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de Alwis C, Wahr K, Perrine KA. Influence of Cations on Direct CO 2 Capture and Mineral Film Formation: The Role of KCl and MgCl 2 at the Air/Electrolyte/Iron Interface. J Phys Chem A 2024; 128:4052-4067. [PMID: 38718205 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpca.4c01096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2024]
Abstract
Uncovering the mechanisms associated with CO2 capture through mineralization is vital for addressing rising CO2 levels. Iron in planetary soils, the mineral cycle, and atmospheric dust react with CO2 through complex surface chemistry. Here, the effect of cations on the growth of carbonate films on iron surfaces was investigated. In situ polarized modulated infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy was used to measure CO2 adsorption and oxidation of iron in MgCl2(aq) and KCl(aq), compared to FeCl2(aq) at the air/electrolyte/iron interface. The cation was found to influence the film composition and growth rates, as corroborated by infrared and photoelectron spectroscopy. In MgCl2(aq), a mixture of hydromagnesite, magnesite, and a Mg hydroxy carbonate film was grown on iron, while in KCl(aq), a potassium-rich bicarbonate film was grown. The cations were found to affect the rates of hydroxylation and carbonation, confirming a specific cation effect on carbonate film growth. In the submerged region, a heterogeneous mixture of lepidocrocite and iron hydroxy carbonate was produced, suggesting that Fe2+ dominates the surface products. Surface roughness measurements from in situ atomic force microscopy indicate iron initially corrodes faster in MgCl2(aq) than KCl(aq), due to the Cl- ions that initiate pitting and corrosion. In this region, cations were not found to affect the morphologies. This study shows surface corrosion is necessary to provide nucleation sites for film growth and that the cations influence the carbonate film, relevant for CO2 capture and planetary processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chathura de Alwis
- Department of Chemistry, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, Michigan 49931, United States
| | - Kayleigh Wahr
- Department of Chemistry, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, Michigan 49931, United States
| | - Kathryn A Perrine
- Department of Chemistry, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, Michigan 49931, United States
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2
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Hart R, Cardace D. Mineral Indicators of Geologically Recent Past Habitability on Mars. Life (Basel) 2023; 13:2349. [PMID: 38137950 PMCID: PMC10744562 DOI: 10.3390/life13122349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2023] [Revised: 11/25/2023] [Accepted: 12/05/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
We provide new support for habitable microenvironments in the near-subsurface of Mars, hosted in Fe- and Mg-rich rock units, and present a list of minerals that can serve as indicators of specific water-rock reactions in recent geologic paleohabitats for follow-on study. We modeled, using a thermodynamic basis without selective phase suppression, the reactions of published Martian meteorites and Jezero Crater igneous rock compositions and reasonable planetary waters (saline, alkaline waters) using Geochemist's Workbench Ver. 12.0. Solid-phase inputs were meteorite compositions for ALH 77005, Nakhla, and Chassigny, and two rock units from the Mars 2020 Perseverance rover sites, Máaz and Séítah. Six plausible Martian groundwater types [NaClO4, Mg(ClO4)2, Ca(ClO4)2, Mg-Na2(ClO4)2, Ca-Na2(ClO4)2, Mg-Ca(ClO4)2] and a unique Mars soil-water analog solution (dilute saline solution) named "Rosy Red", related to the Phoenix Lander mission, were the aqueous-phase inputs. Geophysical conditions were tuned to near-subsurface Mars (100 °C or 373.15 K, associated with residual heat from a magmatic system, impact event, or a concentration of radionuclides, and 101.3 kPa, similar to <10 m depth). Mineral products were dominated by phyllosilicates such as serpentine-group minerals in most reaction paths, but differed in some important indicator minerals. Modeled products varied in physicochemical properties (pH, Eh, conductivity), major ion activities, and related gas fugacities, with different ecological implications. The microbial habitability of pore spaces in subsurface groundwater percolation systems was interrogated at equilibrium in a thermodynamic framework, based on Gibbs Free Energy Minimization. Models run with the Chassigny meteorite produced the overall highest H2 fugacity. Models reliant on the Rosy Red soil-water analog produced the highest sustained CH4 fugacity (maximum values observed for reactant ALH 77005). In general, Chassigny meteorite protoliths produced the best yield regarding Gibbs Free Energy, from an astrobiological perspective. Occurrences of serpentine and saponite across models are key: these minerals have been observed using CRISM spectral data, and their formation via serpentinization would be consistent with geologically recent-past H2 and CH4 production and sustained energy sources for microbial life. We list index minerals to be used as diagnostic for paleo water-rock models that could have supported geologically recent-past microbial activity, and suggest their application as criteria for future astrobiology study-site selections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roger Hart
