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Sephton MA, Freeman K, Hays L, Thiessen F, Benison K, Carrier B, Dworkin JP, Glamoclija M, Gough R, Onofri S, Peterson R, Quinn R, Russell S, Stüeken EE, Velbel M, Zolotov M. Thresholds of Temperature and Time for Mars Sample Return: Final Report of the Mars Sample Return Temperature-Time Tiger Team. ASTROBIOLOGY 2024; 24:443-488. [PMID: 38768433 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2023.0098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Mark A Sephton
- Imperial College London, Earth Science and Engineering, South Kensington Campus, London, UK
| | - Kate Freeman
- The Pennsylvania State University, Geosciences, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Lindsay Hays
- NASA Headquarters, Mars Sample Return Program, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Fiona Thiessen
- European Space Research and Technology Centre, Noordwijk, South Holland, Netherlands
| | - Kathleen Benison
- West Virginia University, Department of Geology and Geography, Morgantown, West Virginia, USA
| | - Brandi Carrier
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
| | - Jason P Dworkin
- NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Astrochemistry, Greenbelt, Maryland, USA
| | - Mihaela Glamoclija
- Rutgers University Newark College of Arts and Sciences, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Newark, New Jersey, USA
| | - Raina Gough
- University of Colorado, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Boulder, Colorado, USA
| | - Silvano Onofri
- University of Tuscia, Department of Ecological and Biological Sciences, Largo dell'Università snc Viterbo, Italy
| | | | - Richard Quinn
- NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California, USA
| | - Sara Russell
- Natural History Museum, Department of Earth Sciences, London, UK
| | - Eva E Stüeken
- University of St Andrews, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, St Andrews, Fife, UK
| | - Michael Velbel
- Michigan State University, Earth and Environmental Sciences, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
- Smithsonian Institution, Department of Mineral Sciences, National Museum of Natural History, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Mikhail Zolotov
- Arizona State University, School of Earth and Space Exploration, Tempe, Arizona, USA
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Tosca NJ, Agee CB, Cockell CS, Glavin DP, Hutzler A, Marty B, McCubbin FM, Regberg AB, Velbel MA, Kminek G, Meyer MA, Beaty DW, Carrier BL, Haltigin T, Hays LE, Busemann H, Cavalazzi B, Debaille V, Grady MM, Hauber E, Pratt LM, Smith AL, Smith CL, Summons RE, Swindle TD, Tait KT, Udry A, Usui T, Wadhwa M, Westall F, Zorzano MP. Time-Sensitive Aspects of Mars Sample Return (MSR) Science. ASTROBIOLOGY 2022; 22:S81-S111. [PMID: 34904889 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2021.0115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Samples returned from Mars would be placed under quarantine at a Sample Receiving Facility (SRF) until they are considered safe to release to other laboratories for further study. The process of determining whether samples are safe for release, which may involve detailed analysis and/or sterilization, is expected to take several months. However, the process of breaking the sample tube seal and extracting the headspace gas will perturb local equilibrium conditions between gas and rock and set in motion irreversible processes that proceed as a function of time. Unless these time-sensitive processes are understood, planned for, and/or monitored during the quarantine period, scientific information expected from further analysis may be lost forever. At least four processes underpin the time-sensitivity of Mars returned sample science: (1) degradation of organic material of potential biological origin, (2) modification of sample headspace gas composition, (3) mineral-volatile exchange, and (4) oxidation/reduction of redox-sensitive materials. Available constraints on the timescales associated with these processes supports the conclusion that an SRF must have the capability to characterize attributes such as sample tube headspace gas composition, organic material of potential biological origin, as well as volatiles and their solid-phase hosts. Because most time-sensitive investigations are also sensitive to sterilization, these must be completed inside the SRF and on timescales of several months or less. To that end, we detail recommendations for how sample preparation and analysis could complete these investigations as efficiently as possible within an SRF. Finally, because constraints on characteristic timescales that define time-sensitivity for some processes are uncertain, future work should focus on: (1) quantifying the timescales of volatile exchange for core material physically and mineralogically similar to samples expected to be returned from Mars, and (2) identifying and developing stabilization or temporary storage strategies that mitigate volatile exchange until analysis can be completed. Executive Summary Any samples returned from Mars would be