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Ramkissoon NK, Macey MC, Kucukkilic-Stephens E, Barton T, Steele A, Johnson DN, Stephens BP, Schwenzer SP, Pearson VK, Olsson-Francis K. Experimental Identification of Potential Martian Biosignatures in Open and Closed Systems. ASTROBIOLOGY 2024; 24:538-558. [PMID: 38648554 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2023.0013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
NASA's Perseverance and ESA's Rosalind Franklin rovers have the scientific goal of searching for evidence of ancient life on Mars. Geochemical biosignatures that form because of microbe-mineral interactions could play a key role in achieving this, as they can be preserved for millions of years on Earth, and the same could be true for Mars. Previous laboratory experiments have explored the formation of biosignatures under closed systems, but these do not represent the open systems that are found in natural martian environments, such as channels and lakes. In this study, we have conducted environmental simulation experiments using a global regolith simulant (OUCM-1), a thermochemically modelled groundwater, and an anaerobic microbial community to explore the formation of geochemical biosignatures within plausible open and closed systems on Mars. This initial investigation showed differences in the diversity of the microbial community developed after 28 days. In an open-system simulation (flow-through experiment), the acetogenic Acetobacterium (49% relative abundance) and the sulfate reducer Desulfosporomusa (43% relative abundance) were the dominant genera. Whereas in the batch experiment, the sulfate reducers Desulfovibrio, Desulfomicrobium, and Desulfuromonas (95% relative abundance in total) were dominant. We also found evidence of enhanced mineral dissolution within the flow-through experiment, but there was little evidence of secondary deposits in the presence of biota. In contrast, SiO2 and Fe deposits formed within the batch experiment with biota but not under abiotic conditions. The results from these initial experiments indicate that different geochemical biosignatures can be generated between open and closed systems, and therefore, biosignature formation in open systems warrants further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Michael C Macey
- AstrobiologyOU, STEM Faculty, The Open University, Milton Keynes, UK
| | | | - Timothy Barton
- AstrobiologyOU, STEM Faculty, The Open University, Milton Keynes, UK
| | - Andrew Steele
- Earth and Planetary Laboratory, Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington, DC, USA
| | - David N Johnson
- AstrobiologyOU, STEM Faculty, The Open University, Milton Keynes, UK
| | - Ben P Stephens
- AstrobiologyOU, STEM Faculty, The Open University, Milton Keynes, UK
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2
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Sephton MA, Freeman K, Hays L, Thiessen F, Benison K, Carrier B, Dworkin JP, Glamoclija M, Gough R, Onofri S, Peterson R, Quinn R, Russell S, Stüeken EE, Velbel M, Zolotov M. Thresholds of Temperature and Time for Mars Sample Return: Final Report of the Mars Sample Return Temperature-Time Tiger Team. ASTROBIOLOGY 2024; 24:443-488. [PMID: 38768433 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2023.0098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Mark A Sephton
- Imperial College London, Earth Science and Engineering, South Kensington Campus, London, UK
| | - Kate Freeman
- The Pennsylvania State University, Geosciences, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Lindsay Hays
- NASA Headquarters, Mars Sample Return Program, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Fiona Thiessen
- European Space Research and Technology Centre, Noordwijk, South Holland, Netherlands
| | - Kathleen Benison
- West Virginia University, Department of Geology and Geography, Morgantown, West Virginia, USA
| | - Brandi Carrier
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
| | - Jason P Dworkin
- NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Astrochemistry, Greenbelt, Maryland, USA
| | - Mihaela Glamoclija
- Rutgers University Newark College of Arts and Sciences, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Newark, New Jersey, USA
| | - Raina Gough
- University of Colorado, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Boulder, Colorado, USA
| | - Silvano Onofri
- University of Tuscia, Department of Ecological and Biological Sciences, Largo dell'Università snc Viterbo, Italy
| | | | - Richard Quinn
- NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California, USA
| | - Sara Russell
- Natural History Museum, Department of Earth Sciences, London, UK
| | - Eva E Stüeken
- University of St Andrews, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, St Andrews, Fife, UK
| | - Michael Velbel
- Michigan State University, Earth and Environmental Sciences, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
- Smithsonian Institution, Department of Mineral Sciences, National Museum of Natural History, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Mikhail Zolotov
- Arizona State University, School of Earth and Space Exploration, Tempe, Arizona, USA
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3
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Hart R, Cardace D. Mineral Indicators of Geologically Recent Past Habitability on Mars. Life (Basel) 2023; 13:2349. [PMID: 38137950 PMCID: PMC10744562 DOI: 10.3390/life13122349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2023] [Revised: 11/25/2023] [Accepted: 12/05/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
We provide new support for habitable microenvironments in the near-subsurface of Mars, hosted in Fe- and Mg-rich rock units, and present a list of minerals that can serve as indicators of specific water-rock reactions in recent geologic paleohabitats for follow-on study. We modeled, using a thermodynamic basis without selective phase suppression, the reactions of published Martian meteorites and Jezero Crater igneous rock compositions and reasonable planetary waters (saline, alkaline waters) using Geochemist's Workbench Ver. 12.0. Solid-phase inputs were meteorite compositions for ALH 77005, Nakhla, and Chassigny, and two rock units from the Mars 2020 Perseverance rover sites, Máaz and Séítah. Six plausible Martian groundwater types [NaClO4, Mg(ClO4)2, Ca(ClO4)2, Mg-Na2(ClO4)2, Ca-Na2(ClO4)2, Mg-Ca(ClO4)2] and a unique Mars soil-water analog solution (dilute saline solution) named "Rosy Red", related to the Phoenix Lander mission, were the aqueous-phase inputs. Geophysical conditions were tuned to near-subsurface Mars (100 °C or 373.15 K, associated with residual heat from a magmatic system, impact event, or a concentration of radionuclides, and 101.3 kPa, similar to <10 m depth). Mineral products were dominated by phyllosilicates such as serpentine-group minerals in most reaction paths, but differed in some important indicator minerals. Modeled products varied in physicochemical properties (pH, Eh, conductivity), major ion activities, and related gas fugacities, with different ecological implications. The microbial habitability of pore spaces in subsurface groundwater percolation systems was interrogated at equilibrium in a thermodynamic framework, based on Gibbs Free Energy Minimization. Models run with the Chassigny meteorite produced the overall highest H2 fugacity. Models reliant on the Rosy Red soil-water analog produced the highest sustained CH4 fugacity (maximum values observed for reactant ALH 77005). In general, Chassigny meteorite protoliths produced the best yield regarding Gibbs Free Energy, from an astrobiological perspective. Occurrences of serpentine and saponite across models are key: these minerals have been observed using CRISM spectral data, and their formation via serpentinization would be consistent with geologically recent-past H2 and CH4 production and sustained energy sources for microbial life. We list index minerals to be used as diagnostic for paleo water-rock models that could have supported geologically recent-past microbial activity, and suggest their application as criteria for future astrobiology study-site selections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roger Hart