- Department of Physics and Engineering, Community College of Rhode Island, Lincoln, RI 02865, USA
- Department of Geosciences, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI 02881, USA;
| | - Dawn Cardace
- Department of Geosciences, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI 02881, USA;
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3
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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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4
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Fernández-Remolar DC, Carrizo D, Harir M, Huang T, Amils R, Schmitt-Kopplin P, Sánchez-García L, Gomez-Ortiz D, Malmberg P. Unveiling microbial preservation under hyperacidic and oxidizing conditions in the Oligocene Rio Tinto deposit. Sci Rep 2021; 11:21543. [PMID: 34728655 PMCID: PMC8563943 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-00730-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2021] [Accepted: 10/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The preservation of biosignatures on Mars is largely associated with extensive deposits of clays formed under mild early Noachian conditions (> 3.9 Ga). They were followed by widespread precipitation of acidic sulfates considered adverse for biomolecule preservation. In this paper, an exhaustive mass spectrometry investigation of ferric subsurface materials in the Rio Tinto gossan deposit (~ 25 Ma) provides evidence of well-preserved molecular biosignatures under oxidative and acidic conditions. Time of flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF–SIMS) analysis shows a direct association between physical-templating biological structures and molecular biosignatures. This relation implies that the quality of molecular preservation is exceptional and provides information on microbial life formerly operating in the shallow regions of the Rio Tinto subsurface. Consequently, low-pH oxidative environments on Mars could also record molecular information about ancient life in the same way as the Noachian clay-rich deposits.
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Affiliation(s)
- David C Fernández-Remolar
- CEA, CNRS, IBS, Metalloproteins Unit, Université Grenoble Alpes, 38000, Grenoble, France. .,State Key Laboratory of Lunar and Planetary Sciences, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macau, 999078, PR China. .,CNSA Macau Center for Space Exploration and Science, Macau, 999078, PR China.
| | | | - Mourad Harir
- Research Unit Analytical Biogeochemistry, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Ting Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Lunar and Planetary Sciences, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macau, China
| | - Ricardo Amils
- Centro de Astrobiología (INTA-CSIC), Madrid, Spain.,Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Philippe Schmitt-Kopplin
- Research Unit Analytical Biogeochemistry, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Neuherberg, Germany.,Chair of Analytical Food Chemistry, Technical University Munich, 85354, Freising-Weihenstephan, Germany
| | | | - David Gomez-Ortiz
- ESCET-Área de Geología, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, 28933, Móstoles, Madrid, Spain
| | - Per Malmberg
- Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, Kemivägen 10, 412 96, Gothenburg, Sweden
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Merging Perspectives on Secondary Minerals on Mars: A Review of Ancient Water-Rock Interactions in Gale Crater Inferred from Orbital and In-Situ Observations. MINERALS 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/min11090986] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Phyllosilicates, sulfates, and Fe oxides are the most prevalent secondary minerals detected on Mars from orbit and the surface, including in the Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover’s field site at Gale crater. These records of aqueous activity have been investigated in detail in Gale crater, where Curiosity’s X-ray diffractometer allows for direct observation and detailed characterization of mineral structure and abundance. This capability provides critical ground truthing to better understand how to interpret Martian mineralogy inferred from orbital datasets. Curiosity is about to leave behind phyllosilicate-rich strata for more sulfate-rich terrains, while the Mars 2020 Perseverance rover is in its early exploration of ancient sedimentary strata in Jezero crater. It is thus an appropriate time to review Gale crater’s mineral distribution from multiple perspectives, utilizing the range of chemical, mineralogical, and spectral measurements provided by orbital and in situ observations. This review compares orbital predictions of composition in Gale crater with higher fidelity (but more spatially restricted) in situ measurements by Curiosity, and we synthesize how this information contributes to our understanding of water-rock interaction in Gale crater. In the context of combining these disparate spatial scales, we also discuss implications for the larger understanding of martian surface evolution and the need for a wide range of data types and scales to properly reconstruct ancient geologic processes using remote methods.
