Report of the COSPAR Mars special regions colloquium

• Published in: Advances in Space Research
• Main Authors: Kminek, G., Rummel, J.D., Cockell, C.S., Atlas, R., Barlow, N., Beaty, D., Boynton, W., Carr, M., Clifford, S., Conley, C.A., Davila, A.F., Debus, A., Doran, P., Hecht, M., Heldmann, J., Helbert, J., Hipkin, V., Horneck, G., Kieft, T.L., Klingelhoefer, G., Meyer, M., Newsom, H., Ori, G.G., Parnell, J., Prieur, D., Raulin, F., Schulze-Makuch, D., A. Spry, J., Stabekis, P.E., Stackebrandt, E., Vago, J., Viso, M., Voytek, M., Wells, L., Westall, F.
• Other Authors: Agence Spatiale Européenne = European Space Agency (ESA), East Carolina University Greenville (ECU), University of North Carolina System (UNC), The Open University Milton Keynes (OU), University of Louisville, Northern Arizona University Flagstaff, NASA, Jet Prop Lab, CALTECH, 4800 Oak Grove Dr, Pasadena, CA 91109 USA, Lunar and Planetary Laboratory Tucson (LPL), University of Arizona, United States Geological Survey (USGS), Lunar and Planetary Institute Houston (LPI), NASA Headquarters, NASA Ames Research Center (ARC), Centre National d'Études Spatiales Toulouse (CNES), University of Illinois Chicago (UIC), University of Illinois System, DLR Institut für Planetenforschung, Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt Berlin (DLR), Canadian Space Agency (CSA), German Aerospace Center (DLR), New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology New Mexico Tech (NMT), Institute of Physics, University of Mainz, The University of New Mexico Albuquerque, International Research School of Planetary Sciences Pescara (IRSPS), Università degli studi "G. d'Annunzio" Chieti-Pescara Chieti-Pescara (Ud'A), University of Aberdeen, Université de Brest (UBO), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Washington State University (WSU), Leibniz-Institut DSMZ-Deutsche Sammlung von Mikroorganismen und Zellkulturen GmbH / Leibniz Institute DSMZ-German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures (DSMZ), University of Pennsylvania, Centre de biophysique moléculaire (CBM), Université d'Orléans (UO)-Université de Tours (UT)-Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM)-Institut de Chimie - CNRS Chimie (INC-CNRS)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2010
• Subjects: Liquid water; Near-surface; High obliquity; Upper martian surface; South-pole snow; Sea-ice; Ground ice; Bacterial activity; Water-vapor; Space-craft surfaces; [PHYS.PHYS.PHYS-SPACE-PH]Physics [physics]/Physics [physics]/Space Physics [physics.space-ph]; South Pole; Sea ice; South pole
• Online Access: https://hal.science/hal-00602391; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asr.2010.04.039

International audience In this paper we present the findings of a COSPAR Mars Special Regions Colloquium held in Rome in 2007. We review and discuss the definition of Mars Special Regions, the physical parameters used to define Mars Special Regions, and physical features on Mars that can be interpreted as Mars Special Regions. We conclude that any region experiencing temperatures > -25 degrees C for a few hours a year and a water activity > 0.5 can potentially allow the replication of terrestrial microorganisms. Physical features on Mars that can be interpreted as meeting these conditions constitute a Mars Special Region. Based on current knowledge of the martian environment and the conservative nature of planetary protection, the following features constitute Mars Special regions: Gullies and bright streaks associated with them, pasted-on terrain, deep subsurface, dark streaks only on a case-by-case basis, others to be determined. The parameter definition and the associated list of physical features should be re-evaluated on a regular basis.