Introduction
Liquid water is considered a vital component that supports life. The fact that water is life cannot underscore the fact that understanding the habitability of other planets involves understanding the behavior of water existence on them. Therefore, an evidence to prove that mars are the most Earth-like planet in the solar system requires the provision of the evidence that the planet has reservoirs of water (Dass, 2017). The review of the current evidence for pure liquid water and brines on mars can be the essential elements that can lead to the discovery of the theory that indeed, mass supports life. The dark features on Mars that were considered as the subsurface flowing water as evidenced by the current granular flows, where the grains of sand and dust slip downhill lead to the formation of the dark streaks (Des, 2015). An analysis of the alterations between the granular flows represented by the grains of sand and dust slipping downhill to make dark streaks with the ground being darkened shows the presence of seeping water in Mars (Fogarty et al., 2018). Even though other components like the existence of matter and oxygen among other hemisphere components may suggest the support of a planet to support life, the existence of water is considered as the basic component that contributes to the habitability of Mars. This paper essentially depicts that the presence of water on Mars is an indication that the planet can support life.
Evidence showing that there are Water and Life on Mars
A historical analysis shows that the dark features on Mars that were previously considered as the evidence for subsurface water can be considered as the new research on the granular flows. This implies that the sand and dust slipping downhill in the form of the dark streaks can be used to interpret the occurrence of seeping water on the planet. The evidence of the existence of water on Mars can, therefore, be one of the best measures that can lead to the conclusion that the planet supports life. The use of Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) depicts the signatures of hydrated minerals on slopes where there has been a vast occurrence of the mysterious streaks on the Red Planet (Dass, 2017). The darkish streaks are seen to appear to ebb, where they also flow continuously. The streaks are seen to appear to flow because they are detached from the high slopes during the warm seasons due to the alterations in temperature. The evidence of the darkening and appearance of the flow down the steep slopes during the warm seasons and their fading during the cooler seasons can help in the depiction that the planet Mars contains water and can thus support life.
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The downhill flows that are currently known as the “recurring slope lineae" are also correlated with the liquid water. It is imperative that the hydrated salts on the slopes are the pointers of the relationship of these dark features. Evidence has shown that the lowering of the freezing point of the liquid brine can lead to the rapid melting of snow (Des, 2015). The shallow subsurface flow of liquid brine leads to its cooling, which might impact on its contribution to the presence of water in space.
This research is aligned with the use of imaging spectrometer on Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO), whose findings suggest that there is strong evidence showing that water flows on Mars, which also supports the fact that the planet can support life (Fogarty et al., 2018). The research does not underscore the fact that the habitability of the planet earth is the same as that of mars. For instance, the discovery that there are organic compounds inside sedimentary rocks of boron on Mars has become of interest as they can be deduced as the precursors for prebiotic chemistry (Des, 2015). These depictions combined with the previous discoveries that liquid water exists on Mars have further given the need for the analysis of the existence of life on the Gale Crater on the planet Mars.
It is imperative that the surface of Mars experiences radiations that react with the perchlorates on the surface of the earth, which can be considered as the main salt properties that support propellants in space (Dass, 2017). The existence of the perchlorate reactants in space can be considered as the current evidence of the existence of the chemical and energy transfer in Mars, which goes further to explain why the planet supports life-related process.
The downhill flows that were conventionally regarded as the recurring slope linea can be regarded as the liquid water (Ojha et al., 2015). This finding gives the possibility of giving the consideration that the hydrated salts on the slopes are the confirmatory states of the fact that there darkened features on Mars. These minerals can darken, while they always appear as a flow down the steep of the slope during the warm seasons, which is comparable to the flow of water on mountains during warm seasons on earth (Fogarty et al., 2018). Scientific studies have attributed to the fact that the existence of the hydrated salts on the slopes can point to the relationship with the darkened features.
It is imperative that neither liquid water nor the formidable liquid brines is currently stable on Mars, bearing in mind that on earth, such features are not depicted as darkened features. Moreover, pure liquid water may not be present even temporarily on the surface of Mars, bearing in mind that evaporation into the extremely dry atmosphere has the ability to inhibit the liquid phase (Dass, 2017). This implies that the existence of the water and the consequent life would be hampered by the fact that temperature and pressure on the planet are enough to the level that the water would neither freeze nor boil. The exception to the fact that Mars would support life is the fact the existence of the undercooled liquid interfacial water, which are the monolayers of the liquid water. Moreover, one would argue that there are few places where liquid brines exist temporarily on the surface, which is abided by the fact that these brines can form at cryogenic temperatures (Fogarty et al., 2018). Such climatic conditions can be considered to be present near ice or frost deposits, where the process of sublimation can be inhabited by the presence of saturated air.
