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Day JMD, Paquet M, Udry A, Moynier F. A heterogeneous mantle and crustal structure formed during the early differentiation of Mars. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadn9830. [PMID: 38820147 PMCID: PMC11141613 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adn9830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2024] [Accepted: 04/25/2024] [Indexed: 06/02/2024]
Abstract
Highly siderophile element abundances and Os isotopes of nakhlite and chassignite meteorites demonstrate that they represent a comagmatic suite from Mars. Nakhlites experienced variable assimilation of >2-billion-year-old altered high Re/Os basaltic crust. This basaltic crust is distinct from the ancient crust represented by meteorites Allan Hills 84001 or impact-contaminated Northwest Africa 7034/7533. Nakhlites and chassignites that did not experience crustal assimilation reveal that they were extracted from a depleted lithospheric mantle distinct from the deep plume source of depleted shergottites. The comagmatic origin for nakhlites and chassignites demonstrates a layered martian interior comprising ancient enriched basaltic crust derived from trace element-rich shallow magma ocean cumulates, a variably metasomatized mantle lithosphere, and a trace element-depleted deep mantle sampled by plume magmatism.
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Affiliation(s)
- James M. D. Day
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Marine Paquet
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
- Centre de Recherches Pétrographiques et Géochimiques de Nancy, CNRS, Université de Lorraine 15 Rue Notre Dame des Pauvres 54500 Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy, France
| | - Arya Udry
- Department of Geoscience, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Lilly Fong Geoscience Building, 4505 S Maryland Pkwy, Las Vegas, NV 89154, USA
| | - Frederic Moynier
- Université Paris Cité, Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris, CNRS, 1 rue Jussieu, 75005 Paris, France
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2
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Basov A, Dorohova A, Malyshko V, Moiseev A, Svidlov A, Bezhenar M, Nechipurenko Y, Dzhimak S. Influence of a Single Deuterium Substitution for Protium on the Frequency Generation of Different-Size Bubbles in IFNA17. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:12137. [PMID: 37569512 PMCID: PMC10418495 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241512137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2023] [Revised: 07/21/2023] [Accepted: 07/23/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023] Open
Abstract
The influence of a single 2H/1H replacement on the frequency generation of different-size bubbles in the human interferon alpha-17 gene (IFNA17) under various energies was studied by a developed algorithm and mathematical modeling without simplifications or averaging. This new approach showed the efficacy of researching DNA bubbles and open states both when all hydrogen bonds in nitrogenous base pairs are protium and after an 2H-substitution. After a single deuterium substitution under specific energies, it was demonstrated that the non-coding region of IFNA17 had a more significant regulatory role in bubble generation in the whole gene than the promoter had. It was revealed that a single deuterium substitution for protium has an influence on the frequency generation of DNA bubbles, which also depends on their size and is always higher for the smaller bubbles under the largest number of the studied energies. Wherein, compared to the natural condition under the same critical value of energy, the bigger raises of the bubble frequency occurrence (maximums) were found for 11-30 base pair (bp) bubbles (higher by 319%), 2-4 bp bubbles (higher by 300%), and 31 bp and over ones (higher by 220%); whereas the most significant reductions of the indicators (minimums) were observed for 11-30 bp bubbles (lower by 43%) and bubbles size over 30 bp (lower by 82%). In this study, we also analyzed the impact of several circumstances on the AT/GC ratio in the formation of DNA bubbles, both under natural conditions and after a single hydrogen isotope exchange. Moreover, based on the obtained data, substantial positive and inverse correlations were revealed between the AT/GC ratio and some factors (energy values, size of DNA bubbles). So, this modeling and variant of the modified algorithm, adapted for researching DNA bubbles, can be useful to study the regulation of replication and transcription in the genes under different isotopic substitutions in the nucleobases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandr Basov
- Department of Fundamental and Clinical Biochemistry, Kuban State Medical University, Krasnodar 350063, Russia; (A.B.); (V.M.)
- Department of Radiophysics and Nanotechnology, Kuban State University, Krasnodar 350040, Russia; (A.D.); (A.S.); (S.D.)
| | - Anna Dorohova
- Department of Radiophysics and Nanotechnology, Kuban State University, Krasnodar 350040, Russia; (A.D.); (A.S.); (S.D.)
