Is it Possible to Grow Autotrophs on Mars?

[jimmydasaint]

Just musing about the Earth's early atmosphere as being mostly carbon dioxide and then slowly being converted into substantial amounts of oxygen from photoautotrophs.

 

I just wonder if the original conditions for the transformation of the Martian atmosphere can be re-created as an evolutionary experiment and then periodically seeded with further and further species until levels of oxygen are created. I would envisage a dome-like structure to protect the bacteria or protists from the harshness of the Martian atmospheres.

 

Any views on this?

[Mokele]

Some algae species live in Antarctica, and thus could theoretically survive on Mars. However, an important consideration is the Q10 rule - in general, any biochemical reaction will drop in speed by 1/2 for every 10 degree Celsius temperature drop. Thus, while the algae could photosynthesize on Mars, they'd do so very, very slowly.

[npts2020]

Just musing about the Earth's early atmosphere as being mostly carbon dioxide and then slowly being converted into substantial amounts of oxygen from photoautotrophs.

 

I just wonder if the original conditions for the transformation of the Martian atmosphere can be re-created as an evolutionary experiment and then periodically seeded with further and further species until levels of oxygen are created. I would envisage a dome-like structure to protect the bacteria or protists from the harshness of the Martian atmospheres.

 

Any views on this?

 

For decades now I have been under the impression that early Earth's atmosphere was mostly methane and ammonia. In addition to being different composition, the Martian atmosphere is much less dense than early Earth. Having said that, some of the life forms (I am thinking some archaeons, there might be others) that exist under extreme conditions on this planet could concievably live under some Martian conditions as well. Mars does not have the gravity to be able to hold an atmosphere such as exists on Earth, however......

[jimmydasaint]

Thanks for the replies guys. The dome would have a protective function to support the correct types of organisms and , if successful could be grown larger in size. Thanks for the mention of algae and archeons which can survive in extreme conditions. I was hoping that there could be a possibility of independent growth of organisms which could make a subtle change to the atmosphere. Seems unlikely though.

 

However, I was coming from the viewpoint that the Earth was also similarly seemingly inert but changed to accommodate large amounts of oxygen.

 

npts2020 - this is what I was referring to because I though the Earth's atmosphere was changed by photoautotrophs to produce oxygen:

 

First Atmosphere

 

Composition - Probably H2, He

These gases are relatively rare on Earth compared to other places in the universe and were probably lost to space early in Earth's history because

Earth's gravity is not strong enough to hold lighter gases

Earth still did not have a differentiated core (solid inner/liquid outer core) which creates Earth's magnetic field (magnetosphere = Van Allen Belt) which deflects solar winds.

Once the core differentiated the heavier gases could be retained

Second Atmosphere

 

Produced by volcanic out gassing.

 

Gases produced were probably similar to those created by modern volcanoes (H2O, CO2, SO2, CO, S2, Cl2, N2, H2) and NH3 (ammonia) and CH4 (methane)

No free O2 at this time (not found in volcanic gases).

Ocean Formation - As the Earth cooled, H2O produced by out gassing could exist as liquid in the Early Archean, allowing oceans to form.

Evidence - pillow basalts, deep marine seds in greenstone belts.

http://www.ux1.eiu.edu/~cfjps/1400/atmos_origin.html