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6
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Baccolo G, Delmonte B, Niles PB, Cibin G, Di Stefano E, Hampai D, Keller L, Maggi V, Marcelli A, Michalski J, Snead C, Frezzotti M. Jarosite formation in deep Antarctic ice provides a window into acidic, water-limited weathering on Mars. Nat Commun 2021; 12:436. [PMID: 33469027 PMCID: PMC7815727 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-20705-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2020] [Accepted: 12/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Many interpretations have been proposed to explain the presence of jarosite within Martian surficial sediments, including the possibility that it precipitated within paleo-ice deposits owing to englacial weathering of dust. However, until now a similar geochemical process was not observed on Earth nor in other planetary settings. We report a multi-analytical indication of jarosite formation within deep ice. Below 1000 m depth, jarosite crystals adhering on residual silica-rich particles have been identified in the Talos Dome ice core (East Antarctica) and interpreted as products of weathering involving aeolian dust and acidic atmospheric aerosols. The progressive increase of ice metamorphism and re-crystallization with depth, favours the relocation and concentration of dust and the formation of acidic brines in isolated environments, allowing chemical reactions and mineral neo-formation to occur. This is the first described englacial diagenetic mechanism occurring in deep Antarctic ice and supports the ice-weathering model for jarosite formation on Mars, highlighting the geologic importance of paleo ice-related processes on this planet. Additional implications concern the preservation of dust-related signals in deep ice cores with respect to paleoclimatic reconstructions and the englacial history of meteorites from Antarctic blue ice fields. The authors report in-situ formation of jarosite witin the Talos Dome ice core (East Antarctica) and show that this ferric-potassium sulfate mineral is present in ice deeper than 1000 meters and progressively increases with depth. This has implications for the presence and formation mechanisms of jarosite observed on Mars.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanni Baccolo
- Department of Environmental and Earth Sciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20126, Milan, Italy. .,INFN, section of Milano-Bicocca, 20126, Milan, Italy.
| | - Barbara Delmonte
- Department of Environmental and Earth Sciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20126, Milan, Italy
| | - P B Niles
- NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX, 77058, USA
| | - Giannantonio Cibin
- Diamond Light Source, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot, OX11 0DE, UK
| | - Elena Di Stefano
- Department of Environmental and Earth Sciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20126, Milan, Italy.,INFN, section of Milano-Bicocca, 20126, Milan, Italy.,Department of Physical, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Siena, 53100, Siena, Italy
| | - Dariush Hampai
- Laboratori Nazionali di Frascati, Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, 00044, Frascati, Italy
| | | | - Valter Maggi
- Department of Environmental and Earth Sciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20126, Milan, Italy.,INFN, section of Milano-Bicocca, 20126, Milan, Italy
| | - Augusto Marcelli
- Laboratori Nazionali di Frascati, Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, 00044, Frascati, Italy.,Rome International Center for Materials Science - Superstripes, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - Joseph Michalski
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong
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7
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Capacity of Chlorate to Oxidize Ferrous Iron: Implications for Iron Oxide Formation on Mars. MINERALS 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/min10090729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Chlorate is an important Cl-bearing species and a strong potential Fe(II) oxidant on Mars. Since the amount of oxychlorine species (perchlorate and chlorate) detected on Mars is limited (<~1 wt.%), the effectiveness of chlorate to produce iron oxides depends heavily on its oxidizing capacity. Decomposition of chlorate or intermediates produced during its reduction, before reaction with Fe(II) would decrease its effective capacity as an oxidant. We thus evaluated the capacity of chlorate to produce Fe(III) minerals in Mars-relevant fluids, via oxidation of dissolved Fe(II). Each chlorate ion can oxidize 6 Fe(II) ions under all conditions investigated. Mass balance demonstrated that 1 wt.% chlorate (as ClO3−) could produce approximately 6 to 12 wt.% Fe(III) or mixed valent mineral products, with the amount varying with the formula of the precipitating phase. The mineral products are primarily determined by the fluid type (chloride- or sulfate-rich), the solution pH, and the rate of Fe(II) oxidation. The pH at the time of initial mineral nucleation and the amount of residual dissolved Fe(II) in the system exert important additional controls on the final mineralogy. Subsequent diagenetic transformation of these phases would yield 5.7 wt.% hematite per wt.% of chlorate reacted, providing a quantitative constraint on the capacity of chlorate to generate iron oxides on Mars.
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8
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Tan J, Sephton MA. Organic Records of Early Life on Mars: The Role of Iron, Burial, and Kinetics on Preservation. ASTROBIOLOGY 2020; 20:53-72. [PMID: 31755737 PMCID: PMC6987739 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2019.2046] [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] [Received: 02/04/2019] [Accepted: 09/11/2019] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Samples that are likely to contain evidence of past life on Mars must have been deposited when and where environments exhibited habitable conditions. Mars analog sites provide the opportunity to study how life could have exploited such habitable conditions. Acidic iron- and sulfur-rich streams are good geochemical analogues for the late Noachian and early Hesperian, periods of martian history where habitable conditions were widespread. Past life on Mars would have left behind fossilized microbial organic remains. These are often-sought diagnostic evidence, but they must be shielded from the harsh radiation flux at the martian surface and its deleterious effect on organic matter. One mechanism that promotes such preservation is burial, which raises questions about how organic biomarkers are influenced by the postburial effects of diagenesis. We investigated the kinetics of organic degradation in the subsurface of Mars. Natural mixtures of acidic iron- and sulfur-rich stream sediments and their associated microbial populations and remains were subjected to hydrous pyrolysis, which simulated the increased temperatures and pressures of burial alongside any promoted organic/mineral interactions. Calculations were made to extrapolate the observed changes over martian history. Our experiments indicate that low carbon contents, high water-to-rock ratios, and the presence of iron-rich minerals combine to provide unfavorable conditions for the preservation of soluble organic matter over the billions of years necessary to produce present-day organic records of late Noachian and early Hesperian life on Mars. Successful sample selection strategies must therefore consider the pre-, syn-, and postburial histories of sedimentary records on Mars and the balance between the production of biomass and the long-term preservation of organic biomarkers over geological time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan Tan
- Department of Earth Science and Engineering, Impacts and Astromaterials Research Centre, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- Address correspondence to: Jonathan Tan, Department of Earth Science and Engineering, Impacts and Astromaterials Research Centre, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom
| | - Mark A. Sephton
- Department of Earth Science and Engineering, Impacts and Astromaterials Research Centre, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
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9
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Di Bella M, Sabatino G, Quartieri S, Ferretti A, Cavalazzi B, Barbieri R, Foucher F, Messori F, Italiano F. Modern Iron Ooids of Hydrothermal Origin as a Proxy for Ancient Deposits. Sci Rep 2019; 9:7107. [PMID: 31068615 PMCID: PMC6506468 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-43181-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2018] [Accepted: 04/03/2019] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
We constrained the origin and genetic environment of modern iron ooids (sand-sized grains with a core and external cortex of concentric laminae) providing new tools for the interpretation of their fossil counterparts as well as the analogous particles discovered on Mars. Here, we report an exceptional, unique finding of a still active deposit of submillimetric iron ooids, under formation at the seabed at a depth of 80 m over an area characterized by intense hydrothermal activity off Panarea, a volcanic island north of Sicily (Italy). An integrated analysis, carried out by X-ray Powder Diffraction, Environmental Scanning Electron Microscopy, X-ray Fluorescence and Raman spectroscopy reveals that Panarea ooids are deposited at the seafloor as concentric laminae of primary goethite around existing nuclei. The process is rapid, and driven by hydrothermal fluids as iron source. A sub-spherical, laminated structure resulted from constant agitation and by degassing of CO2-dominated fluids through seafloor sediments. Our investigations point the hydrothermal processes as responsible for the generation of the Panarea ooids, which are neither diagenetic nor reworked. The presence of ooids at the seawater-sediments interface, in fact, highlights how their development and growth is still ongoing. The proposed results show a new process responsible for ooids formation and gain a new insight into the genesis of iron ooids deposits that are distributed at global scale in both modern and past sediments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcella Di Bella
- Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV), Sezione di Palermo, Via Ugo La Malfa 153, 90146, Palermo, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Sabatino
- Dipartimento di Scienze Matematiche e Informatiche, Scienze Fisiche e Scienze della Terra (MIFT), Università di Messina, Viale Ferdinando Stagno d'Alcontres 31, 98166S, Agata, Messina, Italy