- Laboratory of Problems of Stable Isotope Spreading in Living Systems, Federal Research Center of the Southern Scientific Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Rostov-on-Don 344006, Russia
| | - Vadim Malyshko
- Department of Fundamental and Clinical Biochemistry, Kuban State Medical University, Krasnodar 350063, Russia; (A.B.); (V.M.)
- Laboratory of Problems of Stable Isotope Spreading in Living Systems, Federal Research Center of the Southern Scientific Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Rostov-on-Don 344006, Russia
| | - Arkadii Moiseev
- Scientific Department, Kuban State Agrarian University, Krasnodar 350004, Russia;
| | - Alexandr Svidlov
- Department of Radiophysics and Nanotechnology, Kuban State University, Krasnodar 350040, Russia; (A.D.); (A.S.); (S.D.)
- Laboratory of Problems of Stable Isotope Spreading in Living Systems, Federal Research Center of the Southern Scientific Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Rostov-on-Don 344006, Russia
| | - Maria Bezhenar
- Department of Function Theory, Kuban State University, Krasnodar 350040, Russia;
| | - Yury Nechipurenko
- Engelhardt Institute of Molecular Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 119991, Russia
| | - Stepan Dzhimak
- Department of Radiophysics and Nanotechnology, Kuban State University, Krasnodar 350040, Russia; (A.D.); (A.S.); (S.D.)
- Laboratory of Problems of Stable Isotope Spreading in Living Systems, Federal Research Center of the Southern Scientific Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Rostov-on-Don 344006, Russia
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Black BA, Manga M, Ojha L, Longpré M, Karunatillake S, Hlinka L. The History of Water in Martian Magmas From Thorium Maps. GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS 2022; 49:e2022GL098061. [PMID: 35859852 PMCID: PMC9285613 DOI: 10.1029/2022gl098061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2022] [Revised: 05/17/2022] [Accepted: 05/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Water inventories in Martian magmas are poorly constrained. Meteorite-based estimates range widely, from 102 to >104 ppm H2O, and are likely variably influenced by degassing. Orbital measurements of H primarily reflect water cycled and stored in the regolith. Like water, Th behaves incompatibly during mantle melting, but unlike water Th is not prone to degassing and is relatively immobile during aqueous alteration at low temperature. We employ Th as a proxy for original, mantle-derived H2O in Martian magmas. We use regional maps of Th from Mars Odyssey to assess variations in magmatic water across major volcanic provinces and through time. We infer that Hesperian and Amazonian magmas had ∼100-3,000 ppm H2O, in the lower range of previous estimates. The implied cumulative outgassing since the Hesperian, equivalent to a global H2O layer ∼1-40 m deep, agrees with Mars' present-day surface and near-surface water inventory and estimates of sequestration and loss rates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin A. Black
- Department of Earth and Planetary SciencesRutgers UniversityPiscatawayNJUSA
| | - Michael Manga
- Department of Earth and Planetary SciencesUniversity of California, BerkeleyBerkeleyCAUSA
| | - Lujendra Ojha
- Department of Earth and Planetary SciencesRutgers UniversityPiscatawayNJUSA
| | - Marc‐Antoine Longpré
- School of Earth and Environmental SciencesQueens College, City University of New YorkQueensNYUSA
- Earth and Environmental SciencesThe Graduate Center, City University of New YorkNew YorkNYUSA
| | | | - Lisa Hlinka
- School of Earth and Environmental SciencesQueens College, City University of New YorkQueensNYUSA
- Earth and Environmental SciencesThe Graduate Center, City University of New YorkNew YorkNYUSA
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4
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Péron S, Mukhopadhyay S. Krypton in the Chassigny meteorite shows Mars accreted chondritic volatiles before nebular gases. Science 2022; 377:320-324. [PMID: 35709249 DOI: 10.1126/science.abk1175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Volatile chemical elements are thought to have been delivered to Solar System terrestrial planets late in their formation, by accretion of chondritic meteorites. Mars can provide information on inner Solar System volatile delivery during the earliest planet formation stages. We measured krypton isotopes in the Martian meteorite Chassigny, representative of the planet's interior. We find chondritic krypton isotope ratios, implying early incorporation of chondritic volatiles. Mars' atmosphere has different (solar-type) krypton isotope ratios, indicating it is not a product of magma ocean outgassing or fractionation of interior volatiles. Atmospheric krypton instead originates from accretion of solar nebula gas, after the mantle formed, but prior to nebular dissipation. Our observations contradict the common hypothesis that, during planet formation, chondritic volatile delivery occurred after solar gas acquisition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandrine Péron
