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Ciesielczuk J, Fabiańska MJ, Gaidzik K, Nádudvari Á, Misz-Kennan M, Abramowicz A. Botryoidal and spherulitic hematite as experimental evidence of highly acidic conditions in burning coal-waste dumps and potentially on Mars. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 932:172759. [PMID: 38670352 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.172759] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2023] [Revised: 04/02/2024] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
In the extreme setting of burning coal-waste dumps in the Upper Silesian Coal Basin in Poland, botryoidal and spherulitic hematite occurs in association with sulphates and chlorides. A series of simple experiments aimed at replicating the conditions leading to the formation of hematite spherules on the burning dumps are described. Goethite synthesised in the laboratory, mixed with various combinations of other reactants, was heated in a heating chamber or a tubular furnace. Temperature, duration of heating, water and oxygen access, and pH were experimental variables. The results show that hematite may form spherules from goethite where access to oxygen is limited and where conditions are strongly acidic. The spherulitic shape of hematite produced due to dynamically changing physicochemical conditions in the burning dumps can be an indicator of an extremely acidic environment during the closing stages of coal-waste self-heating. The conditions of hematitic-spherule formation on burning coal-waste dumps may apply in a variety of other unrelated settings, e.g., waning volcanism, sulphuric acid speleologenesis and even the formation of blueberries on Mars.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justyna Ciesielczuk
- Institute of Earth Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Silesia in Katowice, Będzińska 60, 41-200 Sosnowiec, Poland.
| | - Monika J Fabiańska
- Institute of Earth Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Silesia in Katowice, Będzińska 60, 41-200 Sosnowiec, Poland
| | - Krzysztof Gaidzik
- Institute of Earth Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Silesia in Katowice, Będzińska 60, 41-200 Sosnowiec, Poland
| | - Ádám Nádudvari
- Institute of Earth Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Silesia in Katowice, Będzińska 60, 41-200 Sosnowiec, Poland
| | - Magdalena Misz-Kennan
- Institute of Earth Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Silesia in Katowice, Będzińska 60, 41-200 Sosnowiec, Poland
| | - Anna Abramowicz
- Institute of Earth Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Silesia in Katowice, Będzińska 60, 41-200 Sosnowiec, Poland
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Alqubalee A, Salisu AM, Bello AM, Al-Hussaini A, Al-Ramadan K. Characteristics, distribution, and origin of ferruginous deposits within the Late Ordovician glaciogenic setting of Arabia. Sci Rep 2023; 13:18430. [PMID: 37891355 PMCID: PMC10611803 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-45563-9] [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: 03/25/2023] [Accepted: 10/20/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Ferruginous deposits are iron-rich sediments or sedimentary rocks found in various sizes, shapes, and compositions within sedimentary strata in different depositional settings. This study investigates the characteristics, distribution, and origin of ferruginous deposits found in the Late Ordovician glaciogenic Sarah Formation and surrounding deposits in central Saudi Arabia. Several types of ferruginous deposits have been identified through field observations and laboratory investigations, including thin-section petrography, geochemical, surface, and bulk mineralogical analyses, and computed tomography scans. The identified ferruginous deposits include solid and rinded concretions, pipes, layers, ferricretes, liesegang bands, and fracture infills. They were associated with the periglacial and proglacial facies of the Sarah Formation. For instance, ferruginous deformed layers were mainly observed in subglacial facies, while rinded concretions occurred in bleached glaciofluvial facies. Ferruginous deposits were also found in the uppermost parts of non-glacial facies, such as the shallow marine Quwarah Member of the Qasim Formation and the braided deltaic Sajir Member of the Saq Formation. Compositionally, goethite was the dominant iron oxide mineral in all ferruginous deposits, and it is mostly distributed as cement, filling pore spaces. In comparison to ferruginous deposits reported in different depositional settings on Earth and Mars, the studied ferruginous deposits in an ancient glaciogenic setting exhibit different mineralogical characteristics. Specifically, the studied solid concretions are less abundant and primarily amalgamated, while the rinded concretions appear to be more mature than those reported in other depositional environments. This study suggests that the weathered basement rocks of the Arabian Shield were the primary source of iron. The iron-bearing rocks were eroded and transported by Hirnantian glaciation and deglaciation processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdullah Alqubalee
- Center for Integrative Petroleum Research, College of Petroleum Engineering and Geosciences, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, 31261, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia.
- Geosciences Department, College of Petroleum Engineering and Geosciences, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, 31261, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia.
| | - Anas Muhammad Salisu
- Geosciences Department, College of Petroleum Engineering and Geosciences, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, 31261, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia
| | - Abdulwahab Muhammad Bello
- Center for Integrative Petroleum Research, College of Petroleum Engineering and Geosciences, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, 31261, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia
| | | | - Khalid Al-Ramadan
- Center for Integrative Petroleum Research, College of Petroleum Engineering and Geosciences, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, 31261, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia.
- Geosciences Department, College of Petroleum Engineering and Geosciences, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, 31261, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia.
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Understanding redox processes during iron precipitation in standing water: implications in formation of iron oxides minerals in the terrestrial planetary environment (especially Mars). PROCEEDINGS OF THE INDIAN NATIONAL SCIENCE ACADEMY 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s43538-022-00092-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/15/2022]
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Rolling Ironstones from Earth and Mars: Terrestrial Hydrothermal Ooids as a Potential Analogue of Martian Spherules. MINERALS 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/min11050460] [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
High-resolution images of Mars from National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) rovers revealed mm-size loose haematite spherulitic deposits (nicknamed “blueberries”) similar to terrestrial iron-ooids, for which both abiotic and biotic genetic hypotheses have been proposed. Understanding the formation mechanism of these haematite spherules can thus improve our knowledge on the possible geologic evolution and links to life development on Mars. Here, we show that shape, size, fabric and mineralogical composition of the Martian spherules share similarities with corresponding iron spherules currently forming on the Earth over an active submarine hydrothermal system located off Panarea Island (Aeolian Islands, Mediterranean Sea). Hydrothermal fluids associated with volcanic activity enable these terrestrial spheroidal grains to form and grow. The recent exceptional discovery of a still working iron-ooid source on the Earth provides indications that past hydrothermal activity on the Red Planet is a possible scenario to be considered as the cause of formation of these enigmatic iron grains.
