Episode 72
Thin dark coatings known as desert varnish are common on rocks in arid regions on Earth and they’re thought to form in part from microbial activity. Now, on Mars, the Perseverance rover has found similar coatings.
45 thoughts on “Is this coating evidence of microbial activity?”
Looks fascinating but I'm still rather skeptical regarding life on Mars ever being a thing. These layers have to be fairly recent, forming long after the lake dried out and bottom got eroded since it sits on already eroded sides of these rocks. My guess is, it's another form of those metallic beads rovers met in other places which also looked fascinating but I believe were already proven to be of anorganic origin. But we'll see, I am pretty sure Nasa will do their best to figure out what it is.
Amazing video and pictures once again… Is that a waterfall (sand as water) cascading over the fractures i the rock ? Do you guys know how the large pieces of the stratified rock break so cleanly into 'bricks' in places ..
Again if we were betting the form is showing the odds of life being found shortening ! 🤟🏻
Very interesting vid. I have spent about 4 years exploring the Moroccan Sahara, geology and archaeology being the driving force. Well my Landy did a lot of driving too.
it sure looks like desert varnish, surely the laser shots will give some good indication or minerals present to say yes or no towards life? this is huge!
I have often wondered why they don't fly even modest optical microscopes on these missions. Enough that you'd have a decent chance of spotting a microbe fossil. Part of me feels like that might be too definitive in the negative direction if nothing were found and they would lose funding based on the hope of finding life.
About Ingenuity. August 20, 2022. A sequence of three photos from Ingenuity's NAVcam appearing to show a descent to the same point it descended on Flight 29.
Wow. I sincerely hope we can get a sample back to earth. Like some of the other commenters have already mentioned, thank you for your measured tones regarding possible evidence of microbial life. Still exciting though!
Neat. If it is indeed a coating then it would imply a hiatus in aeolian erosion. Active ventifacts on Earth don't collect coatings or lichen, etc, because sand abrasion keeps them cleaned of it.
I'm curious about whether this dark surface is preferentially found on the downwind side (~west-facing side) of the rocks. If there was an erosional hiatus, could this surface/'coating' have been more widespread, and now is only present on surfaces protected from abrasion?
There's been so much backwasting of these delta deposits that any existing coatings would probably be relatively recent. Still, they're very cool.
Why do humanoids not realize Mars is but one of the places our Very distant relatives were from? How about the Planet that got turned into the Asteroid belt?
Rock-/desert varnish kind of coatings and other putative micro-biology related structures were spotted by EVERY rover mission on Mars so far. Even in the Viking imagery there was hints of such. A very interesting topic for sure. If this turns out to be related to microbes – Mars seems full of microbial life (maybe dirstributed by the dust storms) literaly hidden in plain sight. Mr Levin s labeled release experiment results may have shown us the truth about life on Mars all the time since Viking 😉 So not realy new news but exciting none the less.
"Mars Guy" provides a well respected channel for all Mars enthusiasts. Updating (mostly) Perseverance and Ingenuity releases using reason, size/ distance comparisons and imagination. Mars as viewed through the eyes of a geologist. I appreciate the professionalism and effort involved, I never miss a new release!
Looks fascinating but I'm still rather skeptical regarding life on Mars ever being a thing. These layers have to be fairly recent, forming long after the lake dried out and bottom got eroded since it sits on already eroded sides of these rocks. My guess is, it's another form of those metallic beads rovers met in other places which also looked fascinating but I believe were already proven to be of anorganic origin. But we'll see, I am pretty sure Nasa will do their best to figure out what it is.
I can't wait until we find Martian petroglyphs! 👾
😉
This is the first profound news about ancient microbes on Mars…the first real indication….it might have been 😊👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏😊👍👍
Circumstantial evidence of life on Mars keeps growing.
Nice one, keep them coming!
Asking a lot of bacteria to exist on surfaces exposed to UV and radiation, still…..looks interesting.
