Rock-eating organisms on Mars?

PHOTO: SPL/ GV-PRESS

For years scientists throughout the world have searched for signs of life on Mars. Some believe that they have found evidence suggesting that there once were primitive life forms on the red planet, and others even claim that there still is life on Mars!

But until now nobody has produced any solid proof. Norwegian researchers are currently working with a method that may make it easier to search for life on Mars.

Rocks that look like glass

Researchers are actually studying organisms that eat rock! The organisms, known as endoliths, are not satisfied with eating just any old rock. They seek out a special type of volcanic glass.

This type of rock is usually found in the formations created when a thin lava flow comes into contact with water. Volcanic glass is so named because the hot lava is cooled down very quickly by the cold water, giving the rock a glassy appearance.

However, the rock is not transparent like normal window glass. It actually looks more like hard, congealed syrup. The microscopic organisms eat their way through the volcanic glass, leaving small holes. The rock ends up looking like Swiss cheese!

Life on Mars

New knowledge about endoliths represents an exciting development in the search for life on Mars, since the red planet has a large amount of volcanic rock. If it turns out that there once was water on Mars, researchers could try to find the same type of volcanic glass on Mars as they are now studying on Earth.

If they then find traces of the same organisms on Mars as those they discovered in the rocks here on Earth, researchers will have taken a huge step forward in the search for life that used to exist or perhaps still does - on Mars.

Translated by Connie Stultz

*Published in 'Nysgjerrigper' no. 4/07*