| | - Simona Quartieri
- Dipartimento di Scienze Matematiche e Informatiche, Scienze Fisiche e Scienze della Terra (MIFT), Università di Messina, Viale Ferdinando Stagno d'Alcontres 31, 98166S, Agata, Messina, Italy
| | - Annalisa Ferretti
- Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche e Geologiche (DSCG), Università di Modena e Reggio Emilia, Via Campi 103, 41125, Modena, Italy
| | - Barbara Cavalazzi
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biologiche, Geologiche e Ambientali (BiGeA), Università di Bologna, Via Zamboni 67, 40126, Bologna, Italy.,Department of Geology, University of Johannesburg, PO Box 524 Auckland Park, 2006, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Roberto Barbieri
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biologiche, Geologiche e Ambientali (BiGeA), Università di Bologna, Via Zamboni 67, 40126, Bologna, Italy
| | - Frédéric Foucher
- Centre de Biophysique Moléculaire (CBM), Rue Charles Sadron, 45071, Orléans, Cedex 2, France
| | - Fabio Messori
- Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche e Geologiche (DSCG), Università di Modena e Reggio Emilia, Via Campi 103, 41125, Modena, Italy.,Department of Earth Sciences, University of Geneva, Rue des Maraîchers 13, 1205, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Francesco Italiano
- Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV), Sezione di Palermo, Via Ugo La Malfa 153, 90146, Palermo, Italy.
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10
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Peretyazhko TS, Niles PB, Sutter B, Morris RV, Agresti DG, Le L, Ming DW. Smectite formation in the presence of sulfuric acid: Implications for acidic smectite formation on early Mars. GEOCHIMICA ET COSMOCHIMICA ACTA 2018; 220:248-260. [PMID: 32801388 PMCID: PMC7427815 DOI: 10.1016/j.gca.2017.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
The excess of orbital detection of smectite deposits compared to carbonate deposits on the martian surface presents an enigma because smectite and carbonate formations are both favored alteration products of basalt under neutral to alkaline conditions. We propose that Mars experienced acidic events caused by sulfuric acid (H2SO4) that permitted phyllosilicate, but inhibited carbonate, formation. To experimentally verify this hypothesis, we report the first synthesis of smectite from Mars-analogue glass-rich basalt simulant (66 wt% glass, 32 wt% olivine, 2 wt% chromite) in the presence of H2SO4 under hydrothermal conditions (~200 °C). Smectites were analyzed by X-ray diffraction, Mossbauer spectroscopy, visible and near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy and electron microprobe to characterize mineralogy and chemical composition. Solution chemistry was determined by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry. Basalt simulant suspensions in 11-42 mM H2SO4 were acidic with pH ≤ 2 at the beginning of incubation and varied from acidic (pH 1.8) to mildly alkaline (pH 8.4) at the end of incubation. Alteration of glass phase during reaction of the basalt simulant with H2SO4 led to formation of the dioctahedral smectite at final pH ~3 and trioctahedral smectite saponite at final pH ~4 and higher. Anhydrite and hematite formed in the final pH range from 1.8 to 8.4 while natroalunite was detected at pH 1.8. Hematite was precipitated as a result of oxidative dissolution of olivine present in Adirondack basalt simulant. Formation of secondary phases, including smectite, resulted in release of variable amounts of Si, Mg, Na and Ca while solubilization of Al and Fe was low. Comparison of mineralogical and solution chemistry data indicated that the type of smectite (i.e., dioctahedral vs trioctahedral) was likely controlled by Mg leaching from altering basalt and substantial Mg loss created favorable conditions for formation of dioctahedral smectite. We present a model for global-scale smectite formation on Mars via acid-sulfate conditions created by the volcanic outgassing of SO2 in the Noachian and early Hesperian.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - P B Niles
- NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX 77058
| | - B Sutter
- Jacobs, NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX 77058
| | - R V Morris
- NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX 77058
| | - D G Agresti
- University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294
| | - L Le
- Jacobs, NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX 77058
| | - D W Ming
- NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX 77058
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11
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Ruggiero MT, Bardon T, Strlič M, Taday PF, Korter TM. The role of terahertz polariton absorption in the characterization of crystalline iron sulfate hydrates. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2015; 17:9326-34. [DOI: 10.1039/c5cp01195g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Solid-state density functional theory indicates that polariton absorption plays a central role in understanding the identifying terahertz-frequency spectral features of hydrated iron sulfate compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Tiphaine Bardon
- UCL Institute for Sustainable Heritage
- Bartlett Faculty of the Built Environment
- University College London
- London
- UK
| | - Matija Strlič
