Researchers have found evidence that water once moved through a Martian meteorite.
Structures within a 30-pound Martian meteorite, dubbed Yamato 000593, suggest biological processes were taking place on the planet hundreds of millions of years ago, a NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory news release reported.
"While robotic missions to Mars continue to shed light on the planet's history, the only samples from Mars available for study on Earth are Martian meteorites," Lead author, Lauren White, of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, said in the news release. "On Earth, we can utilize multiple analytical techniques to take a more in-depth look into meteorites and shed light on the history of Mars. These samples offer clues to the past habitability of this planet. As more Martian meteorites are discovered, continued research focusing on these samples collectively will offer deeper insight into attributes which are indigenous to ancient Mars. Furthermore, as these meteorite studies are compared to present day robotic observations on Mars, the mysteries of the planet's seemingly wetter past will be revealed."
Scientists believe the rock was first formed in a lava flow 1.3 billion years ago. About 12 million years ago an impact catapulted the meteorite into space and it eventually crashed down in Antarctica 50,000 years ago. Researchers discovered the rock in 2000.
An analysis found "tunnel and micro-tunnel structures" snaking their way throughout the object. "Undulating shapes consistent with bio-alteration textures observed in terrestrial basaltic glasses, previously reported by researchers who study interactions of bacteria with basaltic materials on Earth," the news release reported.
The team also observed "nanometer- to-micrometer-sized spherules" between the layers of rock.
Both of these observations may have been formed by abiotic mechanisms, but there is a strong possibility they could have been formed biologically.
"The unique features displayed within the Martian meteorite Yamato 000593 are evidence of aqueous alterations as seen in the clay minerals and the presence of carbonaceous matter associated with the clay phases which show that Mars has been a very active body in its past," study leader Everett Gibson, said in the news release. "The planet is revealing the presence of an active water reservoir that may also have a significant carbon component."
"The nature and distribution of Martian carbon is one of the major goals of the Mars Exploration Program. Since we have found indigenous carbon in several Mars meteorites, we cannot overstate the importance of having Martian samples available to study in earth-based laboratories. Furthermore, the small sizes of the carbonaceous features within the Yamato 000593 meteorite present major challenges to any analyses attempted by remote techniques on Mars," Gibson said.
