Mercury study offers new twist on possibility of life on other planets

By Peter Aitken Fox News

Published December 10, 2023 4:00am EST

Scientists have suggested Mercury could support life, but it would require some flexible thinking about the form that any such organism in the exceptionally harsh environment could take.

"This groundbreaking discovery of Mercurian glaciers extends our comprehension of the environmental parameters that could sustain life, adding a vital dimension to our exploration of astrobiology also relevant to the potential habitability of Mercury-like exoplanets," Alexis Rodriguez, research lead author and Planetary Science Institute (PSI) scientist, said regarding a recent study.

"Our finding complements other recent research showing that Pluto has nitrogen glaciers, implying that the glaciation phenomenon extends from the hottest to the coldest confines within our Solar System," Rodriguez wrote in a blog post on the results of a recent study.

Visitors and parents learn about the composition of the solar system at the Zhejiang Provincial Geological Museum

Mercury seems one of the least likely planets able to support life in the solar system, with scorching 800-degree Fahrenheit daytime temperatures, a sweltering 290 degrees Fahrenheit at night and no atmosphere to retain it or trap in the elements necessary for life, according to Spanish outlet AS.

Scientists have reconsidered the possibility — as remote as it might be — thanks to the discovery of salt glaciers, which resemble their ice-formed cousins on Earth minus the moisture. Previous studies determined that Mercury’s surface contained volatiles, elements such as sulfur, chlorine and potassium, which can help create conditions for life.

Initial thought suggested the various mixed layers and materials resulted from a massive asteroid that created the Caloris impact crater, but newer studies instead determined subsequent impacts exposed similar materials and evidence that they might exist independent of the rocky bombardment that plagued the solar system in the earliest eons of existence.

The surface of Mercury, as photographed by the Mariner 10 craft, circa 1974.

"Specific salt compounds on Earth create habitable niches even in some of the harshest environments where they occur, such as the arid Atacama Desert in Chile," Rodriguez explained. "This line of thinking leads us to ponder the possibility of subsurface areas on Mercury that might be more hospitable than its harsh surface."

The researchers on the PSI study argued the salt glaciers could have originated from the layers rich in volatiles and sit on top of vast stores of those elements.

"These Mercurian glaciers, distinct from Earth’s, originate from deeply buried volatile rich layers (VRLs) exposed by asteroid impacts," PSI scientist Bryan Travis said of the study. "Our models strongly affirm that salt flow likely produced these glaciers and that after their emplacement they retained volatiles for over 1 billion years."

Detail of Ruth Glacier, Glacial moulin, Denali National Park, Alaska.

PSI scientist Deborah Domingue added that the glaciers are marked by complex configurations of hollows that likely formed as a result of retaining a volatile-rich composition.

Mercury study offers new twist on possibility of life on other planets

对水星的研究为其他星球存在生命的可能提供了新的转折

Scientists have suggested Mercury could support life, but it would require some flexible thinking about the form that any such organism in the exceptionally harsh environment could take.

科学家们表示，水星可以支持生命，但这需要对此类生物在异常恶劣的环境中可能存在的形式脑洞大开一点。

"This groundbreaking discovery of Mercurian glaciers extends our comprehension of the environmental parameters that could sustain life, adding a vital dimension to our exploration of astrobiology also relevant to the potential habitability of Mercury-like exoplanets," Alexis Rodriguez, research lead author and Planetary Science Institute (PSI) scientist, said regarding a recent study.

“水星冰川的突破性发现扩展了我们对维持生命的环境因素的理解，为我们探索类水星的系外行星宜居性的天体生物学提供了一个重要维度”，研究的主作者、行星科学院科学家Alexis Rodriguez在谈论最近的研究时说道。

"Our finding complements other recent research showing that Pluto has nitrogen glaciers, implying that the glaciation phenomenon extends from the hottest to the coldest confines within our Solar System," Rodriguez wrote in a blog post on the results of a recent study.

“我们的发现对最近其他的研究发现冥王星存在氮冰川是一种补充，表明冰川现象在我们太阳系中从最热的区域延伸到了最冷的区域”， Rodriguez在一篇关于最近研究结果的博客中写道。

Mercury seems one of the least likely planets able to support life in the solar system, with scorching 800-degree Fahrenheit daytime temperatures, a sweltering 290 degrees Fahrenheit at night and no atmosphere to retain it or trap in the elements necessary for life, according to Spanish outlet AS.

据西班牙媒体AS报道，水星看上去是太阳系里最不可能支持生命的行星之一，白天温度高达800华氏度，晚上温度也达到290华氏度，没有大气层来留住或捕获生命所需的元素。

Scientists have reconsidered the possibility — as remote as it might be — thanks to the discovery of salt glaciers, which resemble their ice-formed cousins on Earth minus the moisture. Previous studies determined that Mercury’s surface contained volatiles, elements such as sulfur, chlorine and potassium, which can help create conditions for life.

科学家们重新考虑了这种可能性——尽管可能性很小——这要归功于盐冰川的发现，盐冰川类似于地球上的“兄弟”水冰川，可以减少水分。此前的研究表明，水星表面含有硫、氯和钾等挥发性元素，这些元素有助于为生命创造条件。

Initial thought suggested the various mixed layers and materials resulted from a massive asteroid that created the Caloris impact crater, but newer studies instead determined subsequent impacts exposed similar materials and evidence that they might exist independent of the rocky bombardment that plagued the solar system in the earliest eons of existence.

最初的想法认为上面各种混合层和物质是由一颗巨型小行星造成的，该小行星撞击造成了“Caloris”撞击坑。但较新的研究发现随后的一些撞击暴露了相似的物质，证明他们可能在太阳系最早充满岩石撞击的万古时代之前就已经独立存在。

"Specific salt compounds on Earth create habitable niches even in some of the harshest environments where they occur, such as the arid Atacama Desert in Chile," Rodriguez explained. "This line of thinking leads us to ponder the possibility of subsurface areas on Mercury that might be more hospitable than its harsh surface."

“即使在一些最恶劣的环境中，比如智利干旱的Atacama沙漠，地球上的一些特定盐类化合物也会创造出适合居住的环境”，Rodriguez说道，“这一想法让我们猜测水星上地下区域可能比其严酷的表面更适合居住。”

The researchers on the PSI study argued the salt glaciers could have originated from the layers rich in volatiles and sit on top of vast stores of those elements.

行星科学院的研究人员称盐冰川可能源于富含挥发物的地层，冰川下面可能含有大量的这类物质。

"These Mercurian glaciers, distinct from Earth’s, originate from deeply buried volatile rich layers (VRLs) exposed by asteroid impacts," PSI scientist Bryan Travis said of the study. "Our models strongly affirm that salt flow likely produced these glaciers and that after their emplacement they retained volatiles for over 1 billion years."

“这些水星上的冰川和地球上的不同，源于深埋的富含挥发物的地层，被小行星撞击暴露了出来”，行星科学院科学家Bryan Travis对于这一研究说道，“我们的模型有力地证实了盐流很可能产生了这些冰川，在它们形成后，留住了超过10亿年的挥发物”。

PSI scientist Deborah Domingue added that the glaciers are marked by complex configurations of hollows that likely formed as a result of retaining a volatile-rich composition.

行星科学院科学家Deborah Domingue补充道，冰川上有复杂的凹陷结构，这很可能是由于保留了富含挥发性成分的物质而形成的。