title: Terraforming Mars:  dissolution of carbonate rocks by cyanobacteria.
abstract: One of the most difficult tasks in terraforming Mars is the release into the atmosphere of CO2 bound by the surface of Mars. Even if a sufficiently dense CO2 atmosphere can be created by appropriate technology, the maintenance of CO2 concentration remains a problem. As Mars lacks plate tectonics as well as active volcanism, an Earth-like carbon cycle cannot be reproduced there. We suggest that Matteia sp., a lime-boring cyanobacterium isolated from Negev desert rocks, be used to dissolve carbonate rocks both for initial release of CO2 and in design of a Martian carbon cycle.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Science, Florida State University, Tallahassee 32306-2043, USA.
authors.forename: E I
authors.initials: EI
authors.lastname: Friedmann
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hua
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ocampo-Friedmann
mesh_terms: D001272:Atmosphere; D002119:Calcium Carbonate / Q000378:metabolism; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000378:metabolism*; D002254:Carbonates / Q000378:metabolism*; D000458:Cyanobacteria / Q000145:classification / Q000378:metabolism*; D003889:Desert Climate; D019419:Evolution, Planetary; D018559:Exobiology; D018535:Mars; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000378:metabolism; D012988:Soil Microbiology
chemical_list: D002254:Carbonates; D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D002119:Calcium Carbonate; D009584:Nitrogen