placed under quarantine at a Sample Receiving Facility (SRF) until it can be determined that they are safe to release to other laboratories for further study. The process of determining whether samples are safe for release, which may involve detailed analysis and/or sterilization, is expected to take several months. However, the process of breaking the sample tube seal and extracting the headspace gas would perturb local equilibrium conditions between gas and rock and set in motion irreversible processes that proceed as a function of time. Unless these processes are understood, planned for, and/or monitored during the quarantine period, scientific information expected from further analysis may be lost forever. Specialist members of the Mars Sample Return Planning Group Phase 2 (MSPG-2), referred to here as the Time-Sensitive Focus Group, have identified four processes that underpin the time-sensitivity of Mars returned sample science: (1) degradation of organic material of potential biological origin, (2) modification of sample headspace gas composition, (3) mineral-volatile exchange, and (4) oxidation/reduction of redox-sensitive materials (Figure 2). Consideration of the timescales and the degree to which these processes jeopardize scientific investigations of returned samples supports the conclusion that an SRF must have the capability to characterize: (1) sample tube headspace gas composition, (2) organic material of potential biological origin, (3) volatiles bound to or within minerals, and (4) minerals or other solids that host volatiles (Table 4). Most of the investigations classified as time-sensitive in this report are also sensitive to sterilization by either heat treatment and/or gamma irradiation (Velbel et al., 2022). Therefore, these investigations must be completed inside biocontainment and on timescales that minimize the irrecoverable loss of scientific information (i.e., several months or less; Section 5). To that end, the Time-Sensitive Focus Group has outlined a number of specific recommendations for sample preparation and instrumentation in order to complete these investigations as efficiently as possible within an SRF (Table 5). Constraints on the characteristic timescales that define time-sensitivity for different processes can range from relatively coarse to uncertain (Section 4). Thus, future work should focus on: (1) quantifying the timescales of volatile exchange for variably lithified core material physically and mineralogically similar to samples expected to be returned from Mars, and (2) identifying and developing stabilization strategies or temporary storage strategies that mitigate volatile exchange until analysis can be completed. List of Findings FINDING T-1: Aqueous phases, and oxidants liberated by exposure of the sample to aqueous phases, mediate and accelerate the degradation of critically important but sensitive organic compounds such as DNA. FINDING T-2: Warming samples increases reaction rates and destroys compounds making biological studies much more time-sensitive. MAJOR FINDING T-3: Given the potential for rapid degradation of biomolecules, (especially in the presence of aqueous phases and/or reactive O-containing compounds) Sample Safety Assessment Protocol (SSAP) and parallel biological analysis are time sensitive and must be carried out as soon as possible. FINDING T-4: If molecules or whole cells from either extant or extinct organisms have persisted under present-day martian conditions in the samples, then it follows that preserving sample aliquots under those same conditions (i.e., 6 mbar total pressure in a dominantly CO2 atmosphere and at an average temperature of -80°C) in a small isolation chamber is likely to allow for their continued persistence. FINDING T-5: Volatile compounds (e.g., HCN and formaldehyde) have been lost from Solar System materials stored under standard curation conditions. FINDING T-6: Reactive O-containing species have been identified in situ at the martian surface and so may be present in rock or regolith samples returned from Mars. These species rapidly degrade organic molecules and react more rapidly as temperature and humidity increase. FINDING T-7: Because the sample tubes would not be closed with perfect seals and because, after arrival on Earth, there will be a large pressure gradient across that seal such that the probability of contamination of the tube interiors by terrestrial gases increases with time, the as-received sample tubes are considered a poor choice for long-term gas sample storage. This is an important element of time sensitivity. MAJOR FINDING T-8: To determine how volatiles may have been exchanged with headspace gas during transit to Earth, the composition of martian atmosphere (in a separately sealed reservoir and/or extracted from the witness tubes), sample headspace gas composition, temperature/time history of the samples, and mineral composition (including mineral-bound volatiles) must all be quantified. When the sample tube seal is breached, mineral-bound volatile loss to the curation atmosphere jeopardizes robust determination of volatile exchange history between mineral and