More Martian pack-ice potential

"Hopes of finding evidence that organic life gained a toe-hold on Mars appear to be brightening.



"On Friday [25 Feb], the European Space Agency wrapped up a week-long meeting in Noordwijk, Netherlands, focusing on the first year's results from its Mars Express orbiter. Planetary scientists reported evidence for volcanic eruptions within the planet's recent past. Others have spotted what they interpret as a large, dust-covered, frozen sea. Still others cite the presence of methane and formaldehyde in the Martian atmosphere as evidence for current biological activity.

"'Hints of life on Mars are getting stronger,' notes Vittorio Formisano, whose research group detected the two compounds in the planet's tenuous atmosphere using instruments on Mars Express.

"Indeed, an informal survey of participants at the meeting indicated that 75 percent of the researchers present agreed that bacteria once lived on Mars. Roughly 25 percent agreed that bacteria inhabit the planet today.

"Meanwhile, a meeting in Houston scheduled for next month will highlight a range of results from Mars Express and from the US Mars Global Surveyor and Mars Odyssey orbiters for near-surface ice and glacial activity in Mars' recent past."