- UCL Institute for Sustainable Heritage
- Bartlett Faculty of the Built Environment
- University College London
- London
- UK
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12
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Cockell CS. Trajectories of martian habitability. ASTROBIOLOGY 2014; 14:182-203. [PMID: 24506485 PMCID: PMC3929387 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2013.1106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2013] [Accepted: 12/29/2013] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Beginning from two plausible starting points-an uninhabited or inhabited Mars-this paper discusses the possible trajectories of martian habitability over time. On an uninhabited Mars, the trajectories follow paths determined by the abundance of uninhabitable environments and uninhabited habitats. On an inhabited Mars, the addition of a third environment type, inhabited habitats, results in other trajectories, including ones where the planet remains inhabited today or others where planetary-scale life extinction occurs. By identifying different trajectories of habitability, corresponding hypotheses can be described that allow for the various trajectories to be disentangled and ultimately a determination of which trajectory Mars has taken and the changing relative abundance of its constituent environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles S Cockell
- UK Centre for Astrobiology, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Edinburgh , Edinburgh, UK
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13
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McGlynn IO, Fedo CM, McSween HY. Soil mineralogy at the Mars Exploration Rover landing sites: An assessment of the competing roles of physical sorting and chemical weathering. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2012. [DOI: 10.1029/2011je003861] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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14
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Wang A, Freeman JJ, Chou IM, Jolliff BL. Stability of Mg-sulfates at −10°C and the rates of dehydration/rehydration processes under conditions relevant to Mars. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2011. [DOI: 10.1029/2011je003818] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [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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15
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McHenry LJ, Chevrier V, Schröder C. Jarosite in a Pleistocene East African saline-alkaline paleolacustrine deposit: Implications for Mars aqueous geochemistry. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2011. [DOI: 10.1029/2010je003680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
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16
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Moore JM, Bullock MA, Newsom H, Nelson M. Laboratory simulations of Mars evaporite geochemistry. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2010. [DOI: 10.1029/2008je003208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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17
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Karunatillake S, Wray JJ, Squyres SW, Taylor GJ, Gasnault O, McLennan SM, Boynton W, El Maarry MR, Dohm JM. Chemically striking regions on Mars and Stealth revisited. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2009. [DOI: 10.1029/2008je003303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Wang A, Freeman JJ, Jolliff BL. Phase transition pathways of the hydrates of magnesium sulfate in the temperature range 50°C to 5°C: Implication for sulfates on Mars. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2009. [DOI: 10.1029/2008je003266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
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Wang A, Bell JF, Li R, Johnson JR, Farrand WH, Cloutis EA, Arvidson RE, Crumpler L, Squyres SW, McLennan SM, Herkenhoff KE, Ruff SW, Knudson AT, Chen W, Greenberger R. Light-toned salty soils and coexisting Si-rich species discovered by the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit in Columbia Hills. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2008. [DOI: 10.1029/2008je003126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Squyres SW, Arvidson RE, Ruff S, Gellert R, Morris RV, Ming DW, Crumpler L, Farmer JD, Marais DJD, Yen A, McLennan SM, Calvin W, Bell JF, Clark BC, Wang A, McCoy TJ, Schmidt ME, de Souza PA. Detection of Silica-Rich Deposits on Mars. Science 2008; 320:1063-7. [DOI: 10.1126/science.1155429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 330] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- S. W. Squyres
- Department of Astronomy, Space Sciences Building, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
- School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
- Department of Physics, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada
- NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX 77058, USA
| | - R. E. Arvidson
- Department of Astronomy, Space Sciences Building, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
- School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
- Department of Physics, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada
- NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX 77058, USA
