Mars too dry for life

[Still Waters]

Life could not exist on the surface of Mars because the planet has experienced a 600 million year "super-drought", scientists claim.

Analysis of soil from the red planet found that its surface had been dry for such a long time that any life would have to be lurking deep underground.

Researchers deduced that there had been water present during a warmer period lasting up to 5,000 years in the distant past, but this would have been too little time for life to establish itself on the surface.

The findings published in the Geophysical Research Letters journal were based on soil collected during the 2008 Nasa Phoenix mission to Mars.

Experts spent three years painstakingly scrutinising individual particles of soil to determine whether or not the planet was habitable.

The analysis, by Imperial College London researchers, showed that soil on Mars is formed under similarly arid conditions to the Moon.

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[angi chiesa]

no water could mean not possible to colonise this near planet.Maybe water in a deep well.

[kwin]

Interesting, Someone has Martian soil to analyze..... Do these 'scientists' analyze their own photos too?

[spud the mackem]

Where do the scientists get the time period of 600 million years from ? or is this figure picked out of a hat?and are they saying that previous to that figure,all was well and Martians were hopping about.Are they telling us everything or once again is it on a "need to know" basis !!

[spud the mackem]

Hi,do you honestly believe that Mars only had about 5000 years of warm period in its history,I really cannot believe this given the whole life of the planet,maybe its not habitable now but there must of been a period exceeding 5000 yrs,where there was an atmosphere and Mars still has water,Maybe they are looking in the wrong place ?.If an Alien ship landed in the Sahara or some other desert where our life forms are minimum,would they think that life here is restricted to a few insects and snakes?.I dont think that we have the technology to explore other planets properly yet,but maybe we are getting there,and will some day.

[The Dreamer - Hybrid89]

You know what, it'll always be a need to know basis. If theres ever a case where the actual truth does get out, it'll be seen as hocus pocus bunkum even thought it could be true. Internet ftw :S

[d e v i c e]

Nevermind drawing conclusions from tiny little soil samples. They should send a comprehensive archeologoical mission of rovers or astronauts up there and really get to the bottom of it.

[psyche101]

Hi,do you honestly believe that Mars only had about 5000 years of warm period in its history,I really cannot believe this given the whole life of the planet,maybe its not habitable now but there must of been a period exceeding 5000 yrs,where there was an atmosphere and Mars still has water,Maybe they are looking in the wrong place ?.If an Alien ship landed in the Sahara or some other desert where our life forms are minimum,would they think that life here is restricted to a few insects and snakes?.I dont think that we have the technology to explore other planets properly yet,but maybe we are getting there,and will some day.

Why must the estimate be wrong? What have you seen, theorised, or know that makes the 5,000 year time frame unlikely?

If an alien ship landed in the Sahara, it would be pretty hard to fathom how it could come to the conclusion that this is a dune planet when it would see a blue marble on approach. Of course we will look deeper at Mars, and the moon for that matter, but I do not see why you think we will find life, or proof of life if we do. It's a very big maybe.

[psyche101]

You know what, it'll always be a need to know basis. If theres ever a case where the actual truth does get out, it'll be seen as hocus pocus bunkum even thought it could be true. Internet ftw :S

Or alternatively, one could simply log into NASA to stay abreast of new developments.

LINK - NASA Mars Exploration Programs

[spud the mackem]

Why must the estimate be wrong? What have you seen, theorised, or know that makes the 5,000 year time frame unlikely?

If an alien ship landed in the Sahara, it would be pretty hard to fathom how it could come to the conclusion that this is a dune planet when it would see a blue marble on approach. Of course we will look deeper at Mars, and the moon for that matter, but I do not see why you think we will find life, or proof of life if we do. It's a very big maybe.

I haven't seen anything to disprove the 5000 year period but planets dont work in thousand year periods,they work in million year periods,and just because some scientist says it happened cannot be accepted,where did he get the info from ?.I think that maybe you are taking a view of this planet from a human eye,but its not necessarilly blue from an E.T eye,many species on this rock have different eyesight than humans,eg:- could you spot a mouse from a 1000 feet like an Owl,I couldnt.we cant see more than 20 yards in clear water,but whales ,dolphins etc can.I didnt say that I thought life existed on Mars,but I do believe that we are not alone in the universe,given the millions of planets that must exist,but maybe we are unique as humans,as we tend to eat and or fight everything.I guess we are all entitled to an opinion.Cheers.