The presence of life on Mars is supported by the fact that there exists both liquid water and liquid brines in the shallow subsurface of the planet Mars. The reason behind this argument is that the thin layers of soil can form an effective barrier against sublimation, which can let tot the sublimation of liquid water to form sporadically at different places (Des, 2015). The formation of water through the process of sublimation can be a living proof that indeed, Mars supports life. There are adverse situations, where at greater depths, the icy depths, and their deposits might melt, where the conductivity of the soil might be low enough to blanket the deeper subsurface effectively (Dass, 2017). In such situations, there would be the formation of the aquifers, especially where the deeper soils are sufficiently permeable and impermeable to the layers existing below.
The stability of water on the planet Mars can be measured against the partial pressure, where the vapor of the water must be relatively higher than the saturation water pressure at its temperature (Oren et al., 2014). A counter-argument, therefore, emerges on the satisfaction of this condition on Mars. Considering that pure liquid water is not stable on Mars, the temporal occurrence can be used to testify that indeed, the hydrated salts at some flow sites can help prove the fact that water, which supports life exists on Mars. After thinking about the RSl as the possible liquid water flows, it is imperative to expect for the dry sand.
However, there are different forms of liquid water that can be experienced on Planet Mars, which shows its viability of supporting life. For instance, the undercooled liquid interfacial waters are the liquid-like state (Oren et al., 2014). The existence of such water on Mars can be proved by its ability to trigger chemical processes that are OH-driven including the oxidation of organics and the ability of carbonates to insulate the reaction of sulfates. The presence of undercooled liquid interfacial water is relevant in supporting life since microorganisms can survive by the utilization of the adsorbed water.
Frozen water has also been considered to be lying beneath the surface, where the presence of the strange layers on Mars can confirm the presence of the water and the way it can enhance habitability (Dass, 2017). The current evidence shows that the water ice can melt in the upper subsurface of snow or on the ice packs despite the fact that the surface may be frozen at cooler temperatures (Oren et al., 2014). Just like how the solar radiations can lead to the warming of the subsurface because of the absorption of the rays, the water at the surface can melt because of the process of sublimation.
Moreover, aquifers that are as shallow as 100 meters below the surface exist on the planet Mars. The existence of these aquifers is highly associated with the typical geothermal heat flux and the low conductivity permeable regolith. This has often resulted in the melting of the ice in these surfaces, which allows for the formation of aquifers. It is imperative that the presence of aquifers supports life, which is a living testimony that Mars can support life (Dass, 2017). Consequently, the liquid brines can be used to define the ways in which the planet Mars can support life (Des, 2015). The liquid brines works on the principle that salts that are in contact with water are capable of reducing the freezing temperature and the saturation of water vapor pressure. This implies that salts are capable of absorbing the water while in contact with moist air to form liquid aqueous solutions especially when the relative humidity is above the threshold, a phenomenon that occurs in Mars.
Conclusion
It is imperative that the detection of the signatures of hydrated minerals on slopes where mysterious streaks are seen on Mars. The hydrated minerals appear and flow down the steep slopes during warm seasons just like the way ice flows downhill during warm seasons. The flow of the darkish streaks that appear to ebb and flow over time on Mars are viable indicators of the presence of water on the planet Mars. The proof that Mars contains water can be used in approving the fact that the planet can support life. The dark features that are considered as the evidence for subsurface flowing water can be regarded as the granular flows in which grains of sand and dust are seen to slip downhill to represent the dark streaks. As opposed to the normal colored water features observed on earth, these dark streaks can be the best evidence to suggest that Mars contains water and can thus support life.
References
Dass, R. S. (2017). The High Probability of Life on Mars: A Brief Review of the Evidence, Cosmology, at Cosmology. com Vol 27, April 15, 2017.
Des Marais, D. J. (2015). Astrobiology, Mars Exploration and Lassen Volcanic National Park.
Fogarty, J. T., Van Kranendonk, M. J., Farmer, J. D., Mccoy, T. R., Rucker, M. A., & Campbell, K. A. (2018). Seeking Signs of Life on Mars: A Strategy for Selecting and Analyzing Returned Samples from Hydrothermal Deposits [STUB].
Ojha, L., Wilhelm, M. B., Murchie, S. L., McEwen, A. S., Wray, J. J., Hanley, J., ... & Chojnacki, M. (2015). Spectral evidence for hydrated salts in recurring slope lineae on Mars. Nature Geoscience , 8 (11), 829.
Oren, A., Bardavid, R. E., & Mana, L. (2014). Perchlorate and halophilic prokaryotes: implications for possible halophilic life on Mars. Extremophiles , 18 (1), 75-80.