- Department of Physics and Engineering, Community College of Rhode Island, Lincoln, RI 02865, USA
- Department of Geosciences, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI 02881, USA;
| | - Dawn Cardace
- Department of Geosciences, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI 02881, USA;
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Alvarez-Llamas C, Purohit P, Moros J, Laserna JJ. Pressure Effects on Simultaneous Optical and Acoustics Data from Laser-Induced Plasmas in Air: Implications to the Differentiation of Geological Materials. APPLIED SPECTROSCOPY 2022; 76:946-958. [PMID: 35766826 DOI: 10.1177/00037028221111120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The shockwave generated alongside the plasma is an intimately linked, yet often neglected additional input for the characterization of solid samples by laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS). The present work introduces a dual LIBS-acoustics sensor that takes advantage of the analysis of the acoustic spectrum yielded by shockwaves produced on different geological samples to enhance the discrimination power of LIBS in materials featuring similar optical emission spectra. Six iron-based minerals were tested at a distance of 2 m using 1064 nm laser light and under pressure values ranging from 7 to 1015 mbar. These experimental parameters were selected to assess the effects of pressure, one of the main factors conditioning the propagation of sound as well as a commonly investigated influence in LIBS experiments. Moreover, precise values for carrying out the analyses were set based on one of the most exciting scenarios in which LIBS data may be enhanced by laser-induced acoustics: space exploration. This is exemplified by the tasks performed by the Mars 2020 SuperCam instrument located onboard the Perseverance rover. Authors evaluated the use of acoustic signals both in the time-domain and frequency-domain in sensitive cases for the distinguishing of minerals exhibiting LIBS spectra featuring almost the same emission lines using PCA schemes for each pressure setting. Thus, we report herein the impact of the surrounding pressure level upon this diagnostic tool. Overall, this paper seeks to show how the analytical potential of simultaneous phenomena taking place during a laser-produced plasma event is subjected to the defined operational conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- César Alvarez-Llamas
- Departamento de Química Analítica, UMALaserLab, 16752Universidad de Málaga, Málaga, Spain
| | - Pablo Purohit
- Departamento de Química Analítica, UMALaserLab, 16752Universidad de Málaga, Málaga, Spain
- Niels Bohr Institute, 16752University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 17, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Javier Moros
- Departamento de Química Analítica, UMALaserLab, 16752Universidad de Málaga, Málaga, Spain
| | - J Javier Laserna
- Departamento de Química Analítica, UMALaserLab, 16752Universidad de Málaga, Málaga, Spain
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Thermodynamic Constraints on Smectite and Iron Oxide Formation at Gale Crater, Mars: Insights into Potential Free Energy from Aerobic Fe Oxidation in Lake Water–Groundwater Mixing Zone. MINERALS 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/min11040341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The presence of saponite and iron oxides in Sheepbed mudstone of Yellowknife Bay at Gale crater on Mars is considered as evidence of a habitable fluvio-lacustrine environment for chemolithoautotrophy. However, the energetic availability for metabolic reactions is poorly constrained. Herein, we propose the possible mixing of surface water and groundwater that (i) explains the formation of magnetite and hematite detected in Sheepbed mudstone and (ii) may work as a potential habitable zone for aerobic Fe2+-oxidizing microbes. Our thermodynamic modeling of water–rock reactions revealed that the formation of abundant saponite in Sheepbed mudstone may occur under various conditions of water-to-rock mass ratios, temperatures (5–200 °C), and initial fluid compositions. In contrast, the formation of iron oxides in the mudstone can be explained only by the mixing of Fe2+-rich groundwater and more oxidized surface waters, where the Fe2+-rich groundwater can be generated by the low-temperature water–rock reactions with a CO2-bearing initial fluid. The calculated bioavailable energy of aerobic Fe2+ oxidation in the fluid-mixing zone on Mars is similar to that estimated for a fluid-mixing zone on Earth actually inhabited by aerobic Fe2+-oxidizing microbes. The findings will contribute to a better understanding of potential habitability on Mars.
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Fraeman AA, Edgar LA, Rampe EB, Thompson LM, Frydenvang J, Fedo CM, Catalano JG, Dietrich WE, Gabriel TSJ, Vasavada AR, Grotzinger JP, L'Haridon J, Mangold N, Sun VZ, House CH, Bryk AB, Hardgrove C, Czarnecki S, Stack KM, Morris RV, Arvidson RE, Banham SG, Bennett KA, Bridges JC, Edwards CS, Fischer WW, Fox VK, Gupta S, Horgan BHN, Jacob SR, Johnson JR, Johnson SS, Rubin DM, Salvatore MR, Schwenzer SP, Siebach KL, Stein NT, Turner SMR, Wellington DF, Wiens RC, Williams AJ, David G, Wong GM. Evidence for a Diagenetic Origin of Vera Rubin Ridge, Gale Crater, Mars: Summary and Synthesis of Curiosity's Exploration Campaign. JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH. PLANETS 2020; 125:e2020JE006527. [PMID: 33520561 PMCID: PMC7818385 DOI: 10.1029/2020je006527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2020] [Revised: 07/16/2020] [Accepted: 07/20/2020] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
This paper provides an overview of the Curiosity rover's exploration at Vera Rubin ridge (VRR) and summarizes the science results. VRR is a distinct geomorphic feature on lower Aeolis Mons (informally known as Mount Sharp) that was identified in orbital data based on its distinct texture, topographic expression, and association with a hematite spectral signature. Curiosity conducted extensive remote sensing observations, acquired data on dozens of contact science targets, and drilled three outcrop samples from the ridge, as well as one outcrop sample immediately below the ridge. Our observations indicate that strata composing VRR were deposited in a predominantly lacustrine setting and are part of the Murray formation. The rocks within the ridge are chemically in family with underlying Murray formation strata. Red hematite is dispersed throughout much of the VRR bedrock, and this is the source of the orbital spectral detection. Gray hematite is also present in isolated, gray-colored patches concentrated toward the upper elevations of VRR, and these gray patches also contain small, dark Fe-rich nodules. We propose that VRR formed when diagenetic event(s) preferentially hardened rocks, which were subsequently eroded into a ridge by wind. Diagenesis also led to enhanced crystallization and/or cementation that deepened the ferric-related spectral absorptions on the ridge, which helped make them readily distinguishable from orbit. Results add to existing evidence of protracted aqueous environments at Gale crater and give new insight into how diagenesis shaped Mars' rock record.
