As far as we know today, water is one of the most fundamental, and possibly universal, building blocks of life. For researchers looking for active or extinct extra-terrestrial life, evidence of water on a planet would be a boon. Within frozen ices or subterranean pools could lie microbial life, evolved separate from the species that populate our Earth.
Though efforts have yet to discover water on Mars, a new method for detecting the valuable liquid might find its way to the Red Planet in the future.
Developed by Kellie Wall, an undergraduate at Washington State University, the new hydro-hunting method has its roots in terrestrial geology. Since a trip to Mount St. Helens when she was young Wall has been fascinated by rocks, particularly those of volcanic origin.
As fortune would have it that exact same type of rocks, named basalt by geologists, would help Wall advance our understanding of Mars.
After taking a geology class during her sophomore year, Wall rediscovered her passion for geology. Within a few months Wall’s professors were asking her if she’d like to join in on their research looking into Martian geology.
Although the field of geology is quite familiar with long periods of time, Wall and her new colleagues soon found that they had established a method for quantifying the texture of a rock based on its contact with water during its formation. Like most other things, volcanic rock cools rapidly when it comes in contact with water. In fact, if enough water is present volcanic lava will transform into glass. However, if water isn’t present when a volcanic flow is cooling the internal structure of the material will have a more crystalline value.
Using an index based off of those properties Wall compared samples of rock analyzed by NASA’s Curiosity rover to determine if water had ever been present on Mars’ surface. Unfortunately, no rock that fits Wall’s water-saturated profile appeared on Curiosity’s radar. Still, Wall sees her work and the index she’s helped create as an amazing accomplishment.
"I think this quantification of volcanic textures is a new facet of the water story that hasn't yet been explored," said Wall. "Most of the studies searching for water have focused on either looking for sedimentary structures -- large- and small-scale -- for evidence of water, or looking for rocks like limestones that actually would have formed in a water-rich environment.”
"But being able to determine the environment through the texture of a volcanic rock is something pretty cool and different," she adds. "I think it's an interesting avenue for future research."
Image Courtesy of Washington State University