| | - S. Ruff
- Department of Astronomy, Space Sciences Building, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
- School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
- Department of Physics, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada
- NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX 77058, USA
| | - R. Gellert
- Department of Astronomy, Space Sciences Building, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
- School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
- Department of Physics, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada
- NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX 77058, USA
| | - R. V. Morris
- Department of Astronomy, Space Sciences Building, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
- School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
- Department of Physics, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada
- NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX 77058, USA
| | - D. W. Ming
- Department of Astronomy, Space Sciences Building, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
- School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
- Department of Physics, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada
- NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX 77058, USA
| | - L. Crumpler
- Department of Astronomy, Space Sciences Building, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
- School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
- Department of Physics, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada
- NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX 77058, USA
| | - J. D. Farmer
- Department of Astronomy, Space Sciences Building, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
- School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
- Department of Physics, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada
- NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX 77058, USA
| | - D. J. Des Marais
- Department of Astronomy, Space Sciences Building, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
- School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
- Department of Physics, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada
- NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX 77058, USA
| | - A. Yen
- Department of Astronomy, Space Sciences Building, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
- School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
- Department of Physics, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada
- NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX 77058, USA
| | - S. M. McLennan
- Department of Astronomy, Space Sciences Building, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
- School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
- Department of Physics, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada
- NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX 77058, USA
| | - W. Calvin
- Department of Astronomy, Space Sciences Building, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
- School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
- Department of Physics, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada
- NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX 77058, USA
| | - J. F. Bell
- Department of Astronomy, Space Sciences Building, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
- School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
- Department of Physics, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada
- NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX 77058, USA
| | - B. C. Clark
- Department of Astronomy, Space Sciences Building, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
- School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
- Department of Physics, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada
- NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX 77058, USA
| | - A. Wang
- Department of Astronomy, Space Sciences Building, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
- School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
- Department of Physics, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada
- NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX 77058, USA
| | - T. J. McCoy
- Department of Astronomy, Space Sciences Building, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
- School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
- Department of Physics, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada
- NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX 77058, USA
| | - M. E. Schmidt
- Department of Astronomy, Space Sciences Building, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
- School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
- Department of Physics, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada
- NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX 77058, USA
| | - P. A. de Souza
- Department of Astronomy, Space Sciences Building, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
- School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
- Department of Physics, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada
- NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX 77058, USA
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