headspace. FINDING T-9: Previous experiments with mineral powders show that sulfate minerals are susceptible to H2O loss over timescales of hours to days. In addition to volatile loss, these processes are accompanied by mineralogical transformation. Thus, investigations targeting these minerals should be considered time-sensitive. FINDING T-10: Sulfate minerals may be stabilized by storage under fixed relative-humidity conditions, but only if the identity of the sulfate phase(s) is known a priori. In addition, other methods such as freezing may also stabilize these minerals against volatile loss. FINDING T-11: Hydrous perchlorate salts are likely to undergo phase transitions and volatile exchange with ambient surroundings in hours to days under temperature and relative humidity ranges typical of laboratory environments. However, the exact timescale over which these processes occur is likely a function of grain size, lithification, and/or cementation. FINDING T-12: Nanocrystalline or X-ray amorphous materials are typically stabilized by high proportions of surface adsorbed H2O. Because this surface adsorbed H2O is weakly bound compared to bulk materials, nanocrystalline materials are likely to undergo irreversible ripening reactions in response to volatile loss, which in turn results in decreases in specific surface area and increases in crystallinity. These reactions are expected to occur over the timescale of weeks to months under curation conditions. Therefore, the crystallinity and specific surface area of nanocrystalline materials should be characterized and monitored within a few months of opening the sample tubes. These are considered time-sensitive measurements that must be made as soon as possible. FINDING T-13: Volcanic and impact glasses, as well as opal-CT, are metastable in air and susceptible to alteration and volatile exchange with other solid phases and ambient headspace. However, available constraints indicate that these reactions are expected to proceed slowly under typical laboratory conditions (i.e., several years) and so analyses targeting these materials are not considered time sensitive. FINDING T-14: Surface adsorbed and interlayer-bound H2O in clay minerals is susceptible to exchange with ambient surroundings at timescales of hours to days, although the timescale may be modified depending on the degree of lithification or cementation. Even though structural properties of clay minerals remain unaffected during this process (with the exception of the interlayer spacing), investigations targeting H2O or other volatiles bound on or within clay minerals should be considered time sensitive upon opening the sample tube. FINDING T-15: Hydrated Mg-carbonates are susceptible to volatile loss and recrystallization and transformation over timespans of months or longer, though this timescale may be modified by the degree of lithification and cementation. Investigations targeting hydrated carbonate minerals (either the volatiles they host or their bulk mineralogical properties) should be considered time sensitive upon opening the sample tube. MAJOR FINDING T-16: Current understanding of mineral-volatile exchange rates and processes is largely derived from monomineralic experiments and systems with high surface area; lithified sedimentary rocks (accounting for some, but not all, of the samples in the cache) will behave differently in this regard and are likely to be associated with longer time constants controlled in part by grain boundary diffusion. Although insufficient information is available to quantify this at the present time, the timescale of mineral-volatile exchange in lithified samples is likely to overlap with the sample processing and curation workflow (i.e., 1-10 months; Table 4). This underscores the need to prioritize measurements targeting mineral-hosted volatiles within biocontainment. FINDING T-17: The liberation of reactive O-species through sample treatment or processing involving H2O (e.g., rinsing, solvent extraction, particle size separation in aqueous solution, or other chemical extraction or preparation protocols) is likely to result in oxidation of some component of redox-sensitive materials in a matter of hours. The presence of reactive O-species should be examined before sample processing steps that seek to preserve or target redox-sensitive minerals. Electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy (EPR) is one example of an effective analytical method capable of detecting and characterizing the presence of reactive O-species. FINDING T-18: Environments that maintain anoxia under inert gas containing <<1 ppm O2 are likely to stabilize redox-sensitive minerals over timescales of several years. MAJOR FINDING T-19: MSR investigations targeting organic macromolecular or cellular material, mineral-bound volatile compounds, redox sensitive minerals, and/or hydrous carbonate minerals can become compromised at the timescale of weeks (after opening the sample tube), and scientific information may be completely lost within a time timescale of a few months. Because current considerations indicate that completion of SSAP, sample sterilization, and distribution to investigator laboratories cannot be completed in this time, these investigations must be completed within the Sample Receiving Facility as soon as possible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas J Tosca
