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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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2
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Huidobro J, Ruiz-Galende P, Torre-Fdez I, Aramendia J, Martínez-Frías J, García-Florentino C, Gómez-Nubla L, Castro K, Arana G, Madariaga JM. Geochemical characterization of the Martian analogues Enekuri and Fruiz, located in the Basque-Cantabrian Basin, by spectroscopic techniques. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 905:167186. [PMID: 37730051 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.167186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2023] [Revised: 09/15/2023] [Accepted: 09/16/2023] [Indexed: 09/22/2023]
Abstract
This work presents the geochemical characterization of two Martian analogues located in the Basque-Cantabrian Basin: Enekuri and Fruiz. In contrast to previous works carried out on the coastline analogues Meñakoz and Armintza (Biscay, Spain), these new outcrops are not in contact with sea-water nowadays. Hence, the weathering processes observed in Enekuri and Fruiz (inland) are different from those observed in Armintza and Meñakoz (coastline). In this way, among all the mineral phases found the only ones in common between inland and coastline outcrops are albite and chlorites, minerals that were formed in aqueous conditions. Understanding the differences presented in both types of outcrops could help to interpret the future results from the missions Mars2020 and the ExoMars2022, since coastline outcrops are affected by sea-water weathering and inland outcrops are altered by the high biological activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Huidobro
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Barrio Sarriena, P.O. Box 644, E-48940 Leioa, Biscay, Spain.
| | - Patricia Ruiz-Galende
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Barrio Sarriena, P.O. Box 644, E-48940 Leioa, Biscay, Spain
| | - Imanol Torre-Fdez
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Barrio Sarriena, P.O. Box 644, E-48940 Leioa, Biscay, Spain
| | - Julene Aramendia
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Barrio Sarriena, P.O. Box 644, E-48940 Leioa, Biscay, Spain
| | - Jesús Martínez-Frías
- Instituto de Geociencias, IGEO (CSIC,UCM), C/ Doctor Severo Ochoa, 7. Entre pabellones Building 7 and 8, 4(th) floor, E-28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Cristina García-Florentino
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Barrio Sarriena, P.O. Box 644, E-48940 Leioa, Biscay, Spain
| | - Leticia Gómez-Nubla
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Barrio Sarriena, P.O. Box 644, E-48940 Leioa, Biscay, Spain
| | - Kepa Castro
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Barrio Sarriena, P.O. Box 644, E-48940 Leioa, Biscay, Spain
| | - Gorka Arana
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Barrio Sarriena, P.O. Box 644, E-48940 Leioa, Biscay, Spain
| | - Juan Manuel Madariaga
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Barrio Sarriena, P.O. Box 644, E-48940 Leioa, Biscay, Spain
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Azua-Bustos A, Fairén AG, Silva CG, Carrizo D, Fernández-Martínez MÁ, Arenas-Fajardo C, Fernández-Sampedro M, Gil-Lozano C, Sánchez-García L, Ascaso C, Wierzchos J, Rampe EB. Inhabited subsurface wet smectites in the hyperarid core of the Atacama Desert as an analog for the search for life on Mars. Sci Rep 2020; 10:19183. [PMID: 33154541 PMCID: PMC7645800 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-76302-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2020] [Accepted: 10/16/2020] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
The modern Martian surface is unlikely to be habitable due to its extreme aridity among other environmental factors. This is the reason why the hyperarid core of the Atacama Desert has been studied as an analog for the habitability of Mars for more than 50 years. Here we report a layer enriched in smectites located just 30 cm below the surface of the hyperarid core of the Atacama. We discovered the clay-rich layer to be wet (a phenomenon never observed before in this region), keeping a high and constant relative humidity of 78% (aw 0.780), and completely isolated from the changing and extremely dry subaerial conditions characteristic of the Atacama. The smectite-rich layer is inhabited by at least 30 halophilic species of metabolically active bacteria and archaea, unveiling a previously unreported habitat for microbial life under the surface of the driest place on Earth. The discovery of a diverse microbial community in smectite-rich subsurface layers in the hyperarid core of the Atacama, and the collection of biosignatures we have identified within the clays, suggest that similar shallow clay deposits on Mars may contain biosignatures easily reachable by current rovers and landers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Armando Azua-Bustos
- Centro de Astrobiología (CSIC-INTA), 28850, Madrid, Spain.
- Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Autónoma de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
| | - Alberto G Fairén
- Centro de Astrobiología (CSIC-INTA), 28850, Madrid, Spain.