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of California - Davis, Davis, California 95616, United States of America
| | - Sujoy Mukhopadhyay
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of California - Davis, Davis, California 95616, United States of America
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5
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Kminek G, Benardini JN, Brenker FE, Brooks T, Burton AS, Dhaniyala S, Dworkin JP, Fortman JL, Glamoclija M, Grady MM, Graham HV, Haruyama J, Kieft TL, Koopmans M, McCubbin FM, Meyer MA, Mustin C, Onstott TC, Pearce N, Pratt LM, Sephton MA, Siljeström S, Sugahara H, Suzuki S, Suzuki Y, van Zuilen M, Viso M. COSPAR Sample Safety Assessment Framework (SSAF). ASTROBIOLOGY 2022; 22:S186-S216. [PMID: 35653292 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2022.0017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The Committee on Space Research (COSPAR) Sample Safety Assessment Framework (SSAF) has been developed by a COSPAR appointed Working Group. The objective of the sample safety assessment would be to evaluate whether samples returned from Mars could be harmful for Earth's systems (e.g., environment, biosphere, geochemical cycles). During the Working Group's deliberations, it became clear that a comprehensive assessment to predict the effects of introducing life in new environments or ecologies is difficult and practically impossible, even for terrestrial life and certainly more so for unknown extraterrestrial life. To manage expectations, the scope of the SSAF was adjusted to evaluate only whether the presence of martian life can be excluded in samples returned from Mars. If the presence of martian life cannot be excluded, a Hold & Critical Review must be established to evaluate the risk management measures and decide on the next steps. The SSAF starts from a positive hypothesis (there is martian life in the samples), which is complementary to the null-hypothesis (there is no martian life in the samples) typically used for science. Testing the positive hypothesis includes four elements: (1) Bayesian statistics, (2) subsampling strategy, (3) test sequence, and (4) decision criteria. The test sequence capability covers self-replicating and non-self-replicating biology and biologically active molecules. Most of the investigations associated with the SSAF would need to be carried out within biological containment. The SSAF is described in sufficient detail to support planning activities for a Sample Receiving Facility (SRF) and for preparing science announcements, while at the same time acknowledging that further work is required before a detailed Sample Safety Assessment Protocol (SSAP) can be developed. The three major open issues to be addressed to optimize and implement the SSAF are (1) setting a value for the level of assurance to effectively exclude the presence of martian life in the samples, (2) carrying out an analogue test program, and (3) acquiring relevant contamination knowledge from all Mars Sample Return (MSR) flight and ground elements. Although the SSAF was developed specifically for assessing samples from Mars in the context of the currently planned NASA-ESA MSR Campaign, this framework and the basic safety approach are applicable to any other Mars sample return mission concept, with minor adjustments in the execution part related to the specific nature of the samples to be returned. The SSAF is also considered a sound basis for other COSPAR Planetary Protection Category V, restricted Earth return missions beyond Mars. It is anticipated that the SSAF will be subject to future review by the various MSR stakeholders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerhard Kminek
- European Space Agency, Mars Exploration Group, Noordwijk, The Netherlands
| | - James N Benardini
- NASA Headquarters, Office of Planetary Protection, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Frank E Brenker
- Goethe University, Department of Geoscience, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Timothy Brooks
- UK Health Security Agency, Rare & Imported Pathogens Laboratory, Salisbury, UK
| | - Aaron S Burton
- NASA Johnson Space Center, Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science Division, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Suresh Dhaniyala
- Clarkson University, Department of Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering, Potsdam, New York, USA
| | - Jason P Dworkin
- NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Solar System Exploration Division, Greenbelt, Maryland, USA
| | - Jeffrey L Fortman
- Security Programs, Engineering Biology Research Consortium, Emeryville, USA
| | - Mihaela Glamoclija
- Rutgers University, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Newark, New Jersey, USA
| | - Monica M Grady
- The Open University, Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics, Milton Keynes, UK
| | - Heather V Graham
- NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Astrochemistry Laboratory, Greenbelt, Maryland, USA
| | - Junichi Haruyama
- Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS), Chofu, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Thomas L Kieft
