Bianciardi, Giorgio and Rizzo, Vincenzo and Cantasano, Nicola (2014) Opportunity Rover’s image analysis: Microbialites on Mars? International journal of aeronautical and space sciences, 15 (4). pp. 419-433. ISSN 2093-2480
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Abstract
The Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity investigated plains at Meridiani Planum, where laminated sedimentary rocks are present. The Opportunity rover’s Athena morphological investigation showed microstructures organized in intertwined filaments of microspherules: a texture we have also found on samples of terrestrial (biogenic) stromatolites and other microbialites. We performed a quantitative image analysis to compare images (n=45) of microbialites with the images (n=30)photographed by the rover (corresponding, approximately, to 25,000/15,000 microstructures). Contours were extracted and morphometric indexes were obtained: geometric and algorithmic complexities, entropy, tortuosity, minimum and maximum diameters. Terrestrial and Martian textures present a multifractal aspect. Mean values and confidence intervals from the Martian images overlapped perfectly with those from the terrestrial samples. The probability of this occurring by chance is 1/28,less than p<0.004. Terrestrial abiogenic pseudostromatolites showed a simple fractal structure and different morphometric values from those of the terrestrial biogenic stromatolite images or Martian images with a less ordered texture (p<0.001). Our work shows the presumptive evidence of microbialites in the Martian outcroppings: i.e., the presence of unicellular life on the ancient Mars.
| Item Type: | Article |
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| Uncontrolled Keywords: | Mars Exploration Rovers, microbialites, fractal analysis, life on Mars. |
| Subjects: | 500 Scienze naturali e Matematica > 500.5 Scienze spaziali > 500.5'072 Scienze spaziali - Ricerca (Ricerca spaziale) |
| Depositing User: | Dr Nicola Cantasano |
| Date Deposited: | 12 Dec 2016 09:39 |
| Last Modified: | 12 Dec 2016 09:39 |
| URI: | http://eprints.bice.rm.cnr.it/id/eprint/15600 |
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