New Mineral Points the Way for Search for Life on Mars

March 20, 2008 / Written by: Daniella Scalice

NASA’s Mars Odyssey Orbiter science team has located numerous sites in the southern highlands on Mars that show spectral characteristics consistent with chloride minerals. Many of these mineral deposits lie in basins with channels leading to them, implying long term water flow. The team dates the deposits at roughly 3.5-3.9 billion years ago. Because salt deposits can be seen as a proxy for water, and salt on Earth is a remarkable preservative, this new research suggests an alternative mineral target to explore for biological remains.