Wet Venus?

Porfiry writes "Researchers at Washington University in St. Louis, studying hydrous mineral decomposition rates at extreme temperatures, have concluded that hot and dry Venus may have been a wet planet in the past, like Earth and ancient Mars. The new evidence suggesting a wetter Venusian history comes from a series of experiments documenting the chemical stability of tremolite, a mineral that forms in the presence of water." This is a little bit similar to the Venus article we just posted, but still interesting.

Comments

Re:Life on Venus?

[Throw Away Account]

Sure. Some Earth prokaryotes use (various) organic molecules or hydrogen sulfide as a basis for photosynthesis insstead of water. Other organisms, convert organic molecules to methane, break down nitrogenous molecules to nitrous oxide, etc.

As theoretical models, sulfuric acid chemistry could possibly be used by organism based on silicone (SiO) chains instead of carbon chains.

And a reaction that converts CO2 into stored CO, and releases energy with a 2 CO = C + CO2 reaction is also a theoretical possibility -- a cycle that would happen to release free oxygen, like the article mentions was detected on Venus, which has an atmosphere of mostly CO2...