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Cockell CS, Wordsworth R, Whiteford N, Higgins PM. Minimum Units of Habitability and Their Abundance in the Universe. ASTROBIOLOGY 2021; 21:481-489. [PMID: 33513037 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2020.2350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Although the search for habitability is a much-vaunted objective in the study of planetary environments, the material requirements for an environment to be habitable can be met with relatively few ingredients. In this hypothesis paper, the minimum material requirements for habitability are first re-evaluated, necessarily based on life "as we know it." From this vantage point, we explore examples of the minimum number of material requirements for habitable conditions to arise in a planetary environment, which we illustrate with "minimum habitability diagrams." These requirements raise the hypothesis that habitable conditions may be common throughout the universe. If the hypothesis was accepted, then the discovery of life would remain an important discovery, but habitable conditions on their own would be an unremarkable feature of the material universe. We discuss how minimum units of habitability provide a parsimonious way to consider the minimum number of geological inferences about a planetary body, and the minimum number of atmospheric components that must be measured, for example in the case of exoplanets, to be able to make assessments of habitability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles S Cockell
- UK Centre for Astrobiology, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Robin Wordsworth
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Niall Whiteford
- Institute for Astronomy, Royal Observatory, Blackford Hill, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Peter M Higgins
- UK Centre for Astrobiology, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Institute for Astronomy, Royal Observatory, Blackford Hill, Edinburgh, UK
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Costa J, Bock A, Emmart C, Hansen C, Ynnerman A, Silva C. Interactive Visualization of Atmospheric Effects for Celestial Bodies. IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON VISUALIZATION AND COMPUTER GRAPHICS 2021; 27:785-795. [PMID: 33048680 DOI: 10.1109/tvcg.2020.3030333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
We present an atmospheric model tailored for the interactive visualization of planetary surfaces. As the exploration of the solar system is progressing with increasingly accurate missions and instruments, the faithful visualization of planetary environments is gaining increasing interest in space research, mission planning, and science communication and education. Atmospheric effects are crucial in data analysis and to provide contextual information for planetary data. Our model correctly accounts for the non-linear path of the light inside the atmosphere (in Earth's case), the light absorption effects by molecules and dust particles, such as the ozone layer and the Martian dust, and a wavelength-dependent phase function for Mie scattering. The mode focuses on interactivity, versatility, and customization, and a comprehensive set of interactive controls make it possible to adapt its appearance dynamically. We demonstrate our results using Earth and Mars as examples. However, it can be readily adapted for the exploration of other atmospheres found on, for example, of exoplanets. For Earth's atmosphere, we visually compare our results with pictures taken from the International Space Station and against the CIE clear sky model. The Martian atmosphere is reproduced based on available scientific data, feedback from domain experts, and is compared to images taken by the Curiosity rover. The work presented here has been implemented in the OpenSpace system, which enables interactive parameter setting and real-time feedback visualization targeting presentations in a wide range of environments, from immersive dome theaters to virtual reality headsets.
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Ward LM, Stamenković V, Hand K, Fischer WW. Follow the Oxygen: Comparative Histories of Planetary Oxygenation and Opportunities for Aerobic Life. ASTROBIOLOGY 2019; 19:811-824. [PMID: 31188035 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2017.1779] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Aerobic respiration-the reduction of molecular oxygen (O2) coupled to the oxidation of reduced compounds such as organic carbon, ferrous iron, reduced sulfur compounds, or molecular hydrogen while conserving energy to drive cellular processes-is the most widespread and bioenergetically favorable metabolism on Earth today. Aerobic respiration is essential for the development of complex multicellular life; thus the presence of abundant O2 is an important metric for planetary habitability. O2 on Earth is supplied by oxygenic photosynthesis, but it is becoming more widely understood that abiotic processes may supply meaningful amounts of O2 on other worlds. The modern atmosphere and rock record of Mars suggest a history of relatively high O2 as a result of photochemical processes, potentially overlapping with the range of O2 concentrations used by biology. Europa may have accumulated high O2 concentrations in its subsurface ocean due to the radiolysis of water ice at its surface. Recent modeling efforts suggest that coexisting water and O2 may be common on exoplanets, with confirmation from measurements of exoplanet atmospheres potentially coming soon. In all these cases, O2 accumulates through abiotic processes-independent of water-oxidizing photosynthesis. We hypothesize that abiogenic O2 may enhance the habitability of some planetary environments, allowing highly energetic aerobic respiration and potentially even the development of complex multicellular life which depends on it, without the need to first evolve oxygenic photosynthesis. This hypothesis is testable with further exploration and life-detection efforts on O2-rich worlds such as Mars and Europa, and comparison to O2-poor worlds such as Enceladus. This hypothesis further suggests a new dimension to planetary habitability: "Follow the Oxygen," in which environments with opportunities for energy-rich metabolisms such as aerobic respiration are preferentially targeted for investigation and life detection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lewis M Ward
- 1 Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California
| | - Vlada Stamenković
- 2 Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California
| | - Kevin Hand
- 2 Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California
| | - Woodward W Fischer
- 1 Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California
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Chan MA, Bowen BB, Corsetti FA, Farrand WH, Law ES, Newsom HE, Perl SM, Spear JR, Thompson DR. Exploring, Mapping, and Data Management Integration of Habitable Environments in Astrobiology. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:147. [PMID: 30891006 PMCID: PMC6412026 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.00147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2018] [Accepted: 01/21/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
New approaches to blending geoscience, planetary science, microbiology-geobiology/ecology, geoinformatics and cyberinfrastructure technology disciplines in a holistic effort can be transformative to astrobiology explorations. Over the last two decades, overwhelming orbital evidence has confirmed the abundance of authigenic (in situ, formed in place) minerals on Mars. On Earth, environments where authigenic minerals form provide a substrate for the preservation of microbial life. Similarly, extraterrestrial life is likely to be preserved where crustal minerals can record and preserve the biochemical mechanisms (i.e., biosignatures). The search for astrobiological evidence on Mars has focused on identifying past or present habitable environments - places that could support some semblance of life. Thus, authigenic minerals represent a promising habitable environment where extraterrestrial life could be recorded and potentially preserved over geologic time scales. Astrobiology research necessarily takes place over vastly different scales; from molecules to viruses and microbes to those of satellites and solar system exploration, but the differing scales of analyses are rarely connected quantitatively. The mismatch between the scales of these observations- from the macro- satellite mineralogical observations to the micro- microbial observations- limits the applicability of our astrobiological understanding as we search for records of life beyond Earth. Each-scale observation requires knowledge of the geologic context and the environmental parameters important for assessing habitability. Exploration efforts to search for extraterrestrial life should attempt to quantify both the geospatial context and the temporal/spatial relationships between microbial abundance and diversity within authigenic minerals at multiple scales, while assimilating resolutions from satellite observations to field measurements to microscopic analyses. Statistical measures, computer vision, and the geospatial synergy of Geographic Information Systems (GIS), can allow analyses of objective data-driven methods to locate, map, and predict where the "sweet spots" of habitable environments occur at multiple scales. This approach of science information architecture or an "Astrobiology Information System" can provide the necessary maps to guide researchers to discoveries via testing, visualizing, documenting, and collaborating on significant data relationships that will advance explorations for evidence of life in our solar system and beyond.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marjorie A. Chan
- Department of Geology and Geophysics, The University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Brenda B. Bowen
- Department of Geology and Geophysics, The University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Frank A. Corsetti
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | | | - Emily S. Law
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, United States
| | - Horton E. Newsom
- Department Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, United States
| | - Scott M. Perl
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, United States
| | - John R. Spear
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO, United States
| | - David R. Thompson
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, United States
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Fornaro T, Steele A, Brucato JR. Catalytic/Protective Properties of Martian Minerals and Implications for Possible Origin of Life on Mars. Life (Basel) 2018; 8:life8040056. [PMID: 30400661 PMCID: PMC6315534 DOI: 10.3390/life8040056] [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: 10/05/2018] [Revised: 10/28/2018] [Accepted: 10/30/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Minerals might have played critical roles for the origin and evolution of possible life forms on Mars. The study of the interactions between the "building blocks of life" and minerals relevant to Mars mineralogy under conditions mimicking the harsh Martian environment may provide key insight into possible prebiotic processes. Therefore, this contribution aims at reviewing the most important investigations carried out so far about the catalytic/protective properties of Martian minerals toward molecular biosignatures under Martian-like conditions. Overall, it turns out that the fate of molecular biosignatures on Mars depends on a delicate balance between multiple preservation and degradation mechanisms, often regulated by minerals, which may take place simultaneously. Such a complexity requires more efforts in simulating realistically the Martian environment in order to better inspect plausible prebiotic pathways and shed light on the nature of the organic compounds detected both in meteorites and on the surface of Mars through in situ analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teresa Fornaro
- Geophysical Laboratory of the Carnegie Institution for Science, 5251 Broad Branch Rd. NW, Washington, DC 20015, USA.