- Department of Astronomy, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA.
| | | | - Daniel Carrizo
- Centro de Astrobiología (CSIC-INTA), 28850, Madrid, Spain
| | | | | | | | - Carolina Gil-Lozano
- Centro de Astrobiología (CSIC-INTA), 28850, Madrid, Spain
- Laboratory of Planetology and Geodynamics, Université de Nantes, 44322, Nantes, France
| | | | - Carmen Ascaso
- Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (CSIC), 28006, Madrid, Spain
| | - Jacek Wierzchos
- Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (CSIC), 28006, Madrid, Spain
| | - Elizabeth B Rampe
- Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science Division, NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX, USA
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Aerts JW, Riedo A, Melton DJ, Martini S, Flahaut J, Meierhenrich UJ, Meinert C, Myrgorodska I, Lindner R, Ehrenfreund P. Biosignature Analysis of Mars Soil Analogs from the Atacama Desert: Challenges and Implications for Future Missions to Mars. ASTROBIOLOGY 2020; 20:766-784. [PMID: 32167834 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2019.2063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The detection of biosignatures on Mars is of outstanding interest in the current field of astrobiology and drives various fields of research, ranging from new sample collection strategies to the development of more sensitive detection techniques. Detailed analysis of the organic content in Mars analog materials collected from extreme environments on Earth improves the current understanding of biosignature preservation and detection under conditions similar to those of Mars. In this article, we examined the biological fingerprint of several locations in the Atacama Desert (Chile), which include different wet and dry, and intermediate to high elevation salt flats (also named salars). Liquid chromatography and multidimensional gas chromatography mass spectrometry measurement techniques were used for the detection and analysis of amino acids extracted from the salt crusts and sediments by using sophisticated extraction procedures. Illumina 16S amplicon sequencing was used for the identification of microbial communities associated with the different sample locations. Although amino acid load and organic carbon and nitrogen quantities were generally low, it was found that most of the samples harbored complex and versatile microbial communities, which were dominated by (extremely) halophilic microorganisms (most notably by species of the Archaeal family Halobacteriaceae). The dominance of salts (i.e., halites and sulfates) in the investigated samples leaves its mark on the composition of the microbial communities but does not appear to hinder the potential of life to flourish since it can clearly adapt to the higher concentrations. Although the Atacama Desert is one of the driest and harshest environments on Earth, it is shown that there are still sub-locations where life is able to maintain a foothold, and, as such, salt flats could be considered as interesting targets for future life exploration missions on Mars.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joost W Aerts
- Molecular Cell Biology, Faculty of Science, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Andreas Riedo
- Astrobiology Laboratory, Sackler Laboratory for Astrophysics, Leiden Observatory, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Daniel J Melton
- Astrobiology Laboratory, Sackler Laboratory for Astrophysics, Leiden Observatory, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Simone Martini
- Astrobiology Laboratory, Sackler Laboratory for Astrophysics, Leiden Observatory, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Jessica Flahaut
- CRPG, CNRS/University of Lorraine, Vandoeuvre-les-Nancy, France
| | - Uwe J Meierhenrich
- CNRS, Institut de Chimie de Nice UMR 7272, Université Côte d'Azur, Nice, France
| | - Cornelia Meinert
- CNRS, Institut de Chimie de Nice UMR 7272, Université Côte d'Azur, Nice, France
| | | | - Robert Lindner
- Life Support and Physical Sciences Instrumentation Section, European Space Agency, ESTEC, Noordwijk, The Netherlands
| | - Pascale Ehrenfreund
- Astrobiology Laboratory, Sackler Laboratory for Astrophysics, Leiden Observatory, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
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Wilhelm MB, Davila AF, Eigenbrode JL, Parenteau MN, Jahnke LL, Liu XL, Summons RE, Wray JJ, Stamos BN, O’Reilly SS, Williams A. Xeropreservation of functionalized lipid biomarkers in hyperarid soils in the Atacama Desert. ORGANIC GEOCHEMISTRY 2017; 103:97-104. [PMID: 29743757 PMCID: PMC5937136 DOI: 10.1016/j.orggeochem.2016.10.