- New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, Biology Department, Socorro, New Mexico, USA
| | - Marion Koopmans
- Erasmus University Medical Centre, Department of Viroscience, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Francis M McCubbin
- NASA Johnson Space Center, Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science Division, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Michael A Meyer
- NASA Headquarters, Planetary Science Division, Washington, DC, USA
| | | | - Tullis C Onstott
- Princeton University, Department of Geosciences, Princeton, New Jersey, USA
| | - Neil Pearce
- London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Department of Medical Statistics, London, UK
| | - Lisa M Pratt
- Indiana University Bloomington, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Emeritus, Bloomington, Indiana, USA
| | - Mark A Sephton
- Imperial College London, Department of Earth Science & Engineering, London, UK
| | - Sandra Siljeström
- RISE, Research Institutes of Sweden, Department of Methodology, Textiles and Medical Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Haruna Sugahara
- Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Sagamihara Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Shino Suzuki
- Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Sagamihara Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Yohey Suzuki
- University of Tokyo, Graduate School of Science, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Mark van Zuilen
- Université de Paris, Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris, Paris, France
- European Institute for Marine Studies (IUEM), CNRS-UMR6538 Laboratoire Geo-Ocean, Plouzané, France
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6
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Goodwin A, Garwood RJ, Tartèse R. A Review of the "Black Beauty" Martian Regolith Breccia and Its Martian Habitability Record. ASTROBIOLOGY 2022; 22:755-767. [PMID: 35230137 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2021.0069] [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: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The regolith breccia Northwest Africa (NWA) 7034 and paired samples are unique meteorite representatives of the martian crust. They are water rich, lithologically varied, and preserve the oldest martian zircon grains yet discovered that formed ca. 4500-4300 Ma. The meteorite thus provides us with an invaluable record of the crustal and environmental conditions on early Mars. Resetting of some radioisotopic chronometers occurred in response to a major thermal disturbance event ca. 1500-1400 Ma, likely caused by an impactor that brecciated and redeposited NWA 7034 near the surface in an ejecta blanket. Lithologies comprising NWA 7034 were then aqueously altered by a long-lasting impact-induced hydrothermal system, before being excavated and ejected by a subsequent impact at ca. 5-15 Ma. This review compiles chronological and petrological information into an overarching geochronological summary for NWA 7034 and paired samples. We then provide a synopsis for the volatile (H2O, C) inventory and hydrothermal alteration history of NWA 7034. From this geochronological history and volatile inventory, we interpret and assess two potential periods of martian habitability: (1) an early window of pre-Noachian planetary habitability, and (2) impact-derived hydrothermal systems that allowed intermittent habitable crater environments well into the Amazonian.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arthur Goodwin
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Russell J Garwood
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
- Earth Sciences Department, Natural History Museum, London, United Kingdom
| | - Romain Tartèse
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
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7
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Steele A, Benning LG, Wirth R, Schreiber A, Araki T, McCubbin FM, Fries MD, Nittler LR, Wang J, Hallis LJ, Conrad PG, Conley C, Vitale S, O'Brien AC, Riggi V, Rogers K. Organic synthesis associated with serpentinization and carbonation on early Mars. Science 2022; 375:172-177. [PMID: 35025630 DOI: 10.1126/science.abg7905] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Water-rock interactions are relevant to planetary habitability, influencing mineralogical diversity and the production of organic molecules. We examine carbonates and silicates in the martian meteorite Allan Hills 84001 (ALH 84001), using colocated nanoscale analyses, to characterize the nature of water-rock reactions on early Mars. We find complex refractory organic material associated with mineral assemblages that formed by mineral carbonation and serpentinization reactions. The organic molecules are colocated with nanophase magnetite; both formed in situ during water-rock interactions on Mars. Two potentially distinct mechanisms of abiotic organic synthesis operated on early Mars during the late Noachian period (3.9 to 4.1 billion years ago).
