(Thomas Lee Elifritz) wrote in message . com...
March 17, 2004

http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2002/pdf/1226.pdf

perhaps it would be sensible to put the portion that you though
supported your idea of a biological origin. Beause this paper rejects
a biological origin for the 'organic appearing' features in question:
"Although the fine-scalelamination found in older terrace deposits
resembles microbial mat laminae, this texture appears to have
originated mostly if not entirely during diagenesis."


http://www.agu.org/pubs/crossref/200...JE001918.shtml

agian, you really need to point out what in particular you find
helpful here. You have been positing that the spherules are formed by
bacteria building spores around themselves.

the closest that this paper comes to in supporting any arguement for
life on mars, and has nothing special to say about your particualar
theory is:
" A chemolithotrophic community that biooxidizes the Iberian Pyritic
Belt, acidifying water (pH between 0.9 and 3.0) and favoring high
concentrations of ferric iron in solution (up to 20 g·L-1), maintains
this iron-driven system. In spite of these extreme conditions, high
microbial diversity was found. Its acidic bacteria, archaea, and
eukarya constitute a complex community supported by algal biomass in
highly stable hydrochemical conditions, which are achieved through
iron buffering. The pH is maintained at constant low levels even at
very high water dilution. In these conditions, iron minerals as
oxyhydroxides, hydroxides, and sulfates are formed."

sulfates i beleiev have been found, but I don't think that any of this
is wildly helpful. If anything, it suggests that a wide diversity of
organisms are required for this ph buffering process. It says nothing
about organisms forming iron spores.




http://aem.asm.org/cgi/content/full/69/8/4853

again, you need to point out where in this paper there is supporting
eveidence. I saw nothing about concretions or spherules in there.
The paper has a lot about the genetic/relationships of the varied
microorganisms that are in the system. the only really relevant
portion is
"The Tinto River (Huelva, southwestern Spain) is an extreme
environment with a rather constant acidic pH along the entire river
and a high concentration of heavy metals. The extreme conditions of
the Tinto ecosystem are generated by the metabolic activity of
chemolithotrophic microorganisms thriving in the rich complex sulfides
of the Iberian Pyrite Belt. Molecular ecology techniques were used to
analyze the diversity of this microbial community. "

So what evidence do you have for similar control of ph in the region
under consideration? Where any heamatite spherules found in the Tinto
River? What do they look like and what is their origin? How would
those hypothetical sphereules in teh tinto river relate to the
spherules on mars?

IOW, what evidence do you havethat the spherules on mars are the
result of biological processes?

Thomas Lee Elifritz
http://elifritz.members.atlantic.net