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Affiliation(s)
- A. A. Fraeman
- Jet Propulsion LaboratoryCalifornia Institute of TechnologyPasadenaCAUSA
| | - L. A. Edgar
- U.S. Geological Survey Astrogeology Science CenterFlagstaffAZUSA
| | | | - L. M. Thompson
- Planetary and Space Science CentreUniversity of New BrunswickFrederictonNew BrunswickCanada
| | - J. Frydenvang
- Global InstituteUniversity of CopenhagenCopenhagenDenmark
| | - C. M. Fedo
- Department of Earth and Planetary SciencesUniversity of Tennessee, KnoxvilleKnoxvilleTNUSA
| | - J. G. Catalano
- Department of Earth and Planetary SciencesWashington University in St. LouisSt. LouisMOUSA
| | - W. E. Dietrich
- Department of Earth and Planetary ScienceUniversity of CaliforniaBerkeleyCAUSA
| | - T. S. J. Gabriel
- School of Earth and Space ExplorationArizona State UniversityTempeAZUSA
| | - A. R. Vasavada
- Jet Propulsion LaboratoryCalifornia Institute of TechnologyPasadenaCAUSA
| | - J. P. Grotzinger
- Division of Geological and Planetary SciencesCalifornia Institute of TechnologyPasadenaCAUSA
| | - J. L'Haridon
- Laboratoire de Planétologie et Géodynamique de Nantes, UMR6112 CNRSUniversité de Nantes, Université d'AngersNantesFrance
| | - N. Mangold
- Laboratoire de Planétologie et Géodynamique de Nantes, UMR6112 CNRSUniversité de Nantes, Université d'AngersNantesFrance
| | - V. Z. Sun
- Jet Propulsion LaboratoryCalifornia Institute of TechnologyPasadenaCAUSA
| | - C. H. House
- Department of GeosciencesPennsylvania State UniversityUniversity ParkPAUSA
| | - A. B. Bryk
- Department of Earth and Planetary ScienceUniversity of CaliforniaBerkeleyCAUSA
| | - C. Hardgrove
- School of Earth and Space ExplorationArizona State UniversityTempeAZUSA
| | - S. Czarnecki
- School of Earth and Space ExplorationArizona State UniversityTempeAZUSA
| | - K. M. Stack
- Jet Propulsion LaboratoryCalifornia Institute of TechnologyPasadenaCAUSA
| | | | - R. E. Arvidson
- Department of Earth and Planetary SciencesWashington University in St. LouisSt. LouisMOUSA
| | - S. G. Banham
- Department of Earth Science and EngineeringImperial College LondonLondonUK
| | - K. A. Bennett
- U.S. Geological Survey Astrogeology Science CenterFlagstaffAZUSA
| | - J. C. Bridges
- Space Research Centre, School of Physics and AstronomyUniversity of LeicesterLeicesterUK
| | - C. S. Edwards
- Department of Astronomy and Planetary ScienceNorthern Arizona UniversityFlagstaffAZUSA
| | - W. W. Fischer
- Division of Geological and Planetary SciencesCalifornia Institute of TechnologyPasadenaCAUSA
| | - V. K. Fox
- Department of Earth SciencesUniversity of Minnesota, Twin CitiesMinneapolisMNUSA
| | - S. Gupta
- Department of Earth Science and EngineeringImperial College LondonLondonUK
| | - B. H. N. Horgan
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary SciencesPurdue UniversityWest LafayetteINUSA
| | - S. R. Jacob
- School of Earth and Space ExplorationArizona State UniversityTempeAZUSA
| | - J. R. Johnson
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics LaboratoryLaurelMDUSA
| | - S. S. Johnson
- Department of Biology, Science, Technology, and International Affairs ProgramGeorgetown UniversityWashingtonDCUSA
| | - D. M. Rubin
- Department of Earth and Planetary SciencesUniversity of CaliforniaSanta CruzCAUSA
| | - M. R. Salvatore
- Department of Astronomy and Planetary ScienceNorthern Arizona UniversityFlagstaffAZUSA
| | | | - K. L. Siebach
- Department of Earth, Environmental, and Planetary SciencesRice UniversityHoustonTXUSA
| | - N. T. Stein
- Division of Geological and Planetary SciencesCalifornia Institute of TechnologyPasadenaCAUSA
| | | | - D. F. Wellington
- School of Earth and Space ExplorationArizona State UniversityTempeAZUSA
| | - R. C. Wiens
- Los Alamos National LaboratoryLos AlamosNMUSA
| | - A. J. Williams
- Department of Geological SciencesUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFLUSA
| | - G. David
- L'Institut de Recherche en Astrophysique et PlanétologieToulouseFrance
| | - G. M. Wong
- Department of GeosciencesPennsylvania State UniversityUniversity ParkPAUSA
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Mateo-Marti E, Galvez-Martinez S, Gil-Lozano C, Zorzano MP. Pyrite-induced uv-photocatalytic abiotic nitrogen fixation: implications for early atmospheres and Life. Sci Rep 2019; 9:15311. [PMID: 31653928 PMCID: PMC6814809 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-51784-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2019] [Accepted: 10/08/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The molecular form of nitrogen, N2, is universally available but is biochemically inaccessible for life due to the strength of its triple bond. Prior to the emergence of life, there must have been an abiotic process that could fix nitrogen in a biochemically usable form. The UV photo-catalytic effects of minerals such as pyrite on nitrogen fixation have to date been overlooked. Here we show experimentally, using X-ray photoemission and infrared spectroscopies that, under a standard earth atmosphere containing nitrogen and water vapour at Earth or Martian pressures, nitrogen is fixed to pyrite as ammonium iron sulfate after merely two hours of exposure to 2,3 W/m 2 of ultraviolet irradiance in the 200-400 nm range. Our experiments show that this process exists also in the absence of UV, although about 50 times slower. The experiments also show that carbonates species are fixed on pyrite surface.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Mateo-Marti
- Centro de Astrobiología (CSIC-INTA), Ctra. Ajalvir, Km. 4, 28850-Torrejón de Ardoz, Madrid, Spain.
| | - S Galvez-Martinez
- Centro de Astrobiología (CSIC-INTA), Ctra. Ajalvir, Km. 4, 28850-Torrejón de Ardoz, Madrid, Spain
| | - C Gil-Lozano
- Centro de Astrobiología (CSIC-INTA), Ctra. Ajalvir, Km. 4, 28850-Torrejón de Ardoz, Madrid, Spain
| | - María-Paz Zorzano
- Centro de Astrobiología (CSIC-INTA), Ctra. Ajalvir, Km. 4, 28850-Torrejón de Ardoz, Madrid, Spain.,Department of Computer Science, Electrical and Space Engineering, Luleå Universit of Technology, 97187, Luleå, Sweden
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8
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Draft Genome Sequence of Clostridium sp. Strain E02, Isolated from an Estuarine Environment. Microbiol Resour Announc 2019; 8:MRA01579-18. [PMID: 30643903 PMCID: PMC6328676 DOI: 10.1128/mra.01579-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2018] [Accepted: 12/11/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Here, we report the draft genome sequence of a strain of Clostridium isolated from sediment collected from an estuarine environment. The strain was isolated using a minimal medium designed to select for chemoautotrophic microorganisms. The strain may represent a novel species within the genus Clostridium, and this genome sequence enables further investigation into the genetic and metabolic diversity of this organism.