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Affiliation(s)
- A Steele
- Carnegie Institution for Science, Earth and Planets Laboratory, Washington, DC 20015, USA
| | - L G Benning
- Deutsches GeoForschungsZentrum, Telegrafenberg, 14473 Potsdam, Germany.,Department of Earth Sciences, Free University of Berlin, 12249 Berlin, Germany
| | - R Wirth
- Deutsches GeoForschungsZentrum, Telegrafenberg, 14473 Potsdam, Germany
| | - A Schreiber
- Deutsches GeoForschungsZentrum, Telegrafenberg, 14473 Potsdam, Germany
| | - T Araki
- Diamond Light Source, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot OX11 0DE, UK
| | - F M McCubbin
- NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX 77058, USA
| | - M D Fries
- NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX 77058, USA
| | - L R Nittler
- Carnegie Institution for Science, Earth and Planets Laboratory, Washington, DC 20015, USA
| | - J Wang
- Carnegie Institution for Science, Earth and Planets Laboratory, Washington, DC 20015, USA
| | - L J Hallis
- School of Geographical and Earth Science, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
| | - P G Conrad
- Carnegie Institution for Science, Earth and Planets Laboratory, Washington, DC 20015, USA
| | - C Conley
- NASA Ames Research Center, Mountain View, CA 94035, USA
| | - S Vitale
- Carnegie Institution for Science, Earth and Planets Laboratory, Washington, DC 20015, USA
| | - A C O'Brien
- School of Geographical and Earth Science, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
| | - V Riggi
- Carnegie Institution for Science, Earth and Planets Laboratory, Washington, DC 20015, USA
| | - K Rogers
- Earth and Environmental Sciences, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180, USA
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8
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Potassium isotope composition of Mars reveals a mechanism of planetary volatile retention. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2101155118. [PMID: 34544856 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2101155118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The abundances of water and highly to moderately volatile elements in planets are considered critical to mantle convection, surface evolution processes, and habitability. From the first flyby space probes to the more recent "Perseverance" and "Tianwen-1" missions, "follow the water," and, more broadly, "volatiles," has been one of the key themes of martian exploration. Ratios of volatiles relative to refractory elements (e.g., K/Th, Rb/Sr) are consistent with a higher volatile content for Mars than for Earth, despite the contrasting present-day surface conditions of those bodies. This study presents K isotope data from a spectrum of martian lithologies as an isotopic tracer for comparing the inventories of highly and moderately volatile elements and compounds of planetary bodies. Here, we show that meteorites from Mars have systematically heavier K isotopic compositions than the bulk silicate Earth, implying a greater loss of K from Mars than from Earth. The average "bulk silicate" δ41K values of Earth, Moon, Mars, and the asteroid 4-Vesta correlate with surface gravity, the Mn/Na "volatility" ratio, and most notably, bulk planet H2O abundance. These relationships indicate that planetary volatile abundances result from variable volatile loss during accretionary growth in which larger mass bodies preferentially retain volatile elements over lower mass objects. There is likely a threshold on the size requirements of rocky (exo)planets to retain enough H2O to enable habitability and plate tectonics, with mass exceeding that of Mars.
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9
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Scheller EL, Ehlmann BL, Hu R, Adams DJ, Yung YL. Long-term drying of Mars by sequestration of ocean-scale volumes of water in the crust. Science 2021; 372:56-62. [PMID: 33727251 DOI: 10.1126/science.abc7717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2020] [Accepted: 03/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Geological evidence shows that ancient Mars had large volumes of liquid water. Models of past hydrogen escape to space, calibrated with observations of the current escape rate, cannot explain the present-day deuterium-to-hydrogen isotope ratio (D/H). We simulated volcanic degassing, atmospheric escape, and crustal hydration on Mars, incorporating observational constraints from spacecraft, rovers, and meteorites. We found that ancient water volumes equivalent to a 100 to 1500 meter global layer are simultaneously compatible with the geological evidence, loss rate estimates, and D/H measurements. In our model, the volume of water participating in the hydrological cycle decreased by 40 to 95% over the Noachian period (~3.7 billion to 4.1 billion years ago), reaching present-day values by ~3.0 billion years ago. Between 30 and 99% of martian water was sequestered through crustal hydration, demonstrating that irreversible chemical weathering can increase the aridity of terrestrial planets.
