We rot.  We die.  and the whole process starts all over again!  Imagine That!</font><br /><br /><br /><img id="6e5c6b4c-0657-47dd-9476-1fbb47938264" style="width:176px;height:247px" src="http://sitelife.space.com/ver1.0/Content/images/store/14/4/6e5c6b4c-0657-47dd-9476-1fbb47938264.Large.jpg" alt="blog post photo" width="276" height="440" /><br /></strong></font> </div>

 

[MeteorWayne]

<p><BR/>Replying to:<BR/><DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>I don't think we know. A large very fast impactor would produce a ring of volitiles orbiting Mars. Sufficient volitiles might re-enter the atmosphere of Mars, But would the composition of the new atmosphere be suitable for photosynthesis plant life? Would enough light get though the dust storms for the plants to thrive? Would they make enough oxygen for humans even after a million years?&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Neil <br />Posted by neilsox</DIV></p><p>The problem is, even if voitiles were released, it would only be temporary. The same condistions that caused the demise of the Martyian atmosphere (low gravity, no magnetosphere) would still exist. And condistions are now more stressful that when it originally happened as the sun's output is greater.</p> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080"><em><font color="#000000">But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id.</font></em> </font></p><p><font color="#000080">I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function</font><font color="#000080"> </font></p> </div>