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Silva GG, Vincenzi RA, de Araujo GG, Venceslau SJS, Rodrigues F. Siderite and vivianite as energy sources for the extreme acidophilic bacterium Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans in the context of mars habitability. Sci Rep 2024; 14:14885. [PMID: 38937525 PMCID: PMC11211326 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-64246-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2024] [Indexed: 06/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Past and present habitability of Mars have been intensely studied in the context of the search for signals of life. Despite the harsh conditions observed today on the planet, some ancient Mars environments could have harbored specific characteristics able to mitigate several challenges for the development of microbial life. In such environments, Fe2+ minerals like siderite (already identified on Mars), and vivianite (proposed, but not confirmed) could sustain a chemolithoautotrophic community. In this study, we investigate the ability of the acidophilic iron-oxidizing chemolithoautotrophic bacterium Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans to use these minerals as its sole energy source. A. ferrooxidans was grown in media containing siderite or vivianite under different conditions and compared to abiotic controls. Our experiments demonstrated that this microorganism was able to grow, obtaining its energy from the oxidation of Fe2+ that came from the solubilization of these minerals under low pH. Additionally, in sealed flasks without CO2, A. ferrooxidans was able to fix carbon directly from the carbonate ion released from siderite for biomass production, indicating that it could be able to colonize subsurface environments with little or no contact with an atmosphere. These previously unexplored abilities broaden our knowledge on the variety of minerals able to sustain life. In the context of astrobiology, this expands the list of geomicrobiological processes that should be taken into account when considering the habitability of environments beyond Earth, and opens for investigation the possible biological traces left on these substrates as biosignatures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel Gonçalves Silva
- Programa de Pós-Graduação Em Química, Institute of Chemistry, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Roberta Almeida Vincenzi
- Programa de Pós-Graduação Em Bioquímica E Biologia Molecular, Institute of Chemistry, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Gabriel Guarany de Araujo
- Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Fabio Rodrigues
- Departamento de Química Fundamental, Institute of Chemistry, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
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Bonnet M, Robin V, Parrotin F, Grozeva N, Seigneur N, Batbaatar ME, Descostes M. Influence of clay minerals on pH and major cation concentrations in acid-leached sands: Column experiments and reactive-transport modeling. JOURNAL OF CONTAMINANT HYDROLOGY 2024; 264:104363. [PMID: 38805790 DOI: 10.1016/j.jconhyd.2024.104363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2023] [Revised: 03/28/2024] [Accepted: 05/06/2024] [Indexed: 05/30/2024]
Abstract
A series of laboratory experiments are conducted to simulate the acidification and subsequent recovery of a sand aquifer exploited by in situ recovery (ISR) mining. A sulfuric acid solution (pH 2) is first injected into a column packed with sand from the Zoovch Ovoo uranium roll front deposit (Mongolia). Solutions representative of local groundwater or enriched in cations (Na+, Mg2+) are then circulated through the column to simulate the inflow of aquifer water. pH and major ion concentrations (Na+, Cl-, SO42-, Ca2+, Mg2+, K+) measured at the column outlet reproduce the overall evolution of porewater chemistry observed in the field. The presence of minor quantities of swelling clay minerals (≈6 wt% smectite) is shown to exert an important influence on the behavior of inorganic cations, particularly H+, via ion-exchange reactions. Numerical models that consider ion-exchange on smectite as the sole solid-solution interaction are able to reproduce variations in pH and cation concentrations in the column experiments. This highlights the importance of clay minerals in controlling H+ mobility and demonstrates that sand from the studied aquifer can be described to a first order as an ion-exchanger. The present study confirms the key role of clay minerals in controlling water chemistry in acidic environments through ion-exchange processes. In a context of managing the long-term environmental footprint of industrial and mining activities (ISR, acid mine drainage…), this work will bring insights for modeling choices and identification of key parameters to help operators to define their production and/or remediation strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marine Bonnet
- E2Lim, University of Limoges, 123 Avenue Albert Thomas, CEDEX, 87060 Limoges, France.
