In the state of Coahuila, there is a region that has sparked the interest of the international scientific community, especially NASA.
This is the Cuatro Ciénegas Basin, a biological reserve where living stromatolites still exist, organisms considered one of the oldest life forms on the planet.
This landscape, although isolated and seemingly inhospitable, could offer the keys to understanding how life originated on Earth… and how it might have emerged or survived on Mars.
What makes Cuatro Ciénegas so special for science?
Cuatro Ciénegas is dotted with natural pools with crystal-clear waters and extreme conditions, fed by underground springs. These bodies of water are home to cyanobacteria, photosynthetic microorganisms that form stromatolites: layered rock structures that have left a fossil trail dating back more than 3.5 billion years.
In the words of Valeria Souza, a researcher at the UNAM Institute of Ecology and one of the leading experts in the region, “Cuatro Ciénegas has environmental conditions similar to those that existed on early Earth and that could exist on Mars.”
What makes this ecosystem unique is its similarity to Earth’s early environments. Furthermore, the water conditions in Cuatro Ciénegas—with low phosphorus levels, high salinity, and variable temperatures—resemble what could be found in extreme environments on other planets, especially Mars.
Key characteristics of the Cuatro Ciénegas ecosystem:
Presence of bioforms unique in the world.
Isolated ecosystem with similarities to extraterrestrial environments.
Home to active stromatolites, organisms that rarely survive elsewhere on the planet.
High biological adaptability in extreme conditions.
How is NASA involved in the study of this region?
NASA has used the Terra satellite, equipped with the ASTER (Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer) to study this area. ASTER is one of five instruments launched aboard the satellite in 1999, and provides high-resolution spectral and spatial images.
With its 14 spectral bands, ASTER allows observations from the visible spectrum to the thermal infrared. In the case of Cuatro Ciénegas, it has helped to:
Monitor the dynamics of the Earth’s surface.
Study the geological structure and soil temperature.
Obtain detailed images to detect significant changes or patterns.
Evaluate the adaptability of life forms in the environment.
A satellite image taken on April 1, 2017, covered an area measuring 14.9 by 23.8 kilometers, showing the terrain of Cuatro Ciénegas in detail. This information is extremely important for comparing terrestrial environments with potential habitable zones on Mars.
Why could Cuatro Ciénegas hold the key to finding life on Mars?
NASA and scientists around the world believe that the environments Extremes like Cuatro Ciénegas offer planetary analogues. That is, by studying how organisms survive in such harsh conditions, strategies can be devised to search for life on other worlds.
In particular, Mars, with its arid surface, extreme climate, and ancient traces of water, is an ideal candidate for applying the knowledge gained in this region of Coahuila. What happens in the Cuatro Ciénegas pools could help:
Refine biological detection instruments for future space missions.
Formulate new hypotheses about the origin of life in oxygen-free or nutrient-poor environments.
Better understand the limits of life on Earth and beyond.
Source: posta