| | - Andrew Steele
- Geophysical Laboratory of the Carnegie Institution for Science, 5251 Broad Branch Rd. NW, Washington, DC 20015, USA.
| | - John Robert Brucato
- INAF-Astrophysical Observatory of Arcetri, L.go E. Fermi 5, 50125 Firenze, Italy.
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McMahon S, Bosak T, Grotzinger JP, Milliken RE, Summons RE, Daye M, Newman SA, Fraeman A, Williford KH, Briggs DEG. A Field Guide to Finding Fossils on Mars. JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH. PLANETS 2018; 123:1012-1040. [PMID: 30034979 PMCID: PMC6049883 DOI: 10.1029/2017je005478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2017] [Revised: 03/28/2018] [Accepted: 04/23/2018] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
The Martian surface is cold, dry, exposed to biologically harmful radiation and apparently barren today. Nevertheless, there is clear geological evidence for warmer, wetter intervals in the past that could have supported life at or near the surface. This evidence has motivated National Aeronautics and Space Administration and European Space Agency to prioritize the search for any remains or traces of organisms from early Mars in forthcoming missions. Informed by (1) stratigraphic, mineralogical and geochemical data collected by previous and current missions, (2) Earth's fossil record, and (3) experimental studies of organic decay and preservation, we here consider whether, how, and where fossils and isotopic biosignatures could have been preserved in the depositional environments and mineralizing media thought to have been present in habitable settings on early Mars. We conclude that Noachian-Hesperian Fe-bearing clay-rich fluvio-lacustrine siliciclastic deposits, especially where enriched in silica, currently represent the most promising and best understood astropaleontological targets. Siliceous sinters would also be an excellent target, but their presence on Mars awaits confirmation. More work is needed to improve our understanding of fossil preservation in the context of other environments specific to Mars, particularly within evaporative salts and pore/fracture-filling subsurface minerals.
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Affiliation(s)
- S. McMahon
- Department of Geology and GeophysicsYale UniversityNew HavenCTUSA
- UK Centre for Astrobiology, School of Physics and AstronomyUniversity of EdinburghEdinburghUK
| | - T. Bosak
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary SciencesMassachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridgeMAUSA
| | - J. P. Grotzinger
- Division of Geological and Planetary SciencesCalifornia Institute of TechnologyPasadenaCAUSA
| | - R. E. Milliken
- Department of Earth, Environmental and Planetary SciencesBrown UniversityProvidenceRIUSA
| | - R. E. Summons
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary SciencesMassachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridgeMAUSA
| | - M. Daye
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary SciencesMassachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridgeMAUSA
| | - S. A. Newman
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary SciencesMassachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridgeMAUSA
| | - A. Fraeman
- Jet Propulsion LaboratoryCalifornia Institute of TechnologyPasadenaCAUSA
| | - K. H. Williford
- Jet Propulsion LaboratoryCalifornia Institute of TechnologyPasadenaCAUSA
| | - D. E. G. Briggs
- Department of Geology and GeophysicsYale UniversityNew HavenCTUSA
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11
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Hays LE, Graham HV, Des Marais DJ, Hausrath EM, Horgan B, McCollom TM, Parenteau MN, Potter-McIntyre SL, Williams AJ, Lynch KL. Biosignature Preservation and Detection in Mars Analog Environments. ASTROBIOLOGY 2017; 17:363-400. [PMID: 28177270 PMCID: PMC5478115 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2016.1627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
This review of material relevant to the Conference on Biosignature Preservation and Detection in Mars Analog Environments summarizes the meeting materials and discussions and is further expanded upon by detailed references to the published literature. From this diverse source material, there is a detailed discussion on the habitability and biosignature preservation potential of five primary analog environments: hydrothermal spring systems, subaqueous environments, subaerial environments, subsurface environments, and iron-rich systems. Within the context of exploring past habitable environments on Mars, challenges common to all of these key environments are laid out, followed by a focused discussion for each environment regarding challenges to orbital and ground-based observations and sample selection. This leads into a short section on how these challenges could influence our strategies and priorities for the astrobiological exploration of Mars. Finally, a listing of urgent needs and future research highlights key elements such as development of instrumentation as well as continued exploration into how Mars may have evolved differently from Earth and what that might mean for biosignature preservation and detection. Key Words: Biosignature preservation-Biosignature detection-Mars analog environments-Conference report-Astrobiological exploration. Astrobiology 17, 363-400.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindsay E. Hays
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California
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12
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Hanna RD, Hamilton VE, Putzig NE. The complex relationship between olivine abundance and thermal inertia on Mars. JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH. PLANETS 2016; 121:1293-1320. [PMID: 31007993 PMCID: PMC6469700 DOI: 10.1002/2015je004924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
We examine four olivine-bearing regions at a variety of spatial scales with thermal infrared, visible to near-infrared, and visible imagery data to investigate the hypothesis that the relationship between olivine abundance and thermal inertia (i.e., effective particle size) can be used to infer the occurrence of olivine chemical alteration during sediment production on Mars. As in previous work, Nili Fossae and Isidis Planitia show a positive correlation between thermal inertia and olivine abundance in Thermal Emission Spectrometer (TES) and Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) data, which could be interpreted as indicating olivine chemical weathering. However, geomorphological analysis reveals that relatively olivine-poor sediments are not derived from adjacent olivine-rich materials, and therefore, chemical weathering cannot be inferred based on the olivine-thermal inertia relationship alone. We identify two areas (Terra Cimmeria and Argyre Planitia) with significant olivine abundance and thermal inertias consistent with sand, but no adjacent rocky (parent) units having even greater olivine abundances. More broadly, global analysis with TES reveals that the most typical olivine abundance on Mars is ~5-7% and that olivine-bearing (5-25%) materials have a wide range of thermal inertias, commonly 25-600 J m-2 K-1 s-1/2. TES also indicates that the majority of olivine-rich (>25%) materials have apparent thermal inertias less than 400 J m-2 K-1 s-1/2. In summary, we find that the relationship between thermal inertia and olivine abundance alone cannot be used in infer olivine weathering in the examined areas, that olivine-bearing materials have a large range of thermal intertias, and therefore that a complex relationship between olivine abundance and thermal inertia exists on Mars.
