A new study using data from NASA’s Mars Perseverance rover reports an instrumental detection that potentially corresponds to organic molecules on the Martian surface, pointing to the Red Planet’s past habitability. The study, led by a team of scientists including UF astrobiologist Amy Williams, was recently published in the journalism. Nature.

Scientists have long intrigued by the possibility of organic carbon on Mars, and while previous missions have provided valuable insights, recent research provides a new set of evidence that adds to our understanding of Mars. The findings point to a more complex organic geochemical cycle on Mars than previously thought, suggesting the existence of several different reservoirs of potential organic compounds.

Specifically, the study found signals corresponding to molecules associated with water processes, suggesting that water may have played an important role in the diverse range of organic matter on Mars. The basic building blocks for life may have persisted on Mars much longer than previously thought.

Organic geochemist Amy Williams has been at the forefront of searching for the building blocks of life on Mars. As a scientist on the Perseverance mission, Williams’ work focuses on the search for organic matter on the Red Planet. She aims to identify habitable environments, search for potential materials for life, and discover evidence of past life on Mars she. Eventually, samples collected in the Perseverance region will be sent to Earth by future missions, but this will be a complex and ambitious process that will span many years.

“The potential detection of multiple types of organic carbon on Mars has implications for understanding the carbon cycle on Mars and the potential for life throughout the planet’s history,” said Williams, UF’s professor of geological sciences.

Organic matter can be formed as a result of various processes, not only life-related processes. Geological processes and chemical reactions can also create organic molecules, and these processes contribute to the possible origin of Martian organics. Williams and a team of scientists will work to further investigate potential sources of these molecules.

Until now, organic carbon could only be detected by the Mars Phoenix lander and the Mars Curiosity rover, using advanced techniques such as gas emission analysis and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The new study offers another technique to potentially identify simple organic compounds on Mars.

Crater Lake, the chosen landing site for the rover, has high potential for past life: as an ancient lake basin, it contains a number of minerals, including carbonates, clays and sulfates. These minerals can preserve organic materials and possible signs of ancient life.

“We didn’t initially expect to find these potential organic signatures at the bottom of Crater Lake,” Williams said, “but their diversity and distribution in different parts of the crater floor now indicate potentially different carbon fates in these environments.”

The scientists used a first-of-its-kind tool called Raman and Luminescence Scanning Habitable Environments for Organics and Chemicals (SHERLOC) to map the distribution of organic molecules and minerals on rock surfaces. SHERLOC uses deep ultraviolet Raman spectroscopy and fluorescence spectroscopy to simultaneously measure weak Raman scattering and strong fluorescent emission, providing important information about the organic composition of Mars.

These findings mark an important step in our study of the Red Planet and lay the groundwork for future research into the possibility of life beyond Earth.

“We’re only just scratching the surface of the history of organic carbon on Mars,” Williams said, “and it’s an exciting time for planetary science.” Source