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Our understanding of long-term organic matter preservation comes mostly from studies in aquatic systems. In contrast, taphonomic processes in extremely dry environments are relatively understudied and are poorly understood. We investigated the accumulation and preservation of lipid biomarkers in hyperarid soils in the Yungay region of the Atacama Desert. Lipids from seven soil horizons in a 2.5 m vertical profile were extracted and analyzed using GC-MS and LC-MS. Diagnostic functionalized lipids and geolipids were detected and increased in abundance and diversity with depth. Deeper clay units contain fossil organic matter (radiocarbon dead) that has been protected from rainwater since the onset of hyperaridity. We show that these clay units contain lipids in an excellent state of structural preservation with functional groups and unsaturated bonds in carbon chains. This indicates that minimal degradation of lipids has occurred in these soils since the time of their deposition between >40,000 and 2 million years ago. The exceptional structural preservation of biomarkers is likely due to the long-term hyperaridity that has minimized microbial and enzymatic activity, a taphonomic process we term xeropreservation (i.e. preservation by drying). The degree of biomarker preservation allowed us to reconstruct major changes in ecology in the Yungay region that reflect a shift in hydrological regime from wet to dry since the early Quaternary. Our results suggest that hyperarid environments, which comprise 7.5% of the continental landmass, could represent a rich and relatively unexplored source of paleobiological information on Earth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary Beth Wilhelm
- School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332 USA
- Space Science and Astrobiology Division, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035 USA
- Corresponding author: Telephone: (650) 604-0489;
| | - Alfonso F. Davila
- Space Science and Astrobiology Division, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035 USA
- SETI Institute 189 N Bernardo Ave, Mountain View, CA 94043 USA
| | - Jennifer L. Eigenbrode
- Planetary Environments Laboratory, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771 USA
| | - Mary N. Parenteau
- Space Science and Astrobiology Division, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035 USA
| | - Linda L. Jahnke
- Space Science and Astrobiology Division, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035 USA
| | - Xiao-Lei Liu
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02141 USA
| | - Roger E. Summons
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02141 USA
| | - James J. Wray
- School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332 USA
| | - Brian N. Stamos
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, Texas 76019 USA
| | - Shane S. O’Reilly
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02141 USA
| | - Amy Williams
- Department of Physics, Astronomy, and Geosciences, Towson University, 8000 York Road, Towson, MD 21252 USA
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Zhao W, Wu Y, Xu J, Gao C. Retracted Article: Effect of ethylene glycol on hydrothermal formation of calcium sulfate hemihydrate whiskers with high aspect ratios. RSC Adv 2015. [DOI: 10.1039/c5ra07712e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
A facile ethylene glycol-assisted hydrothermal method was developed to synthesis HH whiskers with high aspect ratios.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenpeng Zhao
- Qingdao University of Science and Technology
- Qingdao 266042
- China
| | - Yumin Wu
- Qingdao University of Science and Technology
- Qingdao 266042
- China
| | - Jun Xu
- Qingdao University of Science and Technology
- Qingdao 266042
- China
| | - Chuanhui Gao
- Qingdao University of Science and Technology
- Qingdao 266042
- China
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Shelor CP, Dasgupta PK, Aubrey A, Davila AF, Lee MC, McKay CP, Liu Y, Noell AC. What can in situ ion chromatography offer for Mars exploration? ASTROBIOLOGY 2014; 14:577-588. [PMID: 24963874 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2013.1131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
The successes of the Mars exploration program have led to our unprecedented knowledge of the geological, mineralogical, and elemental composition of the martian surface. To date, however, only one mission, the Phoenix lander, has specifically set out to determine the soluble chemistry of the martian surface. The surprising results, including the detection of perchlorate, demonstrated both the importance of performing soluble ion measurements and the need for improved instrumentation to unambiguously identify all the species present. Ion chromatography (IC) is the state-of-the-art technique for soluble ion analysis on Earth and would therefore be the ideal instrument to send to Mars. A flight IC system must necessarily be small, lightweight, low-power, and have low eluent consumption. We demonstrate here a breadboard system that addresses these issues by using capillary IC at low flow rates with an optimized eluent generator and suppressor. A mix of 12 ions known or plausible for the martian soil, including 4 (oxy)chlorine species, has been separated at flow rates ranging from 1 to 10 μL/min, requiring as little as 200 psi at 1.0 μL/min. This allowed the use of pneumatic displacement pumping from a pressurized aluminum eluent reservoir and the elimination of the high-pressure pump entirely (the single heaviest and most energy-intensive component). All ions could be separated and detected effectively from 0.5 to 100 μM, even when millimolar concentrations of perchlorate were present in the same mixtures.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Phillip Shelor
- 1 Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The University of Texas at Arlington , Arlington, Texas
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