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Affiliation(s)
- Romy D Hanna
- Jackson School of Geological Sciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
| | - Victoria E Hamilton
- Department of Space Studies, Southwest Research Institute, Boulder, Colorado, USA
| | - Nathaniel E Putzig
- Department of Space Studies, Southwest Research Institute, Boulder, Colorado, USA
- Now at the Planetary Science Institute, Lakewood, Colorado, USA
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Cataldo V, Williams DA, Dundas CM, Keszthelyi LP. Limited role for thermal erosion by turbulent lava in proximal Athabasca Valles, Mars. JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH. PLANETS 2015; 120:1800-1819. [PMID: 29082120 PMCID: PMC5658793 DOI: 10.1002/2014je004761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
The Athabasca Valles flood lava is among the most recent (<50 Ma) and best preserved effusive lava flows on Mars and was probably emplaced turbulently. The Williams et al. [2005] model of thermal erosion by lava has been applied to what we term "proximal Athabasca," the 75 km long upstream portion of Athabasca Valles. For emplacement volumes of 5000 and 7500 km3 and average flow thicknesses of 20 and 30 m, the duration of the eruption varies between ~11 and ~37 days. The erosion of the lava flow substrate is investigated for three eruption temperatures (1270°C, 1260°C, and 1250°C), and volatile contents equivalent to 0-65 vol% bubbles. The largest erosion depths of ~3.8-7.5 m are at the lava source, for 20 m thick and bubble-free flows that erupted at their liquidus temperature (1270°C). A substrate containing 25 vol% ice leads to maximum erosion. A lava temperature 20°C below liquidus reduces erosion depths by a factor of ~2.2. If flow viscosity increases with increasing bubble content in the lava, the presence of 30-50 vol % bubbles leads to erosion depths lower than those relative to bubble-free lava by a factor of ~2.4. The presence of 25 vol % ice in the substrate increases erosion depths by a factor of 1.3. Nevertheless, modeled erosion depths, consistent with the emplacement volume and flow duration constraints, are far less than the depth of the channel (~35-100 m). We conclude that thermal erosion does not appear to have had a major role in excavating Athabasca Valles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincenzo Cataldo
- School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
| | - David A Williams
- School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
| | - Colin M Dundas
- Astrogeology Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, Flagstaff, Arizona, USA
| | - Laszlo P Keszthelyi
- Astrogeology Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, Flagstaff, Arizona, USA
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14
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Río tinto: a geochemical and mineralogical terrestrial analogue of Mars. Life (Basel) 2014; 4:511-34. [PMID: 25370383 PMCID: PMC4206857 DOI: 10.3390/life4030511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2014] [Revised: 08/22/2014] [Accepted: 08/28/2014] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The geomicrobiological characterization of the water column and sediments of Río Tinto (Huelva, Southwestern Spain) have proven the importance of the iron and the sulfur cycles, not only in generating the extreme conditions of the habitat (low pH, high concentration of toxic heavy metals), but also in maintaining the high level of microbial diversity detected in the basin. It has been proven that the extreme acidic conditions of Río Tinto basin are not the product of 5000 years of mining activity in the area, but the consequence of an active underground bioreactor that obtains its energy from the massive sulfidic minerals existing in the Iberian Pyrite Belt. Two drilling projects, MARTE (Mars Astrobiology Research and Technology Experiment) (2003–2006) and IPBSL (Iberian Pyrite Belt Subsurface Life Detection) (2011–2015), were developed and carried out to provide evidence of subsurface microbial activity and the potential resources that support these activities. The reduced substrates and the oxidants that drive the system appear to come from the rock matrix. These resources need only groundwater to launch diverse microbial metabolisms. The similarities between the vast sulfate and iron oxide deposits on Mars and the main sulfide bioleaching products found in the Tinto basin have given Río Tinto the status of a geochemical and mineralogical Mars terrestrial analogue.
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Weitz CM, Noe Dobrea EZ, Lane MD, Knudson AT. Geologic relationships between gray hematite, sulfates, and clays in Capri Chasma. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2012. [DOI: 10.1029/2012je004092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
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Pozun ZD, Henkelman G. Hybrid density functional theory band structure engineering in hematite. J Chem Phys 2011; 134:224706. [DOI: 10.1063/1.3598947] [Citation(s) in RCA: 136] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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Chojnacki M, Burr DM, Moersch JE, Michaels TI. Orbital observations of contemporary dune activity in Endeavor crater, Meridiani Planum, Mars. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2011. [DOI: 10.1029/2010je003675] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Arvidson RE, Ashley JW, Bell JF, Chojnacki M, Cohen J, Economou TE, Farrand WH, Fergason R, Fleischer I, Geissler P, Gellert R, Golombek MP, Grotzinger JP, Guinness EA, Haberle RM, Herkenhoff KE, Herman JA, Iagnemma KD, Jolliff BL, Johnson JR, Klingelhöfer G, Knoll AH, Knudson AT, Li R, McLennan SM, Mittlefehldt DW, Morris RV, Parker TJ, Rice MS, Schröder C, Soderblom LA, Squyres SW, Sullivan RJ, Wolff MJ. Opportunity Mars Rover mission: Overview and selected results from Purgatory ripple to traverses to Endeavour crater. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2011. [DOI: 10.1029/2010je003746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Wray JJ, Milliken RE, Dundas CM, Swayze GA, Andrews-Hanna JC, Baldridge AM, Chojnacki M, Bishop JL, Ehlmann BL, Murchie SL, Clark RN, Seelos FP, Tornabene LL, Squyres SW. Columbus crater and other possible groundwater-fed paleolakes of Terra Sirenum, Mars. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2011. [DOI: 10.1029/2010je003694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 121] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Golombek M, Robinson K, McEwen A, Bridges N, Ivanov B, Tornabene L, Sullivan R. Constraints on ripple migration at Meridiani Planum from Opportunity and HiRISE observations of fresh craters. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2010. [DOI: 10.1029/2010je003628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
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Wiseman SM, Arvidson RE, Morris RV, Poulet F, Andrews-Hanna JC, Bishop JL, Murchie SL, Seelos FP, Des Marais D, Griffes JL. Spectral and stratigraphic mapping of hydrated sulfate and phyllosilicate-bearing deposits in northern Sinus Meridiani, Mars. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2010. [DOI: 10.1029/2009je003354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Lichtenberg KA, Arvidson RE, Morris RV, Murchie SL, Bishop JL, Fernandez Remolar D, Glotch TD, Noe Dobrea E, Mustard JF, Andrews-Hanna J, Roach LH. Stratigraphy of hydrated sulfates in the sedimentary deposits of Aram Chaos, Mars. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2010. [DOI: 10.1029/2009je003353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Andrews-Hanna JC, Zuber MT, Arvidson RE, Wiseman SM. Early Mars hydrology: Meridiani playa deposits and the sedimentary record of Arabia Terra. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2010. [DOI: 10.1029/2009je003485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 129] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
