Martian Meteorite ALH84001 and the Search for Life on Mars:  An Update

Abstract: Our present understanding of the geology and geochemistry of Mars is limited to telescopic and satellite investigations, and in situ exploration activities performed by rovers such as Curiosity, which is presently evaluating whether the surface of Mars could have supported microbial life. The only samples of Mars that we have for study on Earth are the SNC meteorites. This small collection of achondrites (~50 in all) have geochemical, isotopic and mineralogical attributes that definitively link them to the planet Mars. This seminar will recap the historical exploration of Mars, how we know meteorites originate from the planet and how one such meteorite, ALH84001, became famous for the claim that it contains the remnants of microbial fossils. A synopsis will be provided regarding what we actually know and do not know about this enigmatic rock from outer space.