Loess out of the Earth?

Loess is not dust only, but message from Cosmos that brings the life signals

Djukić S.¹, Svirčev Z.¹, Smalley I.², Hambach U.³, Marković S.B.¹Nikolić B.¹

¹LAPER – Laboratory for paleoecological reconstraction, Faculty of Sciences, Trg Dositeja Obradovića 3, 21000 Novi Sad, Serbia

²Giotto Loess Research Group, Waverley Materials Project, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham NG1 4BU, UK

³Chair of Geomorphology, Laboratory for Paleo- and Enviro-Manetism (PUM), University of Bayreuth, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany

Loess is a homogeneous, typically nonstratified, porous, friable, slightly coherent, often calcareous, fine-grained,silty, pale yellow or buff, windblown (aeolian) sediment. It consists of mainly quartz particles in the size range 15-75 micro- metres. It generally occurs as a widespread blanket deposit that covers areas of hundreds of square kilometers and tens of meters thick. In total loess and loess like sediments cover about 10 % of Earth’s land. The formation of a loess deposit is a complex process, or even a complex series of processes. Neccesary components for loess depostion are: matherial (dust), atmospheric circulation (wind) and vegetation cover to fix deposited dust. However in some cases especialy in arid areas deposition of the dust can be related to presence of Biological soil crusts (BSC) at the topographic surface.

BSC are highly specialized communities of species that are widely found at the loess surfaces (BLC – biological loess crusts): cyanobacteria, green algae, lichens, mosses, microfungi and bacteria. They are found in all hot, cool and cold arid and semi-arid regions. Ecological BSC functions include: increasing soil stability and preventing wind and water erosion, atmospheric nitrogen- fixation, nutrient contributions to plants, soil-plant-water relations, etc. Sporadic information that some forms of loess could be found out of our planet, point to the following questions: 1) Is it loess for sure – are there conditions for loess creation out of the Earth and 2) if the extraterrestrial loess exists, is it stabilized at the same or similar way as on the Earth (activity of BLC)?
On the base of comparative analisys of astrophysical and climatological data of seven celestial bodies in Solar system (impact craters, tectonic activity, volcaneos, atmosphere, presence of waters or water equivalent, erosion, winds, gravitation) some presumptions about the candidates with extraterrestrial loess have been established. In the light of astrobiological research, the data about existance of extraterrestrial loess might be indicative for apperiance of extraterrestrial life forms connected to loess formation.

Corresponding author: Djukić S. | FALI MAIL !!!