- University of Cambridge, Department of Earth Sciences, Cambridge, UK
| | - Carl B Agee
- University of New Mexico, Institute of Meteoritics, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
| | - Charles S Cockell
- University of Edinburgh, Centre for Astrobiology, School of Physics and Astronomy, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Daniel P Glavin
- NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Solar System Exploration Division, Greenbelt, Maryland, USA
| | | | | | - Francis M McCubbin
- NASA Johnson Space Center, Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science Division, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Aaron B Regberg
- NASA Johnson Space Center, Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science Division, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Michael A Velbel
- Michigan State University, Earth and Environmental Sciences, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
- Smithsonian Institution, Department of Mineral Sciences, National Museum of Natural History, Washington, DC, USA
| | | | - Michael A Meyer
- NASA Headquarters, Mars Sample Return Program, Washington, DC, USA
| | - David W Beaty
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
| | - Brandi L Carrier
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
| | | | - Lindsay E Hays
- NASA Headquarters, Mars Sample Return Program, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Henner Busemann
- ETH Zürich, Institute of Geochemistry and Petrology, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Barbara Cavalazzi
- Università di Bologna, Dipartimento di Scienze Biologiche, Geologiche e Ambientali, Bologna, Italy
| | | | | | - Ernst Hauber
- German Aerospace Center (DLR), Institute of Planetary Research, Berlin, Germany
| | - Lisa M Pratt
- Indiana University Bloomington, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Bloomington, Indiana, USA
| | - Alvin L Smith
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
| | - Caroline L Smith
- Natural History Museum, Department of Earth Sciences, London, UK
- University of Glasgow, School of Geographical and Earth Sciences, Glasgow, UK
| | - Roger E Summons
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Timothy D Swindle
- University of Arizona, Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, Tucson, Arizona, USA
| | - Kimberly T Tait
- Royal Ontario Museum, Department of Natural History, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Arya Udry
- University of Nevada Las Vegas, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
| | - Tomohiro Usui
- Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS), Chofu, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Meenakshi Wadhwa
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
- Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
| | - Frances Westall
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Centre de Biophysique Moléculaire, Orléans, France
| | - Maria-Paz Zorzano
- Centro de Astrobiologia (CSIC-INTA), Torrejon de Ardoz, Spain
- University of Aberdeen, Department of Planetary Sciences, School of Geosciences, King's College, Aberdeen, UK
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Bonales LJ, Mateo-Martí E. Study of the Stability of Gly·MgSO 4·5H 2O under Simulated Martian Conditions by In Situ Raman Spectroscopy. ASTROBIOLOGY 2022; 22:75-86. [PMID: 34874753 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2021.0048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Identification of spectroscopic fingerprints that correspond to relevant molecules/minerals in a Mars-like environment is a crucial search in astrobiology. Therefore, we studied the stability of Gly·MgSO4·5H2O under Mars-like surface conditions and compared it to the behavior of epsomite and glycine. Gly·MgSO4·5H2O has been identified as a molecule of astrobiological interest since an amino acid and water molecules, which are essential for life, are part of its structure. Furthermore, this compound may form by the interaction of sulfate minerals with glycine-bearing aqueous solutions, and both could be present on Mars. The main analyses were performed by using in situ Raman spectroscopy, a ground-breaking technique for NASA and ESA Mars planetary missions. We have integrated a Raman spectrometer in a Planetary Atmosphere and Surfaces Chamber (PASC) and have identified the processing of molecules exposed to a simulated martian atmosphere, UV irradiation, and temperature. Our results show that pressure is critical to provoke amorphization of Gly·MgSO4·5H2O, and the release of glycine from the compound; the stabilization effect at low temperature and stability of Gly·MgSO4·5H2O is greater than to glycine and epsomite. The strategy employed here allows us to evaluate the effect of diverse simulated martian environmental conditions on molecular preservation by using Raman spectroscopy.