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9
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Curtis-Harper E, Pearson VK, Summers S, Bridges JC, Schwenzer SP, Olsson-Francis K. The Microbial Community of a Terrestrial Anoxic Inter-Tidal Zone: A Model for Laboratory-Based Studies of Potentially Habitable Ancient Lacustrine Systems on Mars. Microorganisms 2018; 6:microorganisms6030061. [PMID: 29966361 PMCID: PMC6165429 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms6030061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2018] [Revised: 06/18/2018] [Accepted: 06/21/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Evidence indicates that Gale crater on Mars harboured a fluvio-lacustrine environment that was subjected to physio-chemical variations such as changes in redox conditions and evaporation with salinity changes, over time. Microbial communities from terrestrial environmental analogues sites are important for studying such potential habitability environments on early Mars, especially in laboratory-based simulation experiments. Traditionally, such studies have predominantly focused on microorganisms from extreme terrestrial environments. These are applicable to a range of Martian environments; however, they lack relevance to the lacustrine systems. In this study, we characterise an anoxic inter-tidal zone as a terrestrial analogue for the Gale crater lake system according to its chemical and physical properties, and its microbiological community. The sub-surface inter-tidal environment of the River Dee estuary, United Kingdom (53°21′15.40″ N, 3°10′24.95″ W) was selected and compared with available data from Early Hesperian-time Gale crater, and temperature, redox, and pH were similar. Compared to subsurface ‘groundwater’-type fluids invoked for the Gale subsurface, salinity was higher at the River Dee site, which are more comparable to increases in salinity that likely occurred as the Gale crater lake evolved. Similarities in clay abundance indicated similar access to, specifically, the bio-essential elements Mg, Fe and K. The River Dee microbial community consisted of taxa that were known to have members that could utilise chemolithoautotrophic and chemoorganoheterotrophic metabolism and such a mixed metabolic capability would potentially have been feasible on Mars. Microorganisms isolated from the site were able to grow under environment conditions that, based on mineralogical data, were similar to that of the Gale crater’s aqueous environment at Yellowknife Bay. Thus, the results from this study suggest that the microbial community from an anoxic inter-tidal zone is a plausible terrestrial analogue for studying habitability of fluvio-lacustrine systems on early Mars, using laboratory-based simulation experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elliot Curtis-Harper
- Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, The Open University, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes MK7 6AA, UK.
| | - Victoria K Pearson
- Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, The Open University, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes MK7 6AA, UK.
| | - Stephen Summers
- Singapore Centre for Environmental Life Sciences Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 60 Nanyang Drive, 637551 Singapore, Singapore.
| | - John C Bridges
- Space Research Centre, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK.
| | - Susanne P Schwenzer
- Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, The Open University, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes MK7 6AA, UK.
| | - Karen Olsson-Francis
- Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, The Open University, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes MK7 6AA, UK.
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10
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Price A, Pearson VK, Schwenzer SP, Miot J, Olsson-Francis K. Nitrate-Dependent Iron Oxidation: A Potential Mars Metabolism. Front Microbiol 2018; 9:513. [PMID: 29616015 PMCID: PMC5869265 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.00513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2017] [Accepted: 03/06/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
This work considers the hypothetical viability of microbial nitrate-dependent Fe2+ oxidation (NDFO) for supporting simple life in the context of the early Mars environment. This draws on knowledge built up over several decades of remote and in situ observation, as well as recent discoveries that have shaped current understanding of early Mars. Our current understanding is that certain early martian environments fulfill several of the key requirements for microbes with NDFO metabolism. First, abundant Fe2+ has been identified on Mars and provides evidence of an accessible electron donor; evidence of anoxia suggests that abiotic Fe2+ oxidation by molecular oxygen would not have interfered and competed with microbial iron metabolism in these environments. Second, nitrate, which can be used by some iron oxidizing microorganisms as an electron acceptor, has also been confirmed in modern aeolian and ancient sediment deposits on Mars. In addition to redox substrates, reservoirs of both organic and inorganic carbon are available for biosynthesis, and geochemical evidence suggests that lacustrine systems during the hydrologically active Noachian period (4.1-3.7 Ga) match the circumneutral pH requirements of nitrate-dependent iron-oxidizing microorganisms. As well as potentially acting as a primary producer in early martian lakes and fluvial systems, the light-independent nature of NDFO suggests that such microbes could have persisted in sub-surface aquifers long after the desiccation of the surface, provided that adequate carbon and nitrates sources were prevalent. Traces of NDFO microorganisms may be preserved in the rock record by biomineralization and cellular encrustation in zones of high Fe2+ concentrations. These processes could produce morphological biosignatures, preserve distinctive Fe-isotope variation patterns, and enhance preservation of biological organic compounds. Such biosignatures could be detectable by future missions to Mars with appropriate instrumentation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex Price
- Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, The Open University, Milton Keynes, United Kingdom
| | - Victoria K. Pearson
- Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, The Open University, Milton Keynes, United Kingdom
| | - Susanne P. Schwenzer
- Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, The Open University, Milton Keynes, United Kingdom
| | - Jennyfer Miot
- CNRS, Institut de Minéralogie, de Physique des Matériaux et de Cosmochimie, Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Université Pierre et Marie Curie – Sorbonne Universités, UMR 7590, Paris, France
| | - Karen Olsson-Francis
- Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, The Open University, Milton Keynes, United Kingdom
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11
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Bishop JL, Fairén AG, Michalski JR, Gago-Duport L, Baker LL, Velbel MA, Gross C, Rampe EB. Surface clay formation during short-term warmer and wetter conditions on a largely cold ancient Mars. NATURE ASTRONOMY 2018; 2:260-213. [PMID: 32042926 PMCID: PMC7008931 DOI: 10.1038/s41550-017-0377-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2017] [Accepted: 12/27/2017] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
