Ever wondered if there's life on Mars? A Scots quarry may hold the answer

Published on Tuesday 8 December 2009 21:44

BENNACHIE, the majestic hill which dominates the landscape of east Aberdeenshire, is steeped in myth and legend and the reputed site of the ancient battle of Mons Graupius between the Romans and the Caledonians.

• Bennachie in Aberdeenshire

Each year, more than 100,000 visitors take to the slopes of the nine-peak hill, surmounted by the distinctive Mither Tap, one of the most photographed summits in Scotland.

But it was revealed yesterday that a rare rock, found in a disused quarry at the foot of the hill, may provide a vital clue in uncovering evidence of extraterrestrial life in the universe.

Samples of a rare bright red mineral are now being tested by scientists from the Nasa space agency in the search for clues about the possibility of life on Mars.

The compound, named Macaulayite by the scientists at Aberdeen's renowned Macaulay Land Use Research Institute who first identified the rare rock, could be the same type of mineral which gives Mars its distinctive colour.

Dr Jeff Wilson, the retired mineralogist who led the team, which first identified the rare compound in the late 1970s, said: "It is exciting because this particular mineral contains water. It's a very fine grain mineral and water is bound to the inner surfaces."

Dr Steve Hillier, a senior research scientist at the Macaulay Institute, explained: "We have some samples of this mineral in our collection and recently scientists from Nasa got in touch with us, asking for samples of the mineral to run some tests on it to compare it with minerals on Mars.

"The reason that they are interested in Macaulayite is that it is a bit like an iron oxide so it has a bright red colour.

"The surface of Mars is bright red so there is a good chance it may occur on Mars.

"Lots of minerals can only form in the presence of liquid water. So, if you find a particular mineral, you know straight away something about the conditions under which it can form.

"And that may have implications for the former presence of liquid water on the surface of Mars," said Dr Hillier.

Dr Janice Bishop, a Mars specialist from SETI (the Search for Extra Terrestrial Intelligence Institute), said that the presence of the mineral could provide vital clues in the search for evidence of life on Mars.

METHANE STUDY

HOPES of finding life on Mars have been boosted by British scientists studying sources of methane on the planet.

They have ruled out any possibility of meteorites delivering the high levels of the gas detected in the Martian atmosphere.

That leaves only two alternatives. Either the methane is created by chemical reactions between volcanic rock and water, or it is being generated by living organisms.

On Earth, methane is produced in large quantities both by microbes and the digestive processes of large animals such as cows.

The gas has a short lifetime of just a few hundred years on Mars because it is continuously being destroyed by sunlight in the planet's atmosphere.

Yet its levels remain constant, leading scientists to speculate about what might be topping it up.

Some experts believe the most likely source is extraterrestrial micro-organisms living in the Martian soil.

Previous studies have ruled out the possibility of volcanic activity emitting the methane.

The one remaining alternative to life is chemical reactions between volcanic rock and water.