The Martians(108)

"Stromatolitic Formations under Ceraunius Tholus Match Structure and Chemical Composition of Hydatogenic Geyserite Discovered under Tharsis Tholus.” Vol. 60, 1 May m65. By Borazjani, H. X., Department of Ecology; Robertson, L. D., Wulf, V. W., and Flores, N., Department of Areology, University of Mars, Burroughs.

A siliceous deposit composed of nearly pure opaline silica was discovered during drilling in Tharsis Tholus. The thermal spring on the west flank, 4.2 kms below the surface, was still active, and the resulting geyserite formation was clearly abiologic in origin. No microbacteria, nanobacteria, archaea, or nanofossils were found in any retrieved rock, all of which was retrieved and handled using GEC-mandated sterilization techniques.

"Mitochondrial Analysis of Archaea ceraunii and Columbia Methanospirillum jacobii Indicate the Ceraunius Population Is the Older of the Two.” Vol. 60, 2 May m65. By Forbes, G. N., Department of Microbiology, and Pieron, I. I., Department of Genetics, University of Mars, Cairo; and Kim, C. H., Institute of Areophysics, Senzeni Na.

Though abiologic processes account for geyserite formations in Ceraunius Tholus, imbibition rates for basaltic lava as calculated by Russell et al., m12t, indicate that the archaea coating the fractures in the basalt cannot have penetrated quickly enough into the rock to be anthropogenic in origin. Mitochondrial analysis clearly shows that the fossil Archaea ceraunii found on site along with living specimens are older than any dated Columbia basement Methanospirillum. Mitochondrial analysis also suggests that the descendant Terran species split from its ancestor about 180 Myr, the time when SNC Crater was formed, and the SNC meteorites thereby cast into space (cf. Matheson, N., 1997b). This indicates that the Terran archaea may have arrived on Earth in the SNC meteorites.

"SNC Crater Not Necessarily the Source of SNC Meteorites.” Vol. 60, 1 December m65. By Claparede, R., Department of Ecology; Xthosa, N., Institute of Areophysics, Senzeni Na; and Taneev, V. L., Acheron Institute for Areological Studies.

Spectrographic analyses of the Shergotty and Zagami meteorites show that both diabase stones consist mainly of the pyroxenes pigeonite and augite, and of maskelynite, a shocked plagioclase glass. The maskelynite is zoned, with accessory phases of titanomagnetite, ilmenite, pyrrhotite, fayalite, tridymite, whitlockite, chlorapatite, and baddeleyite. In situ investigation of the brecciated diabase in SNC Crater and surrounding region reveal that ilmenite and whitlockite are missing from this inventory. Studies at another oval crater about the same age and size on the Elysium Massif, Crater Tf, show that it has the same brecciated diabase, with the same phase accessories, as SNC Crater and environs. The Crater Tf diabase also exhibits a poikilitic texture like that seen in the Chassigny meteorite (Banin, Clark, and Wänke, 1992). Either crater could have been the origin for the SNC meteorites so far found on Earth.

"Exotic Features in Archaea ceraunii Confirm Indigenous Origin.” Vol. 64, 1 April m69. By Forbes, G. N., Department of Biology, Sabishii College.

Proportions of isotropically heavy nitrogen unique to Mars are present in the archaea found 2.3 kms beneath the surface of Ceraunius Tholus, in ancient thermal springs. Mitochondrial analysis using the revised Thurmond equations confirms that Archaea ceraunii and the Columbia basement nanobacteria Methanospirillum jacobii split from a common ancestor from 6000 to 15,000 generations ago. Rates of mutation in extremophiles that have radically slowed their metabolisms are not yet certain, but there are strong indications that they may be well over a magnitude slower than described by earlier estimates (cf. Whitebook, H., m33f). This means the Ceraunius and Columbia nanobacteria could have split into separate species over 1.8 Gyr. Imbibition rates in basalt are <1 cm/Myr (cf. Russell et al., m12t), and not all of the Archaea ceraunii were found on the surfaces of cracked rocks in the thermal vent; some were recovered as much as a meter deep inside unbroken samples. These and other considerations show that Archaea ceraunii cannot have been placed in situ by anthropogenic action; there has not been enough time for them to get there. Indigenous origin is the only good explanation of all the data.



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In-The Journal of Areological Studies, vols. 65–75

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Odessa

Oh in those days we were so happy. In love, sure. Just the two of us; no kids; interesting work; lots of free time; all Mars there to be explored together. We would go out into the backcountry on long walkabouts, wandering and talking. Out under the stars at night. For several years we spent the fall in Odessa, where we had work in the vineyards and wineries. We rented a little house in the beach village a few kilometers west of Odessa, at the end of the tram line. A hillside village, looking down on a crook of a beach, buildings clustered at the bottom, scattered among the trees higher up. Our house was pretty high on the hill, with a view down over treetops and tile roofs, and the broad blue plate of the Hellas Sea. Little patio out back, a table and two chairs. A lot of flowering vines, a little lemon tree in a tub. Almost all the summer visitors would be gone by then, so that only one restaurant stayed open, down behind the beach. The cats were friendly and looked sleek and well fed, though no one owned them. In the restaurant one jumped right into my lap and purred. I remember the first time we stood on the patio, looking down, then back at the house—whitewash, vines, the bedroom balcony with an iron railing, the brown hills above and behind, the sea and the sky. We laughed at how perfect it was. Most mornings we trammed into town to work, then came back in the afternoons and went to the beach. Or vice versa. Sunset on the patio with a glass of wine. Dinners in our little kitchen, or down at the restaurant, where a guitar and mandolin duo played on Fridays. Then nights in bed in a house all to ourselves. Sometimes I woke before dawn and went down to start coffee and go out on the patio. One of those mornings the sky was plastered with a herringbone cloud that turned pink, then gold.