The ancient rock record for Mars has long been at odds with climate modelling. The presence of valley networks, dendritic channels and deltas on ancient terrains points towards running water and fluvial erosion on early Mars1, but climate modelling indicates that long-term warm conditions were not sustainable2. Widespread phyllosilicates and other aqueous minerals on the Martian surface3-6 provide additional evidence that an early wet Martian climate resulted in surface weathering. Some of these phyllosilicates formed in subsurface crustal environments5, with no association with the Martian climate, while other phyllosilicate-rich outcrops exhibit layered morphologies and broad stratigraphies7 consistent with surface formation. Here, we develop a new geochemical model for early Mars to explain the formation of these clay-bearing rocks in warm and wet surface locations. We propose that sporadic, short-term warm and wet environments during a generally cold early Mars enabled phyllosilicate formation without requiring long-term warm and wet conditions. We conclude that Mg-rich clay-bearing rocks with lateral variations in mixed Fe/Mg smectite, chlorite, talc, serpentine and zeolite occurrences formed in subsurface hydrothermal environments, whereas dioctahedral (Al/Fe3+-rich) smectite and widespread vertical horizonation of Fe/Mg smectites, clay assemblages and sulphates formed in variable aqueous environments on the surface of Mars. Our model for aluminosilicate formation on Mars is consistent with the observed geological features, diversity of aqueous mineralogies in ancient surface rocks and state-of-the-art palaeoclimate scenarios.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janice L. Bishop
- SETI Institute, Mountain View, CA, USA
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA, USA
| | - Alberto G. Fairén
- Centro de Astrobiología (Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial), Madrid, Spain
- Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Joseph R. Michalski
- Department of Earth Sciences & Laboratory for Space Research, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | | | | | - Michael A. Velbel
- Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
- Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USA
| | | | - Elizabeth B. Rampe
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration-Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX, USA
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12
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Olsson-Francis K, Pearson VK, Steer ED, Schwenzer SP. Determination of Geochemical Bio-Signatures in Mars-Like Basaltic Environments. Front Microbiol 2017; 8:1668. [PMID: 28943863 PMCID: PMC5596621 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.01668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2017] [Accepted: 08/17/2017] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Bio-signatures play a central role in determining whether life existed on early Mars. Using a terrestrial basalt as a compositional analog for the martian surface, we applied a combination of experimental microbiology and thermochemical modeling techniques to identify potential geochemical bio-signatures for life on early Mars. Laboratory experiments were used to determine the short-term effects of biota on the dissolution of terrestrial basalt, and the formation of secondary alteration minerals. The chemoorganoheterotrophic bacterium, Burkholderia sp. strain B_33, was grown in a minimal growth medium with and without terrestrial basalt as the sole nutrient source. No growth was detected in the absence of the basalt. In the presence of basalt, during exponential growth, the pH decreased rapidly from pH 7.0 to 3.6 and then gradually increased to a steady-state of equilibrium of between 6.8 and 7.1. Microbial growth coincided with an increase in key elements in the growth medium (Si, K, Ca, Mg, and Fe). Experimental results were compared with theoretical thermochemical modeling to predict growth of secondary alteration minerals, which can be used as bio-signatures, over a geological timescale. We thermochemically modeled the dissolution of the basalt (in the absence of biota) in very dilute brine at 25°C, 1 bar; the pH was buffered by the mineral dissolution and precipitation reactions. Preliminary results suggested that at the water to rock ratio of 1 × 107, zeolite, hematite, chlorite, kaolinite, and apatite formed abiotically. The biotic weathering processes were modeled by varying the pH conditions within the model to adjust for biologic influence. The results suggested that, for a basaltic system, the microbially-mediated dissolution of basalt would result in “simpler” secondary alteration, consisting of Fe-hydroxide and kaolinite, under conditions where the abiotic system would also form chlorite. The results from this study demonstrate that, by using laboratory-based experiments and thermochemical modeling, it is possible to identify secondary alteration minerals that could potentially be used to distinguish between abiotic and biotic weathering processes on early Mars. This work will contribute to the interpretation of data from past, present, and future life detection missions to Mars.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen Olsson-Francis
- School of Environment, Earth and Ecosystem Sciences, Open UniversityMilton Keynes, United Kingdom
| | - Victoria K Pearson
- School of Physical Sciences, Open UniversityMilton Keynes, United Kingdom
| | - Elisabeth D Steer
- School of Physical Sciences, Open UniversityMilton Keynes, United Kingdom.,Nanoscale and Microscale Research Centre, University of NottinghamNottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Susanne P Schwenzer
- School of Environment, Earth and Ecosystem Sciences, Open UniversityMilton Keynes, United Kingdom
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13
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Abstract
The scientific objectives of the ExoMars rover are designed to answer several key questions in the search for life on Mars. In particular, the unique subsurface drill will address some of these, such as the possible existence and stability of subsurface organics. PanCam will establish the surface geological and morphological context for the mission, working in collaboration with other context instruments. Here, we describe the PanCam scientific objectives in geology, atmospheric science, and 3-D vision. We discuss the design of PanCam, which includes a stereo pair of Wide Angle Cameras (WACs), each of which has an 11-position filter wheel and a High Resolution Camera (HRC) for high-resolution investigations of rock texture at a distance. The cameras and electronics are housed in an optical bench that provides the mechanical interface to the rover mast and a planetary protection barrier. The electronic interface is via the PanCam Interface Unit (PIU), and power conditioning is via a DC-DC converter. PanCam also includes a calibration target mounted on the rover deck for radiometric calibration, fiducial markers for geometric calibration, and a rover inspection mirror. Key Words: Mars—ExoMars—Instrumentation—Geology—Atmosphere—Exobiology—Context. Astrobiology 17, 511–541.
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14
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Vago JL, Westall F. Habitability on Early Mars and the Search for Biosignatures with the ExoMars Rover. ASTROBIOLOGY 2017; 17:471-510. [PMID: 31067287 PMCID: PMC5685153 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2016.1533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 140] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2016] [Accepted: 03/05/2017] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
The second ExoMars mission will be launched in 2020 to target an ancient location interpreted to have strong potential for past habitability and for preserving physical and chemical biosignatures (as well as abiotic/prebiotic organics). The mission will deliver a lander with instruments for atmospheric and geophysical investigations and a rover tasked with searching for signs of extinct life. The ExoMars rover will be equipped with a drill to collect material from outcrops and at depth down to 2 m. This subsurface sampling capability will provide the best chance yet to gain access to chemical biosignatures. Using the powerful Pasteur payload instruments, the ExoMars science team will conduct a holistic search for traces of life and seek corroborating geological context information. Key Words: Biosignatures-ExoMars-Landing sites-Mars rover-Search for life. Astrobiology 17, 471-510.
