Organic Compounds On Mars?

About a decade ago, NASA scientists captured worldwide attention by arguing that a meteorite found in Antarctica was not only from Mars, which is generally accepted by the scientific community, but that it also contained evidence of Martian life. That second conclusion was extremely controversial. Today, most researchers in the field probably reject the life hypothesis. Quietly, however, the NASA team has continued to build its case.

A new study by different scientists may provide some underpinning for an argument that life could have arisen on Mars. A necessary precondition for life, as far as we know, is the creation and maintenance of organic compounds. The new study looks at volcanic rocks from Norway and concludes that organic compounds can be created in volcanic eruptions that occur in extremely cold climates.

Clearly, that leaves Mars in the mix. Did Martian volcanic eruptions in fact create organic compounds, and did those compounds lead to life? Stay tuned.