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Remote sensing and geochemistry of planetary surfaces
| Content Provider | NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS) |
|---|---|
| Author | Jakosky, Bruce M. |
| Copyright Year | 2002 |
| Description | We have been examining the resources required to support potential life on Mars, as a way of understanding the possible abundance and distribution of life. Based on our understanding of the Earth, the necessary requirements for the environment to allow it to support life are (i) presence of liquid water, (ii) access to the biogenic elements (C, H, O, N, S, P, Ca, Fe, etc.), and (iii) a source of energy to drive chemical disequilibrium, such that the reactions back toward equilibrium can release energy to support metabolism. While even demonstrating that all of these requirements have been met would not mean that life would necessarily exist on Mars, they provide the context in which a search for life or analysis of geochemical characteristics that might be indicative of life might be carried out. Our previous work has focused on the first and third of these characteristics determine where and when liquid water might have been present, and understanding the availability of chemical energy from weathering reactions that might ID support life. In the analysis supported by this grant (covering the time period 2/15/01-2/14/02), we have been examining the second requirement--the abundance of the necessary biogenic elements, their geographical distribution on Mars and the information on the possible vertical distribution within the crust, and their geochemical accessibility and mobility within the crust and at the surface. In particular, our work during the performance period has emphasized phosphorous. |
| File Size | 1252816 |
| Page Count | 21 |
| File Format | |
| Alternate Webpage(s) | http://archive.org/details/NASA_NTRS_Archive_20020059591 |
| Archival Resource Key | ark:/13960/t5v74cw6z |
| Language | English |
| Publisher Date | 2002-06-18 |
| Access Restriction | Open |
| Subject Keyword | Earth Resources And Remote Sensing Water Planetary Geology Extraterrestrial Life Geochemistry Phosphorus Chemical Energy Planetary Surfaces Remote Sensing Planetary Crusts Ntrs Nasa Technical Reports Server (ntrs) Nasa Technical Reports Server Aerodynamics Aircraft Aerospace Engineering Aerospace Aeronautic Space Science |
| Content Type | Text |
| Resource Type | Technical Report |
