Mars polar cap: a habitat for elementary life
Abstract Ices in the Martian polar caps are potential habitats for various species of microorganisms. Salts in the ice and biological anti-freeze polymers maintain liquid in cracks in the ices far below 0°C, possibly down to the mean 220–240 K. Sub-surface microbial life is shielded from ultraviolet...
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Cambridge University Press (CUP)
2009
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Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s1473550409004467 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S1473550409004467 |
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crcambridgeupr:10.1017/s1473550409004467 2023-05-15T14:10:56+02:00 Mars polar cap: a habitat for elementary life Wallis, M.K. Wickramasinghe, J.T. Wickramasinghe, N.C. 2009 http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s1473550409004467 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S1473550409004467 en eng Cambridge University Press (CUP) https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms International Journal of Astrobiology volume 8, issue 2, page 117-119 ISSN 1473-5504 1475-3006 Earth and Planetary Sciences (miscellaneous) Space and Planetary Science Physics and Astronomy (miscellaneous) Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics journal-article 2009 crcambridgeupr https://doi.org/10.1017/s1473550409004467 2023-02-24T07:12:54Z Abstract Ices in the Martian polar caps are potential habitats for various species of microorganisms. Salts in the ice and biological anti-freeze polymers maintain liquid in cracks in the ices far below 0°C, possibly down to the mean 220–240 K. Sub-surface microbial life is shielded from ultraviolet (UV) radiation, but could potentially be activated on south-facing slopes under the midday, midsummer Sun. Such life would be limited by low levels of vapour, little transport of nutrients, low light levels below a protective dirt-crust, frost accumulation at night and in shadows, and little if any active translocation of organisms. As in the Antarctic and in permafrost, movement to new habitats depends on geo-climatic changes, which for Mars's north polar cap occur on a 50 000 year scale, except for rare meteorite impacts. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic Ice permafrost Cambridge University Press (via Crossref) Antarctic The Antarctic International Journal of Astrobiology 8 2 117 119 |
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Open Polar |
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Cambridge University Press (via Crossref) |
op_collection_id |
crcambridgeupr |
language |
English |
topic |
Earth and Planetary Sciences (miscellaneous) Space and Planetary Science Physics and Astronomy (miscellaneous) Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics |
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Earth and Planetary Sciences (miscellaneous) Space and Planetary Science Physics and Astronomy (miscellaneous) Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics Wallis, M.K. Wickramasinghe, J.T. Wickramasinghe, N.C. Mars polar cap: a habitat for elementary life |
topic_facet |
Earth and Planetary Sciences (miscellaneous) Space and Planetary Science Physics and Astronomy (miscellaneous) Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics |
description |
Abstract Ices in the Martian polar caps are potential habitats for various species of microorganisms. Salts in the ice and biological anti-freeze polymers maintain liquid in cracks in the ices far below 0°C, possibly down to the mean 220–240 K. Sub-surface microbial life is shielded from ultraviolet (UV) radiation, but could potentially be activated on south-facing slopes under the midday, midsummer Sun. Such life would be limited by low levels of vapour, little transport of nutrients, low light levels below a protective dirt-crust, frost accumulation at night and in shadows, and little if any active translocation of organisms. As in the Antarctic and in permafrost, movement to new habitats depends on geo-climatic changes, which for Mars's north polar cap occur on a 50 000 year scale, except for rare meteorite impacts. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Wallis, M.K. Wickramasinghe, J.T. Wickramasinghe, N.C. |
author_facet |
Wallis, M.K. Wickramasinghe, J.T. Wickramasinghe, N.C. |
author_sort |
Wallis, M.K. |
title |
Mars polar cap: a habitat for elementary life |
title_short |
Mars polar cap: a habitat for elementary life |
title_full |
Mars polar cap: a habitat for elementary life |
title_fullStr |
Mars polar cap: a habitat for elementary life |
title_full_unstemmed |
Mars polar cap: a habitat for elementary life |
title_sort |
mars polar cap: a habitat for elementary life |
publisher |
Cambridge University Press (CUP) |
publishDate |
2009 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s1473550409004467 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S1473550409004467 |
geographic |
Antarctic The Antarctic |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic The Antarctic |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic Ice permafrost |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic Ice permafrost |
op_source |
International Journal of Astrobiology volume 8, issue 2, page 117-119 ISSN 1473-5504 1475-3006 |
op_rights |
https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1017/s1473550409004467 |
container_title |
International Journal of Astrobiology |
container_volume |
8 |
container_issue |
2 |
container_start_page |
117 |
op_container_end_page |
119 |
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1766283053953449984 |