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Murchie SL, Seelos FP, Hash CD, Humm DC, Malaret E, McGovern JA, Choo TH, Seelos KD, Buczkowski DL, Morgan MF, Barnouin-Jha OS, Nair H, Taylor HW, Patterson GW, Harvel CA, Mustard JF, Arvidson RE, McGuire P, Smith MD, Wolff MJ, Titus TN, Bibring JP, Poulet F. Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars investigation and data set from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter's primary science phase. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2009. [DOI: 10.1029/2009je003344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 146] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Murchie SL, Mustard JF, Ehlmann BL, Milliken RE, Bishop JL, McKeown NK, Noe Dobrea EZ, Seelos FP, Buczkowski DL, Wiseman SM, Arvidson RE, Wray JJ, Swayze G, Clark RN, Des Marais DJ, McEwen AS, Bibring JP. A synthesis of Martian aqueous mineralogy after 1 Mars year of observations from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2009. [DOI: 10.1029/2009je003342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 356] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Murchie S, Roach L, Seelos F, Milliken R, Mustard J, Arvidson R, Wiseman S, Lichtenberg K, Andrews-Hanna J, Bishop J, Bibring JP, Parente M, Morris R. Evidence for the origin of layered deposits in Candor Chasma, Mars, from mineral composition and hydrologic modeling. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2009. [DOI: 10.1029/2009je003343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 137] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Affiliation(s)
- Harry Y. McSween
- Planetary Geosciences Institute and Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996–1410, USA
| | - G. Jeffrey Taylor
- Hawai’i Institute for Geophysics and Planetology, University of Hawai’i at Manoa, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA
| | - Michael B. Wyatt
- Department of Geological Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912–1846, USA
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Chojnacki M, Hynek BM. Geological context of water-altered minerals in Valles Marineris, Mars. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2008. [DOI: 10.1029/2007je003070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Massé M, Le Mouélic S, Bourgeois O, Combe JP, Le Deit L, Sotin C, Bibring JP, Gondet B, Langevin Y. Mineralogical composition, structure, morphology, and geological history of Aram Chaos crater fill on Mars derived from OMEGA Mars Express data. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2008. [DOI: 10.1029/2008je003131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Bonaccorsi R, Stoker CR. Science results from a Mars drilling simulation (Río Tinto, Spain) and ground truth for remote science observations. ASTROBIOLOGY 2008; 8:967-985. [PMID: 19105754 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2007.0152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Science results from a field-simulated lander payload and post-mission laboratory investigations provided "ground truth" to interpret remote science observations made as part of the 2005 Mars Astrobiology Research and Technology Experiment (MARTE) drilling mission simulation. The experiment was successful in detecting evidence for life, habitability, and preservation potential of organics in a relevant astrobiological analogue of Mars. SCIENCE RESULTS: Borehole 7 was drilled near the Río Tinto headwaters at Peña de Hierro (Spain) in the upper oxidized remnant of an acid rock drainage system. Analysis of 29 cores (215 cm of core was recovered from 606 cm penetrated depth) revealed a matrix of goethite- (42-94%) and hematite-rich (47-87%) rocks with pockets of phyllosilicates (47-74%) and fine- to coarse-grained loose material. Post-mission X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis confirmed the range of hematite:goethite mixtures that were visually recognizable (approximately 1:1, approximately 1:2, and approximately 1:3 mixtures displayed a yellowish-red color whereas 3:1 mixtures displayed a dark reddish-brown color). Organic carbon was poorly preserved in hematite/goethite-rich materials (C(org) <0.05 wt %) beneath the biologically active organic-rich soil horizon (C(org) approximately 3-11 wt %) in contrast to the phyllosilicate-rich zones (C(org) approximately 0.23 wt %). GROUND TRUTH VS. REMOTE SCIENCE ANALYSIS: Laboratory-based analytical results were compared to the analyses obtained by a Remote Science Team (RST) using a blind protocol. Ferric iron phases, lithostratigraphy, and inferred geologic history were correctly identified by the RST with the exception of phyllosilicate-rich materials that were misinterpreted as weathered igneous rock. Adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP) luminometry, a tool available to the RST, revealed ATP amounts above background noise, i.e., 278-876 Relative Luminosity Units (RLUs) in only 6 cores, whereas organic carbon was detected in all cores. Our manned vs. remote observations based on automated acquisitions during the project provide insights for the preparation of future astrobiology-driven Mars missions.
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Le Deit L, Le Mouélic S, Bourgeois O, Combe JP, Mège D, Sotin C, Gendrin A, Hauber E, Mangold N, Bibring JP. Ferric oxides in East Candor Chasma, Valles Marineris (Mars) inferred from analysis of OMEGA/Mars Express data: Identification and geological interpretation. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2008. [DOI: 10.1029/2007je002950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Koeppen WC, Hamilton VE. Global distribution, composition, and abundance of olivine on the surface of Mars from thermal infrared data. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2008. [DOI: 10.1029/2007je002984] [Citation(s) in RCA: 169] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Fernández-Remolar DC, Gómez F, Prieto-Ballesteros O, Schelble RT, Rodríguez N, Amils R. Some ecological mechanisms to generate habitability in planetary subsurface areas by chemolithotrophic communities: the Río Tinto subsurface ecosystem as a model system. ASTROBIOLOGY 2008; 8:157-173. [PMID: 18237256 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2006.0022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Chemolithotrophic communities that colonize subsurface habitats have great relevance for the astrobiological exploration of our Solar System. We hypothesize that the chemical and thermal stabilization of an environment through microbial activity could make a given planetary region habitable. The MARTE project ground-truth drilling campaigns that sampled cryptic subsurface microbial communities in the basement of the Río Tinto headwaters have shown that acidic surficial habitats are the result of the microbial oxidation of pyritic ores. The oxidation process is exothermic and releases heat under both aerobic and anaerobic conditions. These microbial communities can maintain the subsurface habitat temperature through storage heat if the subsurface temperature does not exceed their maximum growth temperature. In the acidic solutions of the Río Tinto, ferric iron acts as an effective buffer for controlling water pH. Under anaerobic conditions, ferric iron is the oxidant used by microbes to decompose pyrite through the production of sulfate, ferrous iron, and protons. The integration between the physical and chemical processes mediated by microorganisms with those driven by the local geology and hydrology have led us to hypothesize that thermal and chemical regulation mechanisms exist in this environment and that these homeostatic mechanisms could play an essential role in creating habitable areas for other types of microorganisms. Therefore, searching for the physicochemical expression of extinct and extant homeostatic mechanisms through physical and chemical anomalies in the Mars crust (i.e., local thermal gradient or high concentration of unusual products such as ferric sulfates precipitated out from acidic solutions produced by hypothetical microbial communities) could be a first step in the search for biological traces of a putative extant or extinct Mars biosphere.