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Ende M, Kirkkala T, Loitzenbauer M, Talla D, Wildner M, Miletich R. High-Pressure Behavior of Nickel Sulfate Monohydrate: Isothermal Compressibility, Structural Polymorphism, and Transition Pathway. Inorg Chem 2020; 59:6255-6266. [PMID: 32293173 PMCID: PMC7201398 DOI: 10.1021/acs.inorgchem.0c00370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
![]()
Single crystals of
synthetic nickel sulfate monohydrate, α-NiSO4·H2O (space-group symmetry C2/c at ambient conditions), were subject to high-pressure behavior investigations
in a diamond-anvil cell up to 10.8 GPa. By means of subtle spectral
changes in Raman spectra recorded at 298 K on isothermal compression,
two discontinuities were identified at 2.47(1) and 6.5(5) GPa. Both
transitions turn out to be apparently second order in character, as
deduced from the continuous evolution of unit-cell volumes determined
from single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The first structural transition
from α- to β-NiSO4·H2O is an
obvious ferroelastic C2/c–P1̅ transition. It is purely displacive from a structural
point of view, accompanied by symmetry changes in the hydrogen-bonding
scheme. The second β- to γ-NiSO4·H2O transition, further splitting the O2 (hydrogen bridge acceptor)
position and violating the P1̅ space-group
symmetry, is also evident from the splitting of individual bands in
the Raman spectra. It can be attributed to symmetry reduction through
local violation of local centrosymmetry. Lattice elasticities were
obtained by fitting second-order Birch–Murnaghan equations
of state to the p-V data points
yielding the following zero-pressure bulk moduli values: K0 = 63.4 ± 1.0 GPa for α-NiSO4·H2O, K0 = 61.3 ± 1.9 GPa for
β-NiSO4·H2O, and K0 = 68.8 ± 2.5 GPa for γ-NiSO4·H2O. Synthetic nickel sulfate monohydrate
crystals (space group C2/c at ambient
conditions) were subject to in situ high-pressure solid-state investigations
(structure from single crystal X-ray diffraction, lattice parameter,
Raman spectra) in a diamond-anvil cell up to 10.8 GPa. Two discontinuities,
apparently phase transitions of second order, were identified at 2.47
± 0.01 (obvious ferroelastic C2/c−P1̅) and 6.5 ± 0.5 GPa (P1̅−P1̅). Birch−Murnaghan
equations of state were fitted to the P−V data, and the obtained parameters are given.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Ende
- Department of Mineralogy and Crystallography, University of Vienna, Althanstraße 14, A-1090 Wien, Austria
| | - Terhi Kirkkala
- Department of Chemistry, University of Jyväskylä, Survontie 9 B, Ylistönrinne, FI-40014 Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Michael Loitzenbauer
- Department of Mineralogy and Crystallography, University of Vienna, Althanstraße 14, A-1090 Wien, Austria
| | - Dominik Talla
- Department of Mineralogy and Crystallography, University of Vienna, Althanstraße 14, A-1090 Wien, Austria
| | - Manfred Wildner
- Department of Mineralogy and Crystallography, University of Vienna, Althanstraße 14, A-1090 Wien, Austria
| | - Ronald Miletich
- Department of Mineralogy and Crystallography, University of Vienna, Althanstraße 14, A-1090 Wien, Austria
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Sobron P, Wang A, Mayer DP, Bentz J, Kong F, Zheng M. Dalangtan Saline Playa in a Hyperarid Region of Tibet Plateau: III. Correlated Multiscale Surface Mineralogy and Geochemistry Survey. ASTROBIOLOGY 2018; 18:1277-1304. [PMID: 30095985 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2017.1777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
We report the first multiscale, systematic field-based testing of correlations between orbital scale advanced spaceborne thermal emission and reflection radiometer visible near-infrared (VNIR)/shortwave infrared (SWIR) reflectance and thermal infrared relative emissivity and outcrop scale Raman spectroscopy, VNIR reflectance, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) mineralogy and chemistry in a saline dry lakebed. This article is one of three reports describing the evolution of salt deposits, meteorological record, and surface and subsurface salt mineralogy in Dalangtan, Qaidam Basin, a hyperarid region of the Tibet Plateau, China, as potential environmental, mineralogical, and biogeochemical analogs to Mars. We have successfully bridged remote sensing data to fine scale mineralogy and chemistry data. We have defined spectral end-members in the northwestern Qaidam Basin and classified areas within the study area on the basis of their spectral similarity to the spectral end-members. Results of VNIR/SWIR classification reveal zonation of spectral units within three large anticlinal domes in the study area that can be correlated between the three structures. Laboratory Raman, VNIR reflectance, XRD, and LIBS data of surface mineral samples collected along a traverse over Xiaoliangshan (XLS) indicate that the surface is dominated by gypsum, Mg sulfates, Na sulfates, halite, and carbonates, with minor concentrations of illite present in most samples as well. Our results can be used as a first step toward better characterizing the potential of orbital reflectance spectroscopy as a method for mineral detection and quantification in salt-rich planetary environments, with the benefit that this technique can be validated on the ground using instruments onboard rovers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo Sobron