If there are no indigenous microbes on mars I will eat my hat.
Considering how much material is being traded amongst planets panspermia seems almost inevitable.
Amazing video and pictures once again… Is that a waterfall (sand as water) cascading over the fractures i the rock ? Do you guys know how the large pieces of the stratified rock break so cleanly into 'bricks' in places ..
Again if we were betting the form is showing the odds of life being found shortening ! 🤟🏻
Nice work Again
Another very good and informative video thank you!
Really good!
Very interesting, thanks Mars Guy!
Very interesting vid. I have spent about 4 years exploring the Moroccan Sahara, geology and archaeology being the driving force. Well my Landy did a lot of driving too.
it sure looks like desert varnish, surely the laser shots will give some good indication or minerals present to say yes or no towards life? this is huge!
I have often wondered why they don't fly even modest optical microscopes on these missions. Enough that you'd have a decent chance of spotting a microbe fossil.
Part of me feels like that might be too definitive in the negative direction if nothing were found and they would lose funding based on the hope of finding life.
There you go. It's still a completely mystery, therefore God.
Super interesting. Thanks.
fantastic find! thanks MG for the update.
About Ingenuity. August 20, 2022. A sequence of three photos from Ingenuity's NAVcam appearing to show a descent to the same point it descended on Flight 29.
The "varnish of life" does not seem to interest much. Percy returns to "Enchanted Lake".
Oh, we have to return samples of this material
Good straightforward video..there are hints of possible life on Mars, just nothing definitive…
Fascinating stuff. I really hope there is a way to get some flakes into a sample tube.
I am excited for the day Mars comes to Earth
Don't pitch your voice every second or third word, and you have a really great channel!
Could they zap the varnish with the chemcam?
I've never heard about this varnish topic from anyone else ever. Mahalo for bringing this concept to the fore! It's fascinating!
Short and informative, as always. Thanks!
I imagine there is a whole team analysing every photo and every single rock
This is the coolest kind of discovery, because you learn something awesome no matter what the final results are.
What a time to be alive, when we get to ask these questions and find out!
Thanks!
Wow. I sincerely hope we can get a sample back to earth. Like some of the other commenters have already mentioned, thank you for your measured tones regarding possible evidence of microbial life. Still exciting though!
Awesome as always…I certainly look forward to your content….UD
Neat. If it is indeed a coating then it would imply a hiatus in aeolian erosion. Active ventifacts on Earth don't collect coatings or lichen, etc, because sand abrasion keeps them cleaned of it.
I'm curious about whether this dark surface is preferentially found on the downwind side (~west-facing side) of the rocks. If there was an erosional hiatus, could this surface/'coating' have been more widespread, and now is only present on surfaces protected from abrasion?
There's been so much backwasting of these delta deposits that any existing coatings would probably be relatively recent. Still, they're very cool.
Could you give any aditional reference about this issue? Thanks!
Jackpot!
This is potentially the biggest Mars story to date.
Would they really announce it
If they find life ???
As always, great content. Thank you.
Why do humanoids not realize Mars is but one of the places our Very distant relatives were from?
How about the Planet that got turned into the Asteroid belt?
Interesting
Rock-/desert varnish kind of coatings and other putative micro-biology related structures were spotted by EVERY rover mission on Mars so far. Even in the Viking imagery there was hints of such. A very interesting topic for sure. If this turns out to be related to microbes – Mars seems full of microbial life (maybe dirstributed by the dust storms) literaly hidden in plain sight. Mr Levin s labeled release experiment results may have shown us the truth about life on Mars all the time since Viking 😉
So not realy new news but exciting none the less.
I have exactly the same Swiss army knife as Mars Guy. Coincidence or conspiracy?
"Mars Guy" provides a well respected channel for all Mars enthusiasts. Updating (mostly) Perseverance and Ingenuity releases using reason, size/ distance comparisons and imagination. Mars as viewed through the eyes of a geologist. I appreciate the professionalism and effort involved, I never miss a new release!