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Jaeger WL, Keszthelyi LP, McEwen AS, Dundas CM, Russell PS. Athabasca Valles, Mars: A Lava-Draped Channel System. Science 2007; 317:1709-11. [PMID: 17885126 DOI: 10.1126/science.1143315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 141] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Athabasca Valles is a young outflow channel system on Mars that may have been carved by catastrophic water floods. However, images acquired by the High-Resolution Imaging Science Experiment camera onboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft reveal that Athabasca Valles is now entirely draped by a thin layer of solidified lava-the remnant of a once-swollen river of molten rock. The lava erupted from a fissure, inundated the channels, and drained downstream in geologically recent times. Purported ice features in Athabasca Valles and its distal basin, Cerberus Palus, are actually composed of this lava. Similar volcanic processes may have operated in other ostensibly fluvial channels, which could explain in part why the landers sent to investigate sites of ancient flooding on Mars have predominantly found lava at the surface instead.
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Affiliation(s)
- W L Jaeger
- Astrogeology Team,U.S. Geological Survey, Flagstaff, AZ 86001, USA.
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Bibring JP, Arvidson RE, Gendrin A, Gondet B, Langevin Y, Le Mouelic S, Mangold N, Morris RV, Mustard JF, Poulet F, Quantin C, Sotin C. Coupled Ferric Oxides and Sulfates on the Martian Surface. Science 2007; 317:1206-10. [PMID: 17673623 DOI: 10.1126/science.1144174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 134] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
The Mars Exploration Rover (MER), Opportunity, showed that layered sulfate deposits in Meridiani Planum formed during a period of rising acidic ground water. Crystalline hematite spherules formed in the deposits as a consequence of aqueous alteration and were concentrated on the surface as a lag deposit as wind eroded the softer sulfate rocks. On the basis of Mars Express Observatoire pour la Minéralogie, l'Eau, les Glaces et l'Activité (OMEGA) orbital data, we demonstrate that crystalline hematite deposits are associated with layered sulfates in other areas on Mars, implying that Meridiani-like ground water systems were indeed widespread and representative of an extensive acid sulfate aqueous system.
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Affiliation(s)
- J-P Bibring
- Institut d'Astrophysique Spatiale, Batiment 121, 91405 Orsay Campus, France.
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Zolotov MY, Mironenko MV. Timing of acid weathering on Mars: A kinetic-thermodynamic assessment. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2007. [DOI: 10.1029/2006je002882] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Hansen CJ, Paige DA, Bearman G, Furstenau S, Horn J, Mahoney C, Patrick S, Peters G, Scherbenski J, Shiraishi L, Zimmerman W. SPADE: A rock-crushing and sample-handling system developed for Mars missions. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2007. [DOI: 10.1029/2005je002413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Glotch TD, Rogers AD. Evidence for aqueous deposition of hematite- and sulfate-rich light-toned layered deposits in Aureum and Iani Chaos, Mars. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2007. [DOI: 10.1029/2006je002863] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Morris RV, Klingelhöfer G, Schröder C, Rodionov DS, Yen A, Ming DW, de Souza PA, Wdowiak T, Fleischer I, Gellert R, Bernhardt B, Bonnes U, Cohen BA, Evlanov EN, Foh J, Gütlich P, Kankeleit E, McCoy T, Mittlefehldt DW, Renz F, Schmidt ME, Zubkov B, Squyres SW, Arvidson RE. Mössbauer mineralogy of rock, soil, and dust at Meridiani Planum, Mars: Opportunity's journey across sulfate-rich outcrop, basaltic sand and dust, and hematite lag deposits. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2006. [DOI: 10.1029/2006je002791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 183] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - G. Klingelhöfer
- Institut für Anorganische und Analytische Chemie; Johannes Gutenberg-Universität; Mainz Germany
| | - C. Schröder
- Institut für Anorganische und Analytische Chemie; Johannes Gutenberg-Universität; Mainz Germany
| | - D. S. Rodionov
- Institut für Anorganische und Analytische Chemie; Johannes Gutenberg-Universität; Mainz Germany
- Space Research Institute IKI; Moscow Russia
| | - A. Yen
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory; California Institute of Technology; Pasadena California USA
| | - D. W. Ming
- NASA Johnson Space Center; Houston Texas USA
| | - P. A. de Souza
- Institut für Anorganische und Analytische Chemie; Johannes Gutenberg-Universität; Mainz Germany
- CVRD Group; Rio de Janeiro Brazil
| | - T. Wdowiak
- Department of Physics; University of Alabama at Birmingham; Birmingham Alabama USA
| | - I. Fleischer
- Institut für Anorganische und Analytische Chemie; Johannes Gutenberg-Universität; Mainz Germany
| | - R. Gellert
- Department of Physics; University of Guelph; Guelph, Ontario Canada
| | - B. Bernhardt
- Institut für Anorganische und Analytische Chemie; Johannes Gutenberg-Universität; Mainz Germany
| | - U. Bonnes
- Darmstadt University of Technology; Darmstadt Germany
| | - B. A. Cohen
- Institute of Meteoritics; University of New Mexico; Albuquerque, NM USA
| | | | - J. Foh
- Institut für Anorganische und Analytische Chemie; Johannes Gutenberg-Universität; Mainz Germany
- Darmstadt University of Technology; Darmstadt Germany
| | - P. Gütlich
- Institut für Anorganische und Analytische Chemie; Johannes Gutenberg-Universität; Mainz Germany
| | - E. Kankeleit
- Darmstadt University of Technology; Darmstadt Germany
| | - T. McCoy
- Department of Mineral Sciences, National Museum of Natural History; Smithsonian Institution; Washington, DC USA
| | | | - F. Renz
- Institut für Anorganische und Analytische Chemie; Johannes Gutenberg-Universität; Mainz Germany
| | - M. E. Schmidt
- Department of Mineral Sciences, National Museum of Natural History; Smithsonian Institution; Washington, DC USA
| | - B. Zubkov
- Space Research Institute IKI; Moscow Russia
| | - S. W. Squyres
- Department of Astronomy; Cornell University; Ithaca New York USA
| | - R. E. Arvidson
- Department Earth and Planetary Sciences; Washington University; St. Louis Missouri USA
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Squyres SW, Arvidson RE, Bollen D, Bell JF, Brückner J, Cabrol NA, Calvin WM, Carr MH, Christensen PR, Clark BC, Crumpler L, Des Marais DJ, d'Uston C, Economou T, Farmer J, Farrand WH, Folkner W, Gellert R, Glotch TD, Golombek M, Gorevan S, Grant JA, Greeley R, Grotzinger J, Herkenhoff KE, Hviid S, Johnson JR, Klingelhöfer G, Knoll AH, Landis G, Lemmon M, Li R, Madsen MB, Malin MC, McLennan SM, McSween HY, Ming DW, Moersch J, Morris RV, Parker T, Rice JW, Richter L, Rieder R, Schröder C, Sims M, Smith M, Smith P, Soderblom LA, Sullivan R, Tosca NJ, Wänke H, Wdowiak T, Wolff M, Yen A. Overview of the Opportunity Mars Exploration Rover Mission to Meridiani Planum: Eagle Crater to Purgatory Ripple. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2006. [DOI: 10.1029/2006je002771] [Citation(s) in RCA: 126] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- S. W. Squyres
- Department of Astronomy; Cornell University, Space Sciences Building; Ithaca New York USA
| | - R. E. Arvidson
- Department Earth and Planetary Sciences; Washington University; St. Louis Missouri USA
| | - D. Bollen
- Department of Astronomy; Cornell University, Space Sciences Building; Ithaca New York USA
| | - J. F. Bell
- Department of Astronomy; Cornell University, Space Sciences Building; Ithaca New York USA
| | - J. Brückner
- Max Planck Institut für Chemie, Kosmochemie; Mainz Germany
| | - N. A. Cabrol
- NASA Ames/SETI Institute; Moffett Field California USA
| | - W. M. Calvin
- Department of Geological Sciences; University of Nevada, Reno; Reno Nevada USA
| | - M. H. Carr
- U.S. Geological Survey; Menlo Park California USA
| | - P. R. Christensen