- 1 SETI Institute , Mountain View, California
- 2 Impossible Sensing , St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Alian Wang
- 3 Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences and McDonnell Center for Space Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis , St. Louis, Missouri
| | - David P Mayer
- 4 US Geological Survey, Astrogeology Science Center , Flagstaff, Arizona
| | - Jennifer Bentz
- 5 Department of Geological Sciences and Geological Engineering, Queen's University , Kingston, Canada
| | - Fanjing Kong
- 6 Institute of Mineral Resources, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Key Lab of Saline Lake Resources and Enviornments, Ministry of Lands and Resources, Beijing, China
| | - Mianping Zheng
- 6 Institute of Mineral Resources, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Key Lab of Saline Lake Resources and Enviornments, Ministry of Lands and Resources, Beijing, China
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6
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Wang A, Sobron P, Kong F, Zheng M, Zhao YYS. Dalangtan Saline Playa in a Hyperarid Region on Tibet Plateau: II. Preservation of Salts with High Hydration Degrees in Subsurface. ASTROBIOLOGY 2018; 18:1254-1276. [PMID: 30152704 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2018.1829] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Based on a field expedition to the Dalangtan (DLT) saline playa located in a hyperarid region (Qaidam Basin) on the Tibet Plateau and follow-up investigations, we report the mineralogy and geochemistry of the salt layers in two vertical stratigraphic cross sections in the DLT playa. Na-, Ca-, Mg-, KCaMg-sulfates; Na-, K-, KMg-chlorides; mixed (K, Mg)-chloride-sulfate; and chlorate and perchlorate were identified in the collected samples. This mineral assemblage represents the last-stage precipitation products from Na-K-Mg-Ca-Cl-SO4 brine and the oxychlorine formation from photochemistry reaction similar to other hyperarid regions on Earth. The spatial distributions of these salts in both stratigraphic cross sections suggest very limited brine volumes during the precipitation episodes in the Holocene era. More importantly, sulfates and chlorides with a high degree of hydrations were found preserved within the subsurface salt-rich layers of DLT saline playa, where the environmental conditions at the surface are controlled by the hyperaridity in the Qaidam Basin on the Tibet Plateau. Our findings suggest a very different temperature and relative humidity environment maintained by the hydrous salts in a subsurface salty layer, where the climatic conditions at surface have very little or no influence. This observation bears some similarities with four observations on Mars, which implies not only a large humidity reservoir in midlatitude and equatorial regions on Mars but also habitability potential that warrants further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alian Wang
- 1 Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, McDonnell Center for Space Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis , St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Pablo Sobron
- 2 SETI Institute , Mountain View, California
- 3 Impossible Sensing , St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Fanjing Kong
- 4 MLR Key Laboratory of Saline Lake Environments and Resources, Institute of Mineral Resources , Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Mianping Zheng
- 4 MLR Key Laboratory of Saline Lake Environments and Resources, Institute of Mineral Resources , Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yu-Yan Sara Zhao
- 5 Institute of Geochemistry , Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang, China
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Sklute EC, Rogers AD, Gregerson JC, Jensen HB, Reeder RJ, Dyar MD. Amorphous salts formed from rapid dehydration of multicomponent chloride and ferric sulfate brines: Implications for Mars. ICARUS 2018; 302:285-295. [PMID: 29670302 PMCID: PMC5901898 DOI: 10.1016/j.icarus.2017.11.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Salts with high hydration states have the potential to maintain high levels of relative humidity (RH) in the near subsurface of Mars, even at moderate temperatures. These conditions could promote deliquescence of lower hydrates of ferric sulfate, chlorides, and other salts. Previous work on deliquesced ferric sulfates has shown that when these materials undergo rapid dehydration, such as that which would occur upon exposure to present day Martian surface conditions, an amorphous phase forms. However, the fate of deliquesced halides or mixed ferric sulfate-bearing brines are presently unknown. Here we present results of rapid dehydration experiments on Ca-, Na-, Mg- and Fe-chloride brines and multi-component (Fe2 (SO4)3 ± Ca, Na, Mg, Fe, Cl, HCO3) brines at ∼21°C, and characterize the dehydration products using visible/near-infrared (VNIR) reflectance spectroscopy, mid-infrared attenuated total reflectance spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. We find that rapid dehydration of many multicomponent brines can form amorphous solids or solids with an amorphous component, and that the presence of other elements affects the persistence of the amorphous phase under RH fluctuations. Of the pure chloride brines, only Fe-chloride formed an amorphous solid. XRD patterns of the