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Kring DA, Bach W. Hydrogen Production from Alteration of Chicxulub Crater Impact Breccias: Potential Energy Source for a Subsurface Microbial Ecosystem. ASTROBIOLOGY 2021; 21:1547-1564. [PMID: 34678049 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2021.0045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
A sulfate-reducing population of thermophiles grew in porous, permeable niches within glass-bearing impact breccias of the Chicxulub impact crater. The microbial community grew in an impact-generated hydrothermal system that vented on the seafloor several hundred meters beneath the sea surface. Potential electron donors for that metabolism are hydrocarbons, although a strong C-isotope signature of that source does not exist. Model calculations explored here suggest that alteration of glass within the impact breccias may have produced H2 in sufficient quantities for population growth as the hydrothermal system cooled through thermophilic temperatures, although it is sensitive to the oxidation state of iron in the melt rock prior to hydrothermal alteration and the secondary mineral assemblage. At high water-to-rock ratios and temperatures below 45°C, H2 yields are insufficient to maintain a population of hydrogenotrophic sulfate-reducing bacteria, but yields double with a higher proportion of ferrous iron between 45 and 65°C. The most reduced rocks (i.e., highest proportion of ferrous iron) that are allowed to form andradite, which is observed in core samples, produce copious amounts of H2 in the temperature window for thermophiles and hyperthermophiles. Mixtures of melt rock and carbonate, which is observed in breccia matrices, produce somewhat less H2, and the onset of massive H2 production is shifted to higher temperatures (i.e., lower W/R).
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Affiliation(s)
- David A Kring
- Lunar and Planetary Institute, Universities Space Research Association, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Wolfgang Bach
- Geoscience Department and MARUM - Center for Marine Environmental Sciences, Universität Bremen, Bremen, Germany
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2
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Royle SH, Watson JS, Sephton MA. Transformation of Cyanobacterial Biomolecules by Iron Oxides During Flash Pyrolysis: Implications for Mars Life-Detection Missions. ASTROBIOLOGY 2021; 21:1363-1386. [PMID: 34402652 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2020.2428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Answering the question of whether life ever existed on Mars is a key goal of both NASA's and ESA's imminent Mars rover missions. The obfuscatory effects of oxidizing salts, such as perchlorates and sulfates, on organic matter during thermal decomposition analysis techniques are well established. Less well studied are the transformative effects of iron oxides and (oxy)hydroxides, which are present in great abundances in the martian regolith. We examined the products of flash pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (a technique analogous to the thermal techniques employed by past, current, and future landed Mars missions) which form when the cyanobacteria Arthrospira platensis are heated in the presence of a variety of Mars-relevant iron-bearing minerals. We found that iron oxides/(oxy)hydroxides have transformative effects on the pyrolytic products of cyanobacterial biomolecules. Both the abundance and variety of molecular species detected were decreased as iron substrates transformed biomolecules, by both oxidative and reductive processes, into lower fidelity alkanes, aromatic and aryl-bonded hydrocarbons. Despite the loss of fidelity, a suite that contains mid-length alkanes and polyaromatic hydrocarbons and/or aryl-bonded molecules in iron-rich samples subjected to pyrolysis may allude to the transformation of cyanobacterially derived mid-long chain length fatty acids (particularly unsaturated fatty acids) originally present in the sample. Hematite was found to be the iron oxide with the lowest transformation potential, and because this iron oxide has a high affinity for codeposition of organic matter and preservation over geological timescales, sampling at Mars should target sediments/strata that have undergone a diagenetic history encouraging the dehydration, dihydroxylation, and oxidation of more reactive iron-bearing phases to hematite by looking for (mineralogical) evidence of the activity of oxidizing, acidic/neutral, and either hot or long-lived fluids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel H Royle
- Impacts and Astromaterials Research Centre, Department of Earth Science and Engineering, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Jonathan S Watson
- Impacts and Astromaterials Research Centre, Department of Earth Science and Engineering, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Mark A Sephton
- Impacts and Astromaterials Research Centre, Department of Earth Science and Engineering, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
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3
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Kring DA, Tikoo SM, Schmieder M, Riller U, Rebolledo-Vieyra M, Simpson SL, Osinski GR, Gattacceca J, Wittmann A, Verhagen CM, Cockell CS, Coolen MJL, Longstaffe FJ, Gulick SPS, Morgan JV, Bralower TJ, Chenot E, Christeson GL, Claeys P, Ferrière L, Gebhardt C, Goto K, Green SL, Jones H, Lofi J, Lowery CM, Ocampo-Torres R, Perez-Cruz L, Pickersgill AE, Poelchau MH, Rae ASP, Rasmussen C, Sato H, Smit J, Tomