Do the textures and layers in rocks and soils suggest life might have developed on Mars?
Dr. John P. Grotzinger will search for evidence of life preserved within rocks on the Martian surface. This study requires a comparative approach, guided by insights acquired through analysis of similar rocks and soils found on earth. Dr. Grotzinger’s research will consist of several focal points, to be adjusted depending on the outcome of optical surveys using the Pancam and the Microscopic Imager, and mineralogical surveys using the three spectrometers. These focal points include: • the construction of geologic maps based on ground-based and space-based observations; • the analysis of mineral textures that formed as pore-filling cements, crusts, and mineral layers in rocks and that might help to understand the evolution of the Martian hydrosphere and atmosphere; and • the analysis of millimeter-centimeter scale features that were chemically and possibly biologically precipitated. STUDIES OF THE SOIL, ROCKS, AND LANDFORMS Dr. Johannes Brückner How does the chemical composition of the