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15
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Adcock CT, Hausrath EM. Weathering Profiles in Phosphorus-Rich Rocks at Gusev Crater, Mars, Suggest Dissolution of Phosphate Minerals into Potentially Habitable Near-Neutral Waters. ASTROBIOLOGY 2015; 15:1060-1075. [PMID: 26684505 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2015.1291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
UNLABELLED Abundant evidence indicates that significant surface and near-surface liquid water has existed on Mars in the past. Evaluating the potential for habitable environments on Mars requires an understanding of the chemical and physical conditions that prevailed in such aqueous environments. Among the geological features that may hold evidence of past environmental conditions on Mars are weathering profiles, such as those in the phosphorus-rich Wishstone-class rocks in Gusev Crater. The weathering profiles in these rocks indicate that a Ca-phosphate mineral has been lost during past aqueous interactions. The high phosphorus content of these rocks and potential release of phosphorus during aqueous interactions also make them of astrobiological interest, as phosphorus is among the elements required for all known life. In this work, we used Mars mission data, laboratory-derived kinetic and thermodynamic data, and data from terrestrial analogues, including phosphorus-rich basalts from Idaho, to model a conceptualized Wishstone-class rock using the reactive transport code CrunchFlow. Modeling results most consistent with the weathering profiles in Wishstone-class rocks suggest a combination of chemical and physical erosion and past aqueous interactions with near-neutral waters. The modeling results also indicate that multiple Ca-phosphate minerals are likely in Wishstone-class rocks, consistent with observations of martian meteorites. These findings suggest that Gusev Crater experienced a near-neutral phosphate-bearing aqueous environment that may have been conducive to life on Mars in the past. KEY WORDS Mars-Gusev Crater-Wishstone-Reactive transport modeling-CrunchFlow-Aqueous interactions-Neutral pH-Habitability.
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16
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Westall F, Foucher F, Bost N, Bertrand M, Loizeau D, Vago JL, Kminek G, Gaboyer F, Campbell KA, Bréhéret JG, Gautret P, Cockell CS. Biosignatures on Mars: What, Where, and How? Implications for the Search for Martian Life. ASTROBIOLOGY 2015; 15:998-1029. [PMID: 26575218 PMCID: PMC4653824 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2015.1374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 89] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2015] [Accepted: 10/13/2015] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
UNLABELLED The search for traces of life is one of the principal objectives of Mars exploration. Central to this objective is the concept of habitability, the set of conditions that allows the appearance of life and successful establishment of microorganisms in any one location. While environmental conditions may have been conducive to the appearance of life early in martian history, habitable conditions were always heterogeneous on a spatial scale and in a geological time frame. This "punctuated" scenario of habitability would have had important consequences for the evolution of martian life, as well as for the presence and preservation of traces of life at a specific landing site. We hypothesize that, given the lack of long-term, continuous habitability, if martian life developed, it was (and may still be) chemotrophic and anaerobic. Obtaining nutrition from the same kinds of sources as early terrestrial chemotrophic life and living in the same kinds of environments, the fossilized traces of the latter serve as useful proxies for understanding the potential distribution of martian chemotrophs and their fossilized traces. Thus, comparison with analog, anaerobic, volcanic terrestrial environments (Early Archean >3.5-3.33 Ga) shows that the fossil remains of chemotrophs in such environments were common, although sparsely distributed, except in the vicinity of hydrothermal activity where nutrients were readily available. Moreover, the traces of these kinds of microorganisms can be well preserved, provided that they are rapidly mineralized and that the sediments in which they occur are rapidly cemented. We evaluate the biogenicity of these signatures by comparing them to possible abiotic features. Finally, we discuss the implications of different scenarios for life on Mars for detection by in situ exploration, ranging from its non-appearance, through preserved traces of life, to the presence of living microorganisms. KEY WORDS Mars-Early Earth-Anaerobic chemotrophs-Biosignatures-Astrobiology missions to Mars.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frances Westall
- CNRS-OSUC-Centre de Biophysique Moléculaire, CS80054, Orléans, France
| | - Frédéric Foucher
- CNRS-OSUC-Centre de Biophysique Moléculaire, CS80054, Orléans, France
| | - Nicolas Bost
- CNRS-Conditions Extrêmes et Matériaux: Haute Température et Irradiation, CS90055, Orléans, France
| | - Marylène Bertrand
- CNRS-OSUC-Centre de Biophysique Moléculaire, CS80054, Orléans, France
| | | | | | | | - Frédéric Gaboyer
- CNRS-OSUC-Centre de Biophysique Moléculaire, CS80054, Orléans, France
| | | | - Jean-Gabriel Bréhéret
- GéoHydrosytèmes Continentaux, Faculté des Sciences et Techniques, Université François-Rabelais de Tours, Tours, France
| | - Pascale Gautret
- CNRS-OSUC-Institut des Sciences de la Terre d'Orléans, Orléans, France
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17
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Bristow TF, Bish DL, Vaniman DT, Morris RV, Blake DF, Grotzinger JP, Rampe EB, Crisp JA, Achilles CN, Ming DW, Ehlmann BL, King PL, Bridges JC, Eigenbrode JL, Sumner DY, Chipera SJ, Moorokian JM, Treiman AH, Morrison SM, Downs RT, Farmer JD, Marais DD, Sarrazin P, Floyd MM, Mischna MA, McAdam AC. The origin and implications of clay minerals from Yellowknife Bay, Gale crater, Mars. THE AMERICAN MINERALOGIST 2015; 100:824-836. [PMID: 28798492 DOI: 10.2138/am-2015-5077ccbyncn] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
The Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) rover Curiosity has documented a section of fluvio-lacustrine strata at Yellowknife Bay (YKB), an embayment on the floor of Gale crater, approximately 500 m east of the Bradbury landing site. X-ray diffraction (XRD) data and evolved gas analysis (EGA) data from the CheMin and SAM instruments show that two powdered mudstone samples (named John Klein and Cumberland) drilled from the Sheepbed member of this succession contain up to ~20 wt% clay minerals. A trioctahedral smectite, likely a ferrian saponite, is the only clay mineral phase detected in these samples. Smectites of the two samples exhibit different 001 spacing under the low partial pressures of H2O inside the CheMin instrument (relative humidity <1%). Smectite interlayers in John Klein collapsed sometime between clay mineral formation and the time of analysis to a basal spacing of 10 Å, but largely remain open in the Cumberland sample with a basal spacing of ~13.2 Å. Partial intercalation of Cumberland smectites by metal-hydroxyl groups, a common process in certain pedogenic and lacustrine settings on Earth, is our favored explanation for these differences. The relatively low abundances of olivine and enriched levels of magnetite in the Sheepbed mudstone, when compared with regional basalt compositions derived from orbital data, suggest that clay minerals formed with magnetite in situ via aqueous alteration of olivine. Mass-balance calculations are permissive of such a reaction. Moreover, the Sheepbed mudstone mineral assemblage is consistent with minimal inputs of detrital clay minerals from the crater walls and rim. Early diagenetic fabrics suggest clay mineral formation prior to lithification. Thermodynamic modeling indicates that the production of authigenic magnetite and saponite at surficial temperatures requires a moderate supply of oxidants, allowing circum-neutral pH. The kinetics of olivine alteration suggest the presence of fluids for thousands to hundreds of thousands of years. Mineralogical evidence of the persistence of benign aqueous conditions at YKB for extended periods indicates a potentially habitable environment where life could establish itself. Mediated oxidation of Fe2+ in olivine to Fe3+ in magnetite, and perhaps in smectites provided a potential energy source for organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas F Bristow