- Department of Geological Sciences; Arizona State University; Tempe Arizona USA
| | - B. C. Clark
- Lockheed Martin Corporation; Littleton Colorado USA
| | - L. Crumpler
- New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science; Albuquerque New Mexico USA
| | | | - C. d'Uston
- Centre d'Etude Spatiale des Rayonnements; Toulouse France
| | - T. Economou
- Enrico Fermi Institute; University of Chicago; Chicago Illinois USA
| | - J. Farmer
- Department of Geological Sciences; Arizona State University; Tempe Arizona USA
| | | | - W. Folkner
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory; California Institute of Technology; Pasadena California USA
| | - R. Gellert
- Department of Physics; University of Guelph; Guelph, Ontario Canada
| | - T. D. Glotch
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory; California Institute of Technology; Pasadena California USA
| | - M. Golombek
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory; California Institute of Technology; Pasadena California USA
| | | | - J. A. Grant
- Center for Earth and Planetary Studies; Smithsonian Institution; Washington, D. C. USA
| | - R. Greeley
- Department of Geological Sciences; Arizona State University; Tempe Arizona USA
| | - J. Grotzinger
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences; California Institute of Technology; Pasadena California USA
| | | | - S. Hviid
- Max Planck Institut für Sonnensystemforschung; Katlenburg-Lindau Germany
| | | | - G. Klingelhöfer
- Institut für Anorganische und Analytische Chemie; Johannes Gutenberg-Universität; Mainz Germany
| | - A. H. Knoll
- Botanical Museum; Harvard University; Cambridge Massachusetts USA
| | - G. Landis
- NASA Glenn Research Center; Cleveland Ohio USA
| | - M. Lemmon
- Department of Atmospheric Sciences; Texas A&M University; College Station Texas USA
| | - R. Li
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Geodetic Science; Ohio State University; Columbus Ohio USA
| | - M. B. Madsen
- Niels Bohr Institute; Ørsted Laboratory; Copenhagen Denmark
| | - M. C. Malin
- Malin Space Science Systems; San Diego California USA
| | - S. M. McLennan
- Department of Geosciences; State University of New York; Stony Brook New York USA
| | - H. Y. McSween
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences; University of Tennessee; Knoxville Tennessee USA
| | - D. W. Ming
- NASA Johnson Space Center; Houston Texas USA
| | - J. Moersch
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences; University of Tennessee; Knoxville Tennessee USA
| | | | - T. Parker
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory; California Institute of Technology; Pasadena California USA
| | - J. W. Rice
- Department of Geological Sciences; Arizona State University; Tempe Arizona USA
| | - L. Richter
- DLR Institute of Space Simulation; Cologne Germany
| | - R. Rieder
- Max Planck Institut für Chemie, Kosmochemie; Mainz Germany
| | - C. Schröder
- Institut für Anorganische und Analytische Chemie; Johannes Gutenberg-Universität; Mainz Germany
| | - M. Sims
- NASA Ames Research Center; Moffett Field California USA
| | - M. Smith
- NASA Goddard Space Flight Center; Greenbelt Maryland USA
| | - P. Smith
- Lunar and Planetary Laboratory; University of Arizona; Tucson Arizona USA
| | | | - R. Sullivan
- Department of Astronomy; Cornell University, Space Sciences Building; Ithaca New York USA
| | - N. J. Tosca
- Department of Geosciences; State University of New York; Stony Brook New York USA
| | - H. Wänke
- Max Planck Institut für Chemie, Kosmochemie; Mainz Germany
| | - T. Wdowiak
- Department of Physics; University of Alabama at Birmingham; Birmingham Alabama USA
| | - M. Wolff
- Space Science Institute; Martinez Georgia USA
| | - A. Yen
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory; California Institute of Technology; Pasadena California USA
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Arvidson RE, Poulet F, Morris RV, Bibring JP, Bell JF, Squyres SW, Christensen PR, Bellucci G, Gondet B, Ehlmann BL, Farrand WH, Fergason RL, Golombek M, Griffes JL, Grotzinger J, Guinness EA, Herkenhoff KE, Johnson JR, Klingelhöfer G, Langevin Y, Ming D, Seelos K, Sullivan RJ, Ward JG, Wiseman SM, Wolff M. Nature and origin of the hematite-bearing plains of Terra Meridiani based on analyses of orbital and Mars Exploration rover data sets. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2006. [DOI: 10.1029/2006je002728] [Citation(s) in RCA: 131] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- R. E. Arvidson
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences; Washington University; St. Louis Missouri USA
| | - F. Poulet
- Institut d'Astrophysique Spatiale; Université Paris-Sud; Orsay France
| | | | - J.-P. Bibring
- Institut d'Astrophysique Spatiale; Université Paris-Sud; Orsay France
| | - J. F. Bell
- Department of Astronomy; Cornell University; Ithaca New York USA
| | - S. W. Squyres
- Department of Astronomy; Cornell University; Ithaca New York USA
| | - P. R. Christensen
- Department of Geological Sciences; Arizona State University; Tempe Arizona USA
| | - G. Bellucci
- Istituto di Fisica dello Spazio Interplanetario; Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica; Rome Italy
| | - B. Gondet
- Institut d'Astrophysique Spatiale; Université Paris-Sud; Orsay France
| | - B. L. Ehlmann
- School of Geography and Environment; University of Oxford; Oxford UK
| | | | - R. L. Fergason
- Department of Geological Sciences; Arizona State University; Tempe Arizona USA
| | - M. Golombek
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory; Pasadena California USA
| | - J. L. Griffes
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences; Washington University; St. Louis Missouri USA
| | - J. Grotzinger
- Geological and Planetary Sciences; California Institute of Technology; Pasadena California USA
| | - E. A. Guinness
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences; Washington University; St. Louis Missouri USA
| | | | | | - G. Klingelhöfer
- Institut für Anorganische und Analytische Chemie; Johannes Gutenberg-Universität; Mainz Germany
| | - Y. Langevin
- Institut d'Astrophysique Spatiale; Université Paris-Sud; Orsay France
| | - D. Ming
- NASA Johnson Space Center; Houston Texas USA
| | - K. Seelos
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences; Washington University; St. Louis Missouri USA
| | - R. J. Sullivan
- Department of Astronomy; Cornell University; Ithaca New York USA
| | - J. G. Ward
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences; Washington University; St. Louis Missouri USA
| | - S. M. Wiseman
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences; Washington University; St. Louis Missouri USA
| | - M. Wolff
- Space Science Institute; Boulder Colorado USA
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42
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Glotch TD, Bandfield JL. Determination and interpretation of surface and atmospheric Miniature Thermal Emission Spectrometer spectral end-members at the Meridiani Planum landing site. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2006. [DOI: 10.1029/2005je002671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Timothy D. Glotch
- Division of Geological and Planetary Science; California Institute of Technology; Pasadena California USA
| | - Joshua L. Bandfield
- Department of Geological Sciences; Arizona State University; Tempe Arizona USA
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43
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Glotch TD, Bandfield JL, Christensen PR, Calvin WM, McLennan SM, Clark BC, Rogers AD, Squyres SW. Mineralogy of the light-toned outcrop at Meridiani Planum as seen by the Miniature Thermal Emission Spectrometer and implications for its formation. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2006. [DOI: 10.1029/2005je002672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Timothy D. Glotch
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences; California Institute of Technology; Pasadena California USA
| | - Joshua L. Bandfield
- Department of Geological Sciences; Arizona State University; Tempe Arizona USA
| | | | - Wendy M. Calvin
- Department of Geological Sciences; University of Nevada; Reno Nevada USA
| | - Scott M. McLennan
- Department of Geosciences; State University of New York; Stony Brook New York USA
| | | | - A. Deanne Rogers
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences; California Institute of Technology; Pasadena California USA
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44
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Fallacaro A, Calvin WM. Spectral properties of Lake Superior banded iron formation: application to Martian hematite deposits. ASTROBIOLOGY 2006; 6:563-80. [PMID: 16916283 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2006.6.563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Several locations have been identified on Mars that expose bulk, coarsely crystalline gray hematite. These deposits have been interpreted as being sedimentary and formed in aqueous environments. Lake Superior Type (LST) banded iron formation (BIF) was investigated as a spectral and possible process analog to these deposits. In northern Michigan, LST BIF formed in a sedimentary, continental shelf or shallow basin environment under stable tectonic conditions, and the oxide facies contains gray, crystalline hematite. These deposits are Proterozoic in age and contain microfossils associated with the early diversification of life on Earth. Samples of the hematite-bearing oxide facies, as well as the carbonate facies, were collected and analyzed for their spectral and geochemical characteristics. Sample spectra were measured in the visible, near-infrared, and thermal infrared for comparison with remote and in situ spectra obtained at Mars. Thin section analysis, as well as X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy measurements, were performed to determine detailed geochemistry. There is no evidence for BIF at Opportunity's Meridiani landing site, and the results of this work will provide useful data for determining whether BIFs exist elsewhere on Mars and are, thus, relevant to current and future Mars exploration missions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alicia Fallacaro
- Geological Sciences and Engineering, University of Nevada, Reno, Nevada, USA.
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45
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Souza-Egipsy V, Ormö J, Beitler Bowen B, Chan MA, Komatsu G. Ultrastructural study of iron oxide precipitates: implications for the search for biosignatures in the Meridiani hematite concretions, Mars. ASTROBIOLOGY 2006; 6:527-45. [PMID: 16916280 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2006.6.527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Two terrestrial environments that have been proposed as analogs for the iron oxide precipitation in the Meridiani Planum region of Mars include the Rio Tinto precipitates and southern Utah marble concretions. Samples of two typical Utah iron oxide concretions and iron oxide precipitates in contact with biofilms from Rio Tinto have been studied to determine whether evidence could be found for biomediation in the precipitation process and to identify likely locations for fossil microorganisms. Scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray, and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) were used to search for biosignatures in the Utah marbles. The precipitation of iron oxides resembles known biosignatures, though organic compounds could not be confirmed with GC-MS analysis. In contrast, textural variations induced by biological activity are abundant in the modern Rio Tinto samples. Although no compelling evidence of direct or indirect biomediation was found in the Utah marbles, the ultrastructure of the iron oxide cement in the concretion suggests an inward growth during concretion precipitation from an initially spherical redox front. No indication for growth from a physical nucleus was found.
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Affiliation(s)
- Virginia Souza-Egipsy
- Centro de Astrobiología, Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial, Torrejón de Ardoz, Madrid, Spain.
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46
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Rochette P, Gattacceca J, Chevrier V, Mathé PE, Menvielle M. Magnetism, iron minerals, and life on Mars. ASTROBIOLOGY 2006; 6:423-36. [PMID: 16805698 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2006.6.423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
A short critical review is provided on two questions linking magnetism and possible early life on Mars: (1) Did Mars have an Earth-like internal magnetic field, and, if so, during which period and was it a requisite for life? (2) Is there a connection between iron minerals in the martian regolith and life? We also discuss the possible astrobiological implications of magnetic measurements at the surface of Mars using two proposed instruments. A magnetic remanence device based on magnetic field measurements can be used to identify Noachian age rocks and lightning impacts. A contact magnetic susceptibility probe can be used to investigate weathering rinds on martian rocks and identify meteorites among the small regolith rocks. Both materials are considered possible specific niches for microorganisms and, thus, potential astrobiological targets. Experimental results on analogues are presented to support the suitability of such in situ measurements.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Rochette
- CEREGE, CNRS/Universitá d'Aix Marseille 3, Aix en Provence, France.
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47
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Martínez-Alonso S, Mellon MT, Kindel BC, Jakosky BM. Mapping compositional diversity on the surface of Mars: The Spectral Variance Index. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2006. [DOI: 10.1029/2005je002492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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48
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Christensen PR, McSween HY, Bandfield JL, Ruff SW, Rogers AD, Hamilton VE, Gorelick N, Wyatt MB, Jakosky BM, Kieffer HH, Malin MC, Moersch JE. Evidence for magmatic evolution and diversity on Mars from infrared observations. Nature 2005; 436:504-9. [PMID: 16007077 DOI: 10.1038/nature03639] [Citation(s) in RCA: 112] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2004] [Accepted: 04/07/2005] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Compositional mapping of Mars at the 100-metre scale with the Mars Odyssey Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) has revealed a wide diversity of igneous materials. Volcanic evolution produced compositions from low-silica basalts to high-silica dacite in the Syrtis Major caldera. The existence of dacite demonstrates that highly evolved lavas have been produced, at least locally, by magma evolution through fractional crystallization. Olivine basalts are observed on crater floors and in layers exposed in canyon walls up to 4.5 km beneath the surface. This vertical distribution suggests that olivine-rich lavas were emplaced at various times throughout the formation of the upper crust, with their growing inventory suggesting that such ultramafic (picritic) basalts may be relatively common. Quartz-bearing granitoid rocks have also been discovered, demonstrating that extreme differentiation has occurred. These observations show that the martian crust, while dominated by basalt, contains a diversity of igneous materials whose range in composition from picritic basalts to granitoids rivals that found on the Earth.
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Affiliation(s)
- P R Christensen
- Department of Geological Sciences, Arizona State University Tempe, Arizona 85287, USA.
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50
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Marra AC, Blanco A, Fonti S, Jurewicz A, Orofino V. Fine hematite particles of Martian interest: absorption spectra and optical constants. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2005. [DOI: 10.1088/1742-6596/6/1/013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
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