Mars Exploration Rover's image analysis: Evidence of Microbialites on Mars.

Geophysical Research AbstractsVol. 17, EGU2015-3876, 2015EGU General Assembly 2015© Author(s) 2015. CC Attribution 3.0 License.Mars Exploration Rover's image analysis: Evidence of Microbialites onMars.Giorgio Bianciardi (1), Vincenzo Rizzo (2), and Nicola Cantasano (3)(1) University of Siena, Dpt. Medical Biotechnologies, Siena, Italy ([email protected]), (2) National Research Council -retired -, Via Repaci 22, Rende, Cosenza, Italy, (3) National Research Council, Institute for Agricultural and Forest Systems inthe Mediterranean, Rende Research Unit, Cosenza, ItalyThe Mars Exploration Rovers, Opportunity and Spirit, investigated Martian plains, where sedimentary rocks arepresent. The Mars Exploration Rover's Athena morphological investigation showed microstructures organized inintertwined filaments of microspherules: a texture we have also found on samples of terrestrial (biogenic) stromatolitesand other microbialites. We performed a quantitative image analysis to compare images of microbialiteswith the images photographed by the Rovers (corresponding, approximately, to 25,000/25,000 microstructures,Earth/Mars). Contours were extracted and morphometric indexes were obtained: geometric and algorithmic complexities,entropy, tortuosity, minimum and maximum diameters. Terrestrial and Martian textures present a multifractalaspect. Mean values and confidence intervals from the Martian images overlapped perfectly with those fromthe terrestrial samples. The probability of this occurring by chance is 1/2^8, less than p<0.004. Terrestrial abiogenicpseudostromatolites showed a simple fractal structure and different morphometric values from those of the terrestrialbiogenic stromatolite images or Martian images with a less ordered texture (p<0.001). Our work shows thepresumptive evidence of microbialites in the Martian outcroppings: the presence of unicellular life widespread onthe ancient Mars.