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From: TJL@ceres.physics.uiowa.edu
Newsgroups: sci.astro,sci.space
Subject: Re: Possible evidence for life on Mars.
Message-ID: <7037@ceres.physics.uiowa.edu>
Date: 20 Jul 89 20:56:01 GMT
References: <8907201621.AA00301@decwrl.dec.com>
Organization: Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Iowa
Lines: 37

In article <8907201621.AA00301@decwrl.dec.com>, klaes@wrksys.dec.com 
(CUP/ASG, MLO5-2/G1 6A, 223-3283) writes:
>          From the July 20, 1989 edition of THE BOSTON GLOBE -
>     
>          "Meteorite Revives Hopes There May Be Life on Mars"
> 
>          The possibility that life could have evolved on Mars, and perhaps
>     exists there now, has been given a boost by the discovery of large
>     amounts of organic material, the basis of all known life forms, in a
>     meteorite believed to have come from the red planet. 
> 

 I have been curious about the possibility of life on Mars
for awhile.  My understanding of current theories on the
origin of life on this planet is that life is thought to
have originated in tidal pools or near the ocean surface.
Both of these places have ample sunlight, rather calm water,
yet would have the necessary chemicals for proteins and
their precursors to form and combine.

My question is that all of the pictures from Mars have been
of river channels, river channels which apparently handled
immense quantities of water.  How would this environment
(i.e. the river) compare with the ocean?  If the water was
flowing fast enough to carve these channels, would there
also be areas where the water would be stagnant for a long
enough period of time for proteins and the like to form?
Have there been areas discovered which resemble a sea or
ocean basin, but just have not received as much press?


-- Joe

"Those who would sacrifice **  I disclaim none of my opinions.
liberty for security,      **
deserve neither."          **    DECnet CERES::TJL
 B. Franklin               **           tjl@ceres.physics.uiowa.edu