The search for extraterrestrial life is one of the great goals of space exploration today. Any discovery could be a big step towards unlocking alien life.
In 2014, NASA announced the discovery of manganese oxide on the surface of Mars, suggesting the possibility that the red planet would have been abundant in oxygen, and consequently, would have sheltered life.
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However, new studies have put forward another theory. Manganese oxide has been found in the Gale and Endeavor craters on Mars, and the presence of this mineral may have been a result of the large amount of water on the red planet.
When studying the formation of the mineral here on Earth, scientists at the time suggested that Mars could have had periodic oxygen spikes billions of years ago, until reaching the low levels current.
Manganese Oxidation on Mars
A new study carried out by the University of Washington and published in Nature Geoscience presented another theory. Manganese oxide could have arisen on Mars without relying on oxygen.
This theory is the one that best fits the conditions in which the planet finds itself, and does not require the presence of oxygen in the Martian atmosphere.
Scientists explain that the oxidation of manganese on Mars may have occurred from elements halogens, as the red planet is rich in halogens such as chlorine and bromine compared to the Earth.
Jeffrey Catalano, corresponding author of the research, explained that:
"halogens occur in different forms on Mars than on Earth, and in much larger amounts, and we hypothesize that they are important for the fate of manganese."
Kaushik Mitra, also an author of the study, added:
“We previously proposed viable oxidants on Mars, other than oxygen or via UV photooxidation, that help explain why the red planet is red. In the case of manganese, we simply didn't have a viable alternative to oxygen that could account for manganese oxides until now."
Conclusion
In conclusion, the studies carried out suggest that the presence of manganese oxide on Mars could have occurred without the need for oxygen. This could have significant implications for the search for life on other planets, as it broadens the range of possibilities and theories about the formation of minerals and chemical elements in environments aliens.