- Exobiology Branch, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California 94035, U.S.A
| | - David L Bish
- Department of Geological Sciences, Indiana University, 1001 East Tenth Street, Bloomington, Indiana, 47405, U.S.A
| | - David T Vaniman
- Planetary Science Institute, 1700 E. Fort Lowell, Tucson, Arizona 85719-2395, U.S.A
| | - Richard V Morris
- ARES Division, NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas 77058, U.S.A
| | - David F Blake
- Exobiology Branch, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California 94035, U.S.A
| | - John P Grotzinger
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, 1200 E. California Boulevard, Pasadena, California 91125, U.S.A
| | - Elizabeth B Rampe
- ARES Division, NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas 77058, U.S.A
| | - Joy A Crisp
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, California 91109, U.S.A
| | - Cherie N Achilles
- Department of Geological Sciences, Indiana University, 1001 East Tenth Street, Bloomington, Indiana, 47405, U.S.A
| | - Doug W Ming
- ARES Division, NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas 77058, U.S.A
| | - Bethany L Ehlmann
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, 1200 E. California Boulevard, Pasadena, California 91125, U.S.A
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, California 91109, U.S.A
| | - Penelope L King
- Research School of Earth Sciences, Australian National University, Canberra ACT 0200, Australia
- Department of Physics, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - John C Bridges
- Space Research Center, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH, U.K
| | | | - Dawn Y Sumner
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of California, Davis, California 95616, U.S.A
| | - Steve J Chipera
- Chesapeake Energy Corporation, 6100 N. Western Avenue, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73118, U.S.A
| | - John Michael Moorokian
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, California 91109, U.S.A
| | - Allan H Treiman
- Lunar and Planetary Institute, 3600 Bay Area Boulevard, Houston, Texas 77058, U.S.A
| | - Shaunna M Morrison
- Department of Geology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721, U.S.A
| | - Robert T Downs
- Department of Geology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721, U.S.A
| | - Jack D Farmer
- Department of Geological Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85281, U.S.A
| | - David Des Marais
- Exobiology Branch, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California 94035, U.S.A
| | | | - Melissa M Floyd
- NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland 20771, U.S.A
| | - Michael A Mischna
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, California 91109, U.S.A
| | - Amy C McAdam
- NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland 20771, U.S.A
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18
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Bristow TF, Bish DL, Vaniman DT, Morris RV, Blake DF, Grotzinger JP, Rampe EB, Crisp JA, Achilles CN, Ming DW, Ehlmann BL, King PL, Bridges JC, Eigenbrode JL, Sumner DY, Chipera SJ, Moorokian JM, Treiman AH, Morrison SM, Downs RT, Farmer JD, Marais DD, Sarrazin P, Floyd MM, Mischna MA, McAdam AC. The origin and implications of clay minerals from Yellowknife Bay, Gale crater, Mars. THE AMERICAN MINERALOGIST 2015. [PMID: 28798492 DOI: 10.2138/am-2014-5077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
The Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) rover Curiosity has documented a section of fluvio-lacustrine strata at Yellowknife Bay (YKB), an embayment on the floor of Gale crater, approximately 500 m east of the Bradbury landing site. X-ray diffraction (XRD) data and evolved gas analysis (EGA) data from the CheMin and SAM instruments show that two powdered mudstone samples (named John Klein and Cumberland) drilled from the Sheepbed member of this succession contain up to ~20 wt% clay minerals. A trioctahedral smectite, likely a ferrian saponite, is the only clay mineral phase detected in these samples. Smectites of the two samples exhibit different 001 spacing under the low partial pressures of H2O inside the CheMin instrument (relative humidity <1%). Smectite interlayers in John Klein collapsed sometime between clay mineral formation and the time of analysis to a basal spacing of 10 Å, but largely remain open in the Cumberland sample with a basal spacing of ~13.2 Å. Partial intercalation of Cumberland smectites by metal-hydroxyl groups, a common process in certain pedogenic and lacustrine settings on Earth, is our favored explanation for these differences. The relatively low abundances of olivine and enriched levels of magnetite in the Sheepbed mudstone, when compared with regional basalt compositions derived from orbital data, suggest that clay minerals formed with magnetite in situ via aqueous alteration of olivine. Mass-balance calculations are permissive of such a reaction. Moreover, the Sheepbed mudstone mineral assemblage is consistent with minimal inputs of detrital clay minerals from the crater walls and rim. Early diagenetic fabrics suggest clay mineral formation prior to lithification. Thermodynamic modeling indicates that the production of authigenic magnetite and saponite at surficial temperatures requires a moderate supply of oxidants, allowing circum-neutral pH. The kinetics of olivine alteration suggest the presence of fluids for thousands to hundreds of thousands of years. Mineralogical evidence of the persistence of benign aqueous conditions at YKB for extended periods indicates a potentially habitable environment where life could establish itself. Mediated oxidation of Fe2+ in olivine to Fe3+ in magnetite, and perhaps in smectites provided a potential energy source for organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas F Bristow
- Exobiology Branch, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California 94035, U.S.A
| | - David L Bish
- Department of Geological Sciences, Indiana University, 1001 East Tenth Street, Bloomington, Indiana, 47405, U.S.A
| | - David T Vaniman
- Planetary Science Institute, 1700 E. Fort Lowell, Tucson, Arizona 85719-2395, U.S.A
| | - Richard V Morris
- ARES Division, NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas 77058, U.S.A
| | - David F Blake
- Exobiology Branch, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California 94035, U.S.A
| | - John P Grotzinger
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, 1200 E. California Boulevard, Pasadena, California 91125, U.S.A
| | - Elizabeth B Rampe
- ARES Division, NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas 77058, U.S.A
| | - Joy A Crisp
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, California 91109, U.S.A
| | - Cherie N Achilles