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Affiliation(s)
- E L Scheller
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA.
| | - B L Ehlmann
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA.,Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA
| | - Renyu Hu
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA
| | - D J Adams
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Y L Yung
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA.,Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA
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10
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Abstract
Renewable CO2 electrosynthesis is a potentially promising tool to utilize unwanted greenhouse gas. The greatest barrier to its adoption is rendering the production of CO2-derived chemicals cost-competitive, such that they have higher net value than their fossil-derived equivalents. Among the commodities that have been made using CO2, H2O, and electricity, CH4 is one of the simplest and most researched products. Technoeconomic studies of CO2 methanation make it clear that its high-value applications are limited without significant subsidy on Earth, where it competes with low-cost natural gas. In space, however, CO2 methanation via the Sabatier reaction is already used on the International Space Station to recycle atomic oxygen, and propulsion systems employing cryogenic liquid methane are in development for reusable rocket engines. Comparative analysis of power-to-gas using either CO2 electrosynthesis or the Sabatier reaction from an aerospace perspective identifies research priorities and parameters for deployment. Given its atmospheric CO2 concentration over 95%, Mars may present future opportunities for technology that could also help overcome our climate challenges on Earth. Carbon dioxide conversion is useful for space exploration today and in the future Reusable rocket engines can use methane made from carbon dioxide as fuel This is useful on Mars, where the atmosphere is >95% carbon dioxide Compact systems that produce fuel from carbon dioxide are demonstrated
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Affiliation(s)
- Stafford W. Sheehan
- Air Company, 407 Johnson Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11206, USA
- Corresponding author
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11
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Davidson J, Wadhwa M, Hervig RL, Stephant A. Water on Mars: Insights from apatite in regolith breccia Northwest Africa 7034. EARTH AND PLANETARY SCIENCE LETTERS 2020; 552:116597. [PMID: 33390609 PMCID: PMC7774504 DOI: 10.1016/j.epsl.2020.116597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Determining the source of planetary water from the hydrogen isotope compositions of crustal samples is complicated by the overprinting of isotopically diverse source material by geologic and atmospheric processes. As Mars has no plate tectonics, crustal material, which may have isotopically exchanged with the martian atmosphere, is not recycled into the mantle keeping the water reservoirs in the mantle and atmosphere mostly isolated, buffered by the crust. As the only known martian samples that are regolith breccias with a composition representative of the average crust of Mars, Northwest Africa (NWA) 7034 and its paired stones provide an important opportunity to investigate the water content and hydrogen isotope composition of the martian crust. In particular, apatites in distinct clasts as well as the brecciated matrix of NWA 7034 record a complex history including magmatic and impact processes, and exchange with crustal fluids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jemma Davidson
- Center for Meteorite Studies, Arizona State University, 781 East Terrace Road, Tempe, AZ 85287-6004, USA
- School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University, 781 East Terrace Road, Tempe, AZ 85287-6004, USA
| | - Meenakshi Wadhwa
- School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University, 781 East Terrace Road, Tempe, AZ 85287-6004, USA
| | - Richard L. Hervig
- School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University, 781 East Terrace Road, Tempe, AZ 85287-6004, USA
| | - Alice Stephant
- Center for Meteorite Studies, Arizona State University, 781 East Terrace Road, Tempe, AZ 85287-6004, USA
- School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University, 781 East Terrace Road, Tempe, AZ 85287-6004, USA
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12
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Abstract
Martian meteorites provide the only direct constraints on the timing of Martian accretion, core formation, magmatic differentiation, and ongoing volcanism. While many radiogenic isotope chronometers have been applied to a wide variety of Martian samples, few, if any, techniques are immune to secondary effects from alteration and terrestrial weathering. This short review focuses on the most robust geochronometers that have been used to date Martian meteorites and geochemically model the differentiation of the planet, including 147Sm/143Nd, 146Sm/142Nd, 176Lu/176Hf, 182Hf/182W, and U-Th-Pb systematics.
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