Analysing landscapes in the UAE has helped scientists in Abu Dhabi conclude that water flowed beneath the surface of Mars billions of years ago.
The findings from researchers at New York University Abu Dhabi suggest that the Red Planet could have provided a suitable environment for life longer than had previously been thought.
Using information from Nasa's Curiosity rover, scientists made comparisons between the Gale crater on Mars and sites in UAE deserts with rocks made from hardened windblown sand.
The researchers made multiple visits to Liwa, Hatta and Al Wathba to understand how the rocks may have formed. They also set up laboratory experiments to study the processes.
Over time, ancient sand dunes in the Gale crater are thought to have turned into rock after contact with water billions of years ago.
The work was led by Dimitra Atri, the principal investigator of NYUAD's Space Exploration Laboratory, and Vignesh Krishnamoorthy, a research assistant.
“Our findings show that Mars didn’t simply go from wet to dry,” Dr Atri said. “Even after its lakes and rivers disappeared, small amounts of water continued to move underground, creating protected environments that could have supported microscopic life.”
The waters of Mars
Dunes formed in completely dry areas, but water from mountains on Mars is thought to have once seeped into some of these dunes through tiny cracks, soaking the sand from below, eventually turning the dunes into rocks. This left behind minerals such as gypsum, which is also found in deserts on Earth.
Traces of organic material may have been left behind and preserved in the minerals. The university said these minerals could be the focus of future missions looking for evidence of whether Mars ever played host to life.
Dr Atri said it was "like a dream come true" to be able to visit landscapes in the UAE that are similar to those found on Mars.
"I pick up my car and in one to two hours I can be on Mars," he said.
Structures called concretions, which are solid structures that may form within sediments, have been observed on Mars, and the scientists have subsequently found similar structures in the UAE.
"We have follow-up papers coming out, still in the pipeline, where we'll study these concretions and connect them to Mars," Dr Atri said.
Dr Atri said that separate European and Chinese missions to Mars in 2028 would analyse material from below the surface and could indicate whether microorganisms are present on the Red Planet.
The new research has been released in the Journal of Geophysical Research – Planets in a paper titled 'Aeolian Sediment Lithification From Late-Stage Aqueous Activity in the Gale Crater: Implications for Habitability on Mars'.
Dr Atri has previously said that life may exist on Mars even in its present dry state, given that some organisms can survive in very harsh, dry conditions on Earth.
Some researchers have also suggested that life could exist far below the surface of the Red Planet, again by drawing comparison with Earth, where microorganisms can be found living many miles below the surface.
Does history offer clues?
Water was abundant on Mars during the planet's early days, with experts having detected signs that streams, rivers and shorelines existed.
The atmosphere then was much thicker, trapping heat from the Sun and making the Red Planet – which is about 4.6 billion years old – much warmer than it is now.
There would have been a magnetic field created by molten metals in the core of the planet, but internal cooling about four billion years ago caused this magnetic field to weaken.
Over several hundred million years, with no magnetic field present any longer, the solar wind, a term for the flow of charged particles from the Sun, eliminated most of the atmosphere. It made Mars the cold and dry planet it is today, although there is still frozen water present under the surface.
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun and is about half as big as Earth, with a radius of 2,106 miles, according to Nasa.
It has two moons, Phobos and Deimos, both of which are potato-shaped: their mass is not large enough for gravity to make them spherical, Nasa has explained.
The latest research was carried out at NYUAD’s Centre for Astrophysics and Space Science and was supported by the NYUAD Research Institute.
The research group of Pance Naumov, a professor of chemistry at NYUAD, collaborated in the research work, as did James Weston, who is part of NYUAD’s core technology platform. Marieh Bassam Al Handawi, a postdoctoral associated in Prof Naumov’s laboratory, is another co-author of the new paper.
What sanctions would be reimposed?
Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:
- An arms embargo
- A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
- A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
- A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
- Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
What vitamins do we know are beneficial for living in the UAE
Vitamin D: Highly relevant in the UAE due to limited sun exposure; supports bone health, immunity and mood.
Vitamin B12: Important for nerve health and energy production, especially for vegetarians, vegans and individuals with absorption issues.
Iron: Useful only when deficiency or anaemia is confirmed; helps reduce fatigue and support immunity.
Omega-3 (EPA/DHA): Supports heart health and reduces inflammation, especially for those who consume little fish.
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
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Price, base / as tested Dh99,000 / Dh132,000
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Torque 350Nm @ 3,700rpm
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A list of the animal rescue organisations in the UAE
MATCH INFO
Manchester United v Everton
Where: Old Trafford, Manchester
When: Sunday, kick-off 7pm (UAE)
How to watch: Live on BeIN Sports 11HD
Know before you go
- Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
- If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
- By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
- Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
- Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.
Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
SQUADS
South Africa:
JP Duminy (capt), Hashim Amla, Farhaan Behardien, Quinton de Kock (wkt), AB de Villiers, Robbie Frylinck, Beuran Hendricks, David Miller, Mangaliso Mosehle (wkt), Dane Paterson, Aaron Phangiso, Andile Phehlukwayo, Dwaine Pretorius, Tabraiz Shamsi
Bangladesh
Shakib Al Hasan (capt), Imrul Kayes, Liton Das (wkt), Mahmudullah, Mehidy Hasan, Mohammad Saifuddin, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim (wkt), Nasir Hossain, Rubel Hossain, Sabbir Rahman, Shafiul Islam, Soumya Sarkar, Taskin Ahmed
Fixtures
Oct 26: Bloemfontein
Oct 29: Potchefstroom
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Teaching in coronavirus times