multicomponent amorphous salts show changes in position, shape, and magnitude of the characteristic diffuse scattering observed in all amorphous materials that could be used to help constrain the composition of the amorphous salt. Amorphous salts deliquesce at lower RH values compared to their crystalline counterparts, opening up the possibility of their role in potential deliquescence-related geologic phenomena such as recurring slope lineae (RSLs) or soil induration. This work suggests that a wide range of aqueous mixed salt solutions can lead to the formation of amorphous salts and are possible for Mars; detailed studies of the formation mechanisms, stability and transformation behaviors of amorphous salts are necessary to further constrain their contribution to Martian surface materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth C. Sklute
- Department of Astronomy, Mount Holyoke College, 50 College St., South Hadley, MA 01075, USA
| | - A. Deanne Rogers
- Department of Geoscience, Stony Brook University, 255 Earth and Space Science Building, Stony Brook, NY 11794-2100, USA
| | - Jason C. Gregerson
- Department of Geoscience, Stony Brook University, 255 Earth and Space Science Building, Stony Brook, NY 11794-2100, USA
| | - Heidi B. Jensen
- Department of Geoscience, Stony Brook University, 255 Earth and Space Science Building, Stony Brook, NY 11794-2100, USA
| | - Richard J. Reeder
- Department of Geoscience, Stony Brook University, 255 Earth and Space Science Building, Stony Brook, NY 11794-2100, USA
| | - M. Darby Dyar
- Department of Astronomy, Mount Holyoke College, 50 College St., South Hadley, MA 01075, USA
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Sklute EC, Jensen HB, Rogers AD, Reeder RJ. Morphological, structural, and spectral characteristics of amorphous iron sulfates. JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH. PLANETS 2015; 120:809-830. [PMID: 29675340 PMCID: PMC5903680 DOI: 10.1002/2014je004784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Current or past brine hydrologic activity on Mars may provide suitable conditions for the formation of amorphous ferric sulfates. Once formed, these phases would likely be stable under current Martian conditions, particularly at low- to mid-latitudes. Therefore, we consider amorphous iron sulfates (AIS) as possible components of Martian surface materials. Laboratory AIS were created through multiple synthesis routes and characterized with total X-ray scattering, thermogravimetric analysis, scanning electron microscopy, visible/near-infrared (VNIR), thermal infrared (TIR), and Mössbauer techniques. We synthesized amorphous ferric sulfates (Fe(III)2(SO4)3 · ~ 6-8H2O) from sulfate-saturated fluids via vacuum dehydration or exposure to low relative humidity (<11%). Amorphous ferrous sulfate (Fe(II)SO4 · ~1H2O) was synthesized via vacuum dehydration of melanterite. All AIS lack structural order beyond 11 Å. The short-range (<5 Å) structural characteristics of amorphous ferric sulfates resemble all crystalline reference compounds; structural characteristics for the amorphous ferrous sulfate are similar to but distinct from both rozenite and szomolnokite. VNIR and TIR spectral data for all AIS display broad, muted features consistent with structural disorder and are spectrally distinct from all crystalline sulfates considered for comparison. Mössbauer spectra are also distinct from crystalline phase spectra available for comparison. AIS should be distinguishable from crystalline sulfates based on the position of their Fe-related absorptions in the visible range and their spectral characteristics in the TIR. In the NIR, bands associated with hydration at ~1.4 and 1.9 μm are significantly broadened, which greatly reduces their detectability in soil mixtures. AIS may contribute to the amorphous fraction of soils measured by the Curiosity rover.
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Affiliation(s)
- E. C. Sklute
- Department of Geosciences, State University of New York at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, New York, USA
- Now at Department of Astronomy, Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley, Massachusetts, USA
| | - H. B. Jensen
- Department of Geosciences, State University of New York at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, New York, USA
| | - A. D. Rogers
- Department of Geosciences, State University of New York at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, New York, USA
| | - R. J. Reeder
- Department of Geosciences, State University of New York at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, New York, USA
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Linnow K, Niermann M, Bonatz D, Posern K, Steiger M. Experimental Studies of the Mechanism and Kinetics of Hydration Reactions. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/j.egypro.2014.02.046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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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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Wang A, Ling ZC. Ferric sulfates on Mars: A combined mission data analysis of salty soils at Gusev crater and laboratory experimental investigations. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2011. [DOI: 10.1029/2010je003665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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