In the south-east of Chile, terraces host relic gypsum, a sulfate mineral, in layered sedimentary formations, known as stromatolites, that were formed under extreme climates. This environment provides a natural analog for sedimentary rocks on Mars. In a recent Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences study, an international team of researchers investigated colonization and biosignatures of microbes growing inside fossilized gypsum layers – an approach that could help them understand the formation and preservation of environmental systems on Mars where sulfate plays a central role.

Gravitational waves are ripples in spacetime produced by violent cosmic events, such as the merging of black holes. So far, direct detections have relied on measuring tiny distance changes over kilometer-scale instruments. In a new theoretical study accepted for publication in Physical Review Letters, researchers at Stockholm University, Nordita, and the University of T¨ubingen propose an unconventional approach: tracking how gravitational waves reshape the light emitted by atoms. The work describes a possible detection route, but an experimental demonstration remains for the

future.

The Mars Perseverance rover has revealed distinct signatures of paleo-river and deltaic structures formed up to 4.2 billion years ago near the Jezero crater, providing new insight into the ancient Martian landscape’s watery history. Evidence of water on Mars persists in surface carbonate deposits, observable by the Perseverance rover’s various instruments. Using data from the rover’s ground-penetrating radar instrument, Emily Cardarelli and colleagues have now examined a sedimentary deposit called the Margin unit that is rich in magnesium carbonates, which preserve a record of the planet’s once-wet climate. It lies near a fluvial inlet to the Jezero crater, which was already known to contain features indicative of paleolakes and river deltas, including the Western Delta. During 78 traverses, Perseverance collected data from more than 35 meters underground – 1.75 times deeper than measured before at the Jezero crater. Radar reflection signatures showed that the Margin unit contains distinct river and deltaic features. Cardarelli et al. theorize that these structures could represent an ancient meandering river system, an alluvial fan, or braided river system. Furthermore, the findings suggest the region may have been a deltaic environment as early as the Noachian epoch (approximately 4.2 to 3.7 billion years ago), which would have predated the Western Delta’s formation. “This work also may have implications for the preservation of potential biosignatures and habitability in the subsurface of Jezero crater,” the authors write.

The mysterious properties of meteorites will be transformed into music and performed live at the Cambridge Festival this Saturday (21 March). Presented by experts from Anglia Ruskin University and the University of Cambridge, the event will allow the audience to experience space science in a new way by turning the microscopic textures and mineral structures of meteorites into melodies.