- Department of Geological Sciences, Indiana University, 1001 East Tenth Street, Bloomington, Indiana, 47405, U.S.A
| | - Doug W Ming
- ARES Division, NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas 77058, U.S.A
| | - Bethany L Ehlmann
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, 1200 E. California Boulevard, Pasadena, California 91125, U.S.A
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, California 91109, U.S.A
| | - Penelope L King
- Research School of Earth Sciences, Australian National University, Canberra ACT 0200, Australia
- Department of Physics, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - John C Bridges
- Space Research Center, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH, U.K
| | | | - Dawn Y Sumner
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of California, Davis, California 95616, U.S.A
| | - Steve J Chipera
- Chesapeake Energy Corporation, 6100 N. Western Avenue, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73118, U.S.A
| | - John Michael Moorokian
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, California 91109, U.S.A
| | - Allan H Treiman
- Lunar and Planetary Institute, 3600 Bay Area Boulevard, Houston, Texas 77058, U.S.A
| | - Shaunna M Morrison
- Department of Geology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721, U.S.A
| | - Robert T Downs
- Department of Geology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721, U.S.A
| | - Jack D Farmer
- Department of Geological Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85281, U.S.A
| | - David Des Marais
- Exobiology Branch, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California 94035, U.S.A
| | | | - Melissa M Floyd
- NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland 20771, U.S.A
| | - Michael A Mischna
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, California 91109, U.S.A
| | - Amy C McAdam
- NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland 20771, U.S.A
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19
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Bristow TF, Bish DL, Vaniman DT, Morris RV, Blake DF, Grotzinger JP, Rampe EB, Crisp JA, Achilles CN, Ming DW, Ehlmann BL, King PL, Bridges JC, Eigenbrode JL, Sumner DY, Chipera SJ, Moorokian JM, Treiman AH, Morrison SM, Downs RT, Farmer JD, Marais DD, Sarrazin P, Floyd MM, Mischna MA, McAdam AC. The origin and implications of clay minerals from Yellowknife Bay, Gale crater, Mars. THE AMERICAN MINERALOGIST 2015; 100:824-836. [PMID: 28798492 PMCID: PMC5548523 DOI: 10.2138/am-2015-5077ccbyncnd] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
The Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) rover Curiosity has documented a section of fluvio-lacustrine strata at Yellowknife Bay (YKB), an embayment on the floor of Gale crater, approximately 500 m east of the Bradbury landing site. X-ray diffraction (XRD) data and evolved gas analysis (EGA) data from the CheMin and SAM instruments show that two powdered mudstone samples (named John Klein and Cumberland) drilled from the Sheepbed member of this succession contain up to ~20 wt% clay minerals. A trioctahedral smectite, likely a ferrian saponite, is the only clay mineral phase detected in these samples. Smectites of the two samples exhibit different 001 spacing under the low partial pressures of H2O inside the CheMin instrument (relative humidity <1%). Smectite interlayers in John Klein collapsed sometime between clay mineral formation and the time of analysis to a basal spacing of 10 Å, but largely remain open in the Cumberland sample with a basal spacing of ~13.2 Å. Partial intercalation of Cumberland smectites by metal-hydroxyl groups, a common process in certain pedogenic and lacustrine settings on Earth, is our favored explanation for these differences. The relatively low abundances of olivine and enriched levels of magnetite in the Sheepbed mudstone, when compared with regional basalt compositions derived from orbital data, suggest that clay minerals formed with magnetite in situ via aqueous alteration of olivine. Mass-balance calculations are permissive of such a reaction. Moreover, the Sheepbed mudstone mineral assemblage is consistent with minimal inputs of detrital clay minerals from the crater walls and rim. Early diagenetic fabrics suggest clay mineral formation prior to lithification. Thermodynamic modeling indicates that the production of authigenic magnetite and saponite at surficial temperatures requires a moderate supply of oxidants, allowing circum-neutral pH. The kinetics of olivine alteration suggest the presence of fluids for thousands to hundreds of thousands of years. Mineralogical evidence of the persistence of benign aqueous conditions at YKB for extended periods indicates a potentially habitable environment where life could establish itself. Mediated oxidation of Fe2+ in olivine to Fe3+ in magnetite, and perhaps in smectites provided a potential energy source for organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas F. Bristow
- Exobiology Branch, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California 94035, U.S.A
| | - David L. Bish
- Department of Geological Sciences, Indiana University, 1001 East Tenth Street, Bloomington, Indiana, 47405, U.S.A
| | - David T. Vaniman
- Planetary Science Institute, 1700 E. Fort Lowell, Tucson, Arizona 85719-2395, U.S.A
| | - Richard V. Morris
- ARES Division, NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas 77058, U.S.A
| | - David F. Blake
- Exobiology Branch, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California 94035, U.S.A
| | - John P. Grotzinger
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, 1200 E. California Boulevard, Pasadena, California 91125, U.S.A
| | | | - Joy A. Crisp
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, California 91109, U.S.A
| | - Cherie N. Achilles
- Department of Geological Sciences, Indiana University, 1001 East Tenth Street, Bloomington, Indiana, 47405, U.S.A
| | - Doug W. Ming
- ARES Division, NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas 77058, U.S.A
| | - Bethany L. Ehlmann
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, 1200 E. California Boulevard, Pasadena, California 91125, U.S.A
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, California 91109, U.S.A
| | - Penelope L. King
- Research School of Earth Sciences, Australian National University, Canberra ACT 0200, Australia
- Department of Physics, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - John C. Bridges
- Space Research Center, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH, U.K
| | | | - Dawn Y. Sumner
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of California, Davis, California 95616, U.S.A
| | - Steve J. Chipera
- Chesapeake Energy Corporation, 6100 N. Western Avenue, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73118, U.S.A
| | - John Michael Moorokian
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, California 91109, U.S.A
| | - Allan H. Treiman
- Lunar and Planetary Institute, 3600 Bay Area Boulevard, Houston, Texas 77058, U.S.A
| | | | - Robert T. Downs
- Department of Geology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721, U.S.A
| | - Jack D. Farmer
- Department of Geological Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85281, U.S.A
| | - David Des Marais
- Exobiology Branch, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California 94035, U.S.A
| | | | - Melissa M. Floyd
- NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland 20771, U.S.A
| | - Michael A. Mischna
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, California 91109, U.S.A
| | - Amy C. McAdam
- NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland 20771, U.S.A
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