| | - Valentin Robin
- E2Lim, University of Limoges, 123 Avenue Albert Thomas, CEDEX, 87060 Limoges, France.
| | - Flora Parrotin
- E2Lim, University of Limoges, 123 Avenue Albert Thomas, CEDEX, 87060 Limoges, France; IC2MP, HydrASA, UMR 7285 CNRS/University of Poitiers, 86073 Poitiers, France; ORANO Mining, Environmental R&D Department, 125 Avenue de Paris, 92330 Châtillon, France.
| | - Niya Grozeva
- Mines Paris, PSL University, Center for geosciences and geoengineering, 35 rue St Honoré, 77330 Fontainebleau, France.
| | - Nicolas Seigneur
- Mines Paris, PSL University, Center for geosciences and geoengineering, 35 rue St Honoré, 77330 Fontainebleau, France.
| | - Munkh-Erdene Batbaatar
- Badrakh Energy LLC, Jamyan Gun Avenue - 9, Sukhbaatar district, 1st khoroo, UB-14240, Mongolia.
| | - Michael Descostes
- Mines Paris, PSL University, Center for geosciences and geoengineering, 35 rue St Honoré, 77330 Fontainebleau, France; ORANO Mining, Environmental R&D Department, 125 Avenue de Paris, 92330 Châtillon, France.
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Liu J, Michalski JR, Gao W, Schröder C, Li YL. Freeze-thaw cycles drove chemical weathering and enriched sulfates in the Burns formation at Meridiani, Mars. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadi1805. [PMID: 38232168 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adi1805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2024]
Abstract
Sulfate-rich sedimentary rocks explored by the Opportunity rover during its 14-year surface mission at Meridiani Planum provide an invaluable window into the thousands of sulfate deposits detected on Mars via remote sensing. Existing models explaining the formation of martian sulfates can be generally described as either bottom-up, groundwater-driven playa settings or top-down icy chemical weathering environments. Here, we propose a hybrid model involving both bottom-up and top-down processes driven by freeze-thaw cycles. Freezing leads to cryo-concentration of acidic fluids from precipitations at the surface, facilitating rapid chemical weathering despite low temperatures. Cryosuction causes the upward migration of vadose water and even groundwater with dissolved ions, resulting in the accumulation of ions in near-surface environments. Evaporation precipitates salts, but leaching separates chlorides from sulfates during the thawing period. Freeze-thaw cycles, therefore, can enrich sulfates at the surface. While freeze-thaw is more commonly understood as a mechanism of physical weathering, we suggest that it is a fundamental aspect of chemical weathering on Mars.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiacheng Liu
- Department of Earth Sciences, the University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
- Laboratory for Space Research, the University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Joseph R Michalski
- Department of Earth Sciences, the University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
- Laboratory for Space Research, the University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Wenyuan Gao
- Department of Geology, Northeastern University, Shenyang, China
| | - Christian Schröder
- Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, FK9 4LA, UK
| | - Yi-Liang Li
- Department of Earth Sciences, the University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
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Bowden DL, Bridges JC, Cousin A, Rapin W, Semprich J, Gasnault O, Forni O, Gasda P, Das D, Payré V, Sautter V, Bedford CC, Wiens RC, Pinet P, Frydenvang J. Askival: An altered feldspathic cumulate sample in Gale crater. METEORITICS & PLANETARY SCIENCE 2023; 58:41-62. [PMID: 37082523 PMCID: PMC10108227 DOI: 10.1111/maps.13933] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2022] [Accepted: 10/28/2022] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Askival is a light-toned, coarsely crystalline float rock, which was identified near the base of Vera Rubin Ridge in Gale crater. We have studied Askival, principally with the ChemCam instrument but also using APXS compositional data and MAHLI images. Askival and an earlier identified sample, Bindi, represent two rare examples of feldspathic cumulate float rocks in Gale crater with >65% relict plagioclase. Bindi appears unaltered whereas Askival shows textural and compositional signatures of silicification, along with alkali remobilization and hydration. Askival likely experienced multiple stages of alteration, occurring first through acidic hydrolysis of metal cations, followed by deposition of silica and possible phyllosilicates at low T and neutral-alkaline pH. Through laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy compositional analyses and normative calculations, we suggest that an assemblage of Fe-Mg silicates including amphibole and pyroxene, Fe phases, and possibly Mg-rich phyllosilicate are present. Thermodynamic modeling of the more pristine Bindi composition predicts that amphibole and feldspar are stable within an upper crustal setting. This is consistent with the presence of amphibole in the parent igneous rocks of Askival and suggests that the paucity of amphiboles in other known Martian samples reflects the lack of representative samples of the Martian crust rather than their absence on Mars.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - John C. Bridges
- School of Physics and AstronomyUniversity of LeicesterLE1 7RHLeicesterUK
| | - Agnes Cousin
- Institut de Recherche en Astrophysique et PlanétologieUniversité de ToulouseCNRS, CNES31400ToulouseFrance
| | - William Rapin
- Institut de Recherche en Astrophysique et PlanétologieUniversité de ToulouseCNRS, CNES31400ToulouseFrance
| | - Julia Semprich
- AstrobiologyOU, School of Environment, Earth and Ecosystem SciencesThe Open UniversityMK7 6AAMilton KeynesWalton HallUK
| | - Olivier Gasnault
- Institut de Recherche en Astrophysique et PlanétologieUniversité de ToulouseCNRS, CNES31400ToulouseFrance
| | - Olivier Forni
- Institut de Recherche en Astrophysique et PlanétologieUniversité de ToulouseCNRS, CNES31400ToulouseFrance
| | - Patrick Gasda
- Los Alamos National Laboratory87545New MexicoLos AlamosUSA
| | - Debarati Das
- Department of Earth and Planetary SciencesMcGill UniversityH3A 0E8QuebecMontrealCanada
| | - Valerie Payré
- Department of Earth and Environmental SciencesThe University of Iowa52242IowaIowa CityUSA
| | | | - Candice C. Bedford
- Lunar and Planetary InstituteUSRA77058TexasHoustonUSA
- Astromaterials Research and Exploration ScienceNASA Johnson Space Center77058TexasHoustonUSA
| | - Roger C. Wiens
- Los Alamos National Laboratory87545New MexicoLos AlamosUSA
| | - Patrick Pinet
- Institut de Recherche en Astrophysique et PlanétologieUniversité de ToulouseCNRS, CNES31400ToulouseFrance
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Liu D, Agarwal R, Liu F, Yang S, Li Y. Modeling and assessment of CO 2 geological storage in the Eastern Deccan Basalt of India. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2022; 29:85465-85481. [PMID: 35799008 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-21757-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2022] [Accepted: 06/26/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
In this study, the CO2 carbonatization potential of the Deccan basalt formation in Eastern India is evaluated by establishing a hydro-chemical field-scale model based on the geological, hydrological, and geochemical parameter of the basalt in the Mandla lobe. The reliable initial mineral thermodynamic parameters are obtained by validating the laboratory scale experiment of CO2-water-basalt reaction with a numerical method. Over 50% of injected carbon mineralized within 140 days for the Deccan basalt in the Mandla lobe, and the majority of CO2 is sequestered as ankerite, siderite, and calcite, which occupy a percent of 65%, 28%, and 7%, respectively. Clay minerals, including smectite and chlorite, are important secondary minerals contributing to the process of CO2 storage in the basaltic reservoir. Clay precipitation can promote the dissolution of silica- and aluminum-rich plagioclase and release Ca2+ to enhance the carbonatization of CO2 to Ca carbonates but competes for Fe2+ and Mg2+ from siderite and magnesite. Clay precipitation also impacts the CO2 carbonatization efficiency by changing the basalt conductivity. CO2 carbonatization efficiency was found to increase with the reduction of injection rate. However, slow flow rate can increase the pore clogging risk and induce large pressure build-up. This is the first field-scale assessment of CO2 mineralization potential of the Deccan basalt, which is one of the largest terrestrial flood basalt formations in the world. The results can provide valuable information and scientific support for India and global carbon mitigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danqing Liu
- School of Environmental Studies, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, 430074, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, 430074, China.
| | - Ramesh Agarwal
- Washington University in St. Louis, 1 Brookings Dr., St. Louis, MO, 63130, USA
| | - Fang Liu
- School of Environmental Studies, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, 430074, China
| | - Sen Yang
- School of Environmental Studies, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, 430074, China
| | - Yilian Li
- School of Environmental Studies, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, 430074, China
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Nikitczuk MP, Bebout GE, Geiger CA, Ota T, Kunihiro T, Mustard JF, Halldórsson SA, Nakamura E. Nitrogen Incorporation in Potassic and Micro- and Meso-Porous Minerals: Potential Biogeochemical Records and Targets for Mars Sampling. ASTROBIOLOGY 2022; 22:1293-1309. [PMID: 36074082 PMCID: PMC9618379 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2021.0158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2021] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
We measured the N concentrations and isotopic compositions of 44 samples of terrestrial potassic and micro- and meso-porous minerals and a small number of whole-rocks to determine the extent to which N is incorporated and stored during weathering and low-temperature hydrothermal alteration in Mars surface/near-surface environments. The selection of these minerals and other materials was partly guided by the study of altered volcanic glass from Antarctica and Iceland, in which the incorporation of N as NH4+ in phyllosilicates is indicated by correlated concentrations of N and the LILEs (i.e., K, Ba, Rb, Cs), with scatter likely related to the presence of exchanged, occluded/trapped, or encapsulated organic/inorganic N occurring within structural cavities (e.g., in zeolites). The phyllosilicates, zeolites, and sulfates analyzed in this study contain between 0 and 99,120 ppm N and have δ15Nair values of -34‰ to +65‰. Most of these minerals, and the few siliceous hydrothermal deposits that were analyzed, have δ15N consistent with the incorporation of biologically processed N during low-temperature hydrothermal or weathering processes. Secondary ion mass spectrometry on altered hyaloclastites demonstrates the residency of N in smectites and zeolites, and silica. We suggest that geological materials known on Earth to incorporate and store N and known to be abundant at, or near, the surface of Mars should be considered targets for upcoming Mars sample return with the intent to identify any signs of ancient or modern life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew P. Nikitczuk
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Gray E. Bebout
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, USA
- Pheasant Memorial Laboratory for Geochemistry and Cosmochemistry, Institute for Planetary Materials, Okayama University, Misasa, Japan
| | - Charles A. Geiger
- Universität Salzburg, Fachbereich Chemie und Physik der Materialien, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Tsutomu Ota
- Pheasant Memorial Laboratory for Geochemistry and Cosmochemistry, Institute for Planetary Materials, Okayama University, Misasa, Japan
| | - Takuya Kunihiro
- Pheasant Memorial Laboratory for Geochemistry and Cosmochemistry, Institute for Planetary Materials, Okayama University, Misasa, Japan
| | - John F. Mustard
- Department of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Sæmundur A. Halldórsson
- Nordic Volcanological Center, Institute of Earth Sciences, University of Iceland, Reykjavík, Iceland
| | - Eizo Nakamura
- Pheasant Memorial Laboratory for Geochemistry and Cosmochemistry, Institute for Planetary Materials, Okayama University, Misasa, Japan
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A Review of the Phyllosilicates in Gale Crater as Detected by the CheMin Instrument on the Mars Science Laboratory, Curiosity Rover. MINERALS 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/min11080847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Curiosity, the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) rover, landed on Mars in August 2012 to investigate the ~3.5-billion-year-old (Ga) fluvio-lacustrine sedimentary deposits of Aeolis Mons (informally known as Mount Sharp) and the surrounding plains (Aeolis Palus) in Gale crater. After nearly nine years, Curiosity has traversed over 25 km, and the Chemistry and Mineralogy (CheMin) X-ray diffraction instrument on-board Curiosity has analyzed 30 drilled rock and three scooped soil samples to date. The principal strategic goal of the mission is to assess the habitability of Mars in its ancient past. Phyllosilicates are common in ancient Martian terrains dating to ~3.5–4 Ga and were detected from orbit in some of the lower strata of Mount Sharp. Phyllosilicates on Earth are important for harboring and preserving organics. On Mars, phyllosilicates are significant for exploration as they are hypothesized to be a marker for potential habitable environments. CheMin data demonstrate that ancient fluvio-lacustrine rocks in Gale crater contain up to ~35 wt. % phyllosilicates. Phyllosilicates are key indicators of past fluid–rock interactions, and variation in the structure and composition of phyllosilicates in Gale crater suggest changes in past aqueous environments that may have been habitable to microbial life with a variety of possible energy sources.
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Liu J, Michalski JR, Zhou MF. Intense subaerial weathering of eolian sediments in Gale crater, Mars. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2021; 7:7/32/eabh2687. [PMID: 34362738 PMCID: PMC8346215 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abh2687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2021] [Accepted: 06/21/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
After over 8 years of successful surface operations on Mars, the Curiosity rover has revealed much about the environment in Gale crater. Despite early observations of a lacustrine environment, few of the subsequent deposits exhibit demonstrable lacustrine character. We suggest instead that most of the stratigraphic section explored to date can be best explained as eolian and/or volcaniclastic sediments subaerially chemically weathered by acidic precipitation in a reduced atmosphere. Most of the deposits in Gale crater seemingly did not form in an ancient lake, but the results nonetheless shed considerable light on ancient climate, environmental change, and the astrobiology of Mars. Discoveries by Curiosity provide a critical piece to Mars' global alteration puzzle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiacheng Liu
- Research Division for Earth and Planetary Science, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
- Laboratory for Space Research, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Joseph R Michalski
- Research Division for Earth and Planetary Science, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
- Laboratory for Space Research, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Mei-Fu Zhou
- Research Division for Earth and Planetary Science, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
- School of Earth Resources, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, China
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Jones RM, Goordial JM, Orcutt BN. Low Energy Subsurface Environments as Extraterrestrial Analogs. Front Microbiol 2018; 9:1605. [PMID: 30072971 PMCID: PMC6058055 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.01605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2018] [Accepted: 06/27/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Earth's subsurface is often isolated from phototrophic energy sources and characterized by chemotrophic modes of life. These environments are often oligotrophic and limited in electron donors or electron acceptors, and include continental crust, subseafloor oceanic crust, and marine sediment as well as subglacial lakes and the subsurface of polar desert soils. These low energy subsurface environments are therefore uniquely positioned for examining minimum energetic requirements and adaptations for chemotrophic life. Current targets for astrobiology investigations of extant life are planetary bodies with largely inhospitable surfaces, such as Mars, Europa, and Enceladus. Subsurface environments on Earth thus serve as analogs to explore possibilities of subsurface life on extraterrestrial bodies. The purpose of this review is to provide an overview of subsurface environments as potential analogs, and the features of microbial communities existing in these low energy environments, with particular emphasis on how they inform the study of energetic limits required for life. The thermodynamic energetic calculations presented here suggest that free energy yields of reactions and energy density of some metabolic redox reactions on Mars, Europa, Enceladus, and Titan could be comparable to analog environments in Earth's low energy subsurface habitats.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Beth N. Orcutt
- Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences, East Boothbay, ME, United States
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