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Numerous Past Life on Mars

Saturday, December 12, 2015 9:04

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Last updated on Dec. 23, 2015
Mars Bagnold Dune No. 2 contains numerous ooids (photo below). Ooids are usually composed of calcium carbonate, which is the main component of shells of marine organisms. The nuclei of ooids can be shell fragments of marine organisms (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ooid#Formation ).

The above microscopic image was taken by NASA’s Mars rover Curiosity on Dec. 3, 2015 (Sol 1182) near Bagnold Dune #2, Gale Crater, Mars. Red arrows point to some of the ooids on the sand dune. They are all smaller than 2 mm across (see scale bar at
https://www.flickr.com/photos/105796482@N04/23547408931/sizes/o/ ).
Full size of the above figure:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/fossil_lin/22926659854/sizes/o/ .

Image source: http://mars.nasa.gov/msl/multimedia/raw/?rawid=1182MH0003650010402637C00_DXXX&s=1182

For comparison, the following photo shows ooids on Earth:

Above photo shows ooids on the surface of limestone; Carmel Formation (Middle Jurassic) of southern Utah, USA.

Image source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ooid
Ooids on Mars were first mentioned by jccwrt inhttp://www.unmannedspaceflight.com/index.php?s=168811b1046f5fa132f08128aa40edec&showtopic=8114&view=findpost&p=227788
Added on Dec. 7, 2015: Numerous White Ooids on Mars

Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/lunexit/23565568015/in/dateposted/
NASA’s Mars rover Curiosity used its left Mast Camera to acquire the above panorama near Bagnold Dune #2 on Dec. 2, 2015 (Mission Sol 1181). Numerous white ooids are visible in this mosaic alone. More are visible in images taken on Dec. 5 (Sol 1184).

Added on Dec. 8, 2015: Numerous Ooids on Mars Means Past Life on Mars

According to Wikipedia, “most modern ooids are aragonite”,…(seehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ooid#Formation) “Aragonite forms naturally in almost all mollusk shells, and as the calcareous endoskeleton of warm- and cold-water corals (Scleractinia).” (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aragonite#Occurrence)

Added on Dec. 9, 2015: More Martian Ooids Marked in These Two Figures:

The above microscopic image was taken by NASA’s Mars rover Curiosity on Dec. 5, 2015 (Sol 1184) near Bagnold Dune #2, Gale Crater, Mars. Four red lines go to whitish ooids on the sand dune. They are all smaller than 2 mm across. Image source:
mars.nasa.gov/msl/multimedia/raw/?rawid=1184MH00054800104…

The above microscopic image was taken by NASA’s Mars rover Curiosity on Dec. 5, 2015 (Sol 1184) near Bagnold Dune #2, Gale Crater, Mars. Six red lines go to ooids on the sand dune. They are all smaller than 2 mm across. Image source:mars.nasa.gov/msl/multimedia/raw/?rawid=1184MH00016300004…

Highest resolutions for the above two figures are displayed at

https://www.flickr.com/photos/fossil_lin/22999088804/sizes/o/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/fossil_lin/23544871321/sizes/o/

Added on Dec. 10, 2015: Tons of Carbonate in Gale Crater

On Earth, at the Bahamas alone, there are billions of tons of ooid sands (note 1). The following photo shows some of the carbonate in Gale Crater:

Photo shows a part of Gale Crater, Mars. Mars rover Curiosity landed at upper right. Mount Sharp is at lower right. Red and yellow lines at center mark High Dune and Namib Dune. Green lines and green rectangles mark dunes similar to High Dune and Namib Dune. Enormous is the dune at bottom left. Image source: see reply 278 inwww.marsroverblog.com/discuss-213447-active-marspage14.html

Note 1: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oolitic_aragonite_sand

Added on Dec. 11, 2015: Most Ooids Originated from Organisms.

Ooids are usually comprised of calcium carbonate (note 1). Carbonate sediments are comprised of minerals deriving from organisms (note 2). So, most ooids originated from organisms.

Note 1: “Ooids are small (≤2 mm in diameter), spheroidal, “coated” (layered) sedimentary grains, usually composed of calcium carbonate,” (Quoted from the first sentence in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ooid ).

Note 2: “Modern carbonate sediments are comprised of three principal minerals: aragonite, calcite (CaCO₃) and dolomite (CaMg (CO₃)₂). The mineral type is determined by the organism from which the grains are derived.” (Quoted from the first paragraph in http://geology.uprm.edu/Morelock/carb.htm)

Added on Dec. 12, 2015: Correct Identification of Ooids

American Geophyscial Union has the following webpages on ooids:
https://blogs.agu.org/mountainbeltway/2014/04/30/ooh-ooh/

http://blogs.agu.org/mountainbeltway/2012/05/29/snowball-students-visit-the-university-of-maryland/ (see the 10th to 13th photos.)

Viewers can compare ooids there with those on Mars.

Added on Dec. 14, 2015: Ooids Differ from Other Spheres in Sizes.

Ooids are mostly no larger than 2 mm in diameter. However, “On Mars, most of the hematite rocks (“blueberries”) are about 0.16 inches (4 millimeters) in diameter, and no larger than 0.24 inches (6.2 millimeters). By contrast, Earth spherules exhibit a large range of sizes, not limited to only a quarter of an inch.” Quoted from the ninth paragraph inhttp://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/02/140224-mars-blueberries-water-meteorite-space-science/

Added on Dec. 15, 2015: Environment of Ooids

“They (ooids) are usually formed in warm, supersaturated, shallow, highly agitated marine water intertidal environments, though some are formed in inland lakes.” (Quoted from second paragraph of https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oolite#Composition )

“The oolites are commonly found in large current bedding structures that resemble sand dunes.” (second paragraph of https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oolite#Composition)

“Although the most widely distributed dunes are those associated with coastal regions, the largest complexes of dunes are found inland in dry regions and associated withancient lake or sea beds.” (See second paragraph of https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dune)

Added on Dec. 23, 2015: Most Aragonite Was Created by Life.

“The second most common type of sand is calcium carbonate, for example aragonite, which has mostly been created, over the past half billion years, by various forms of life, like coral and shellfish.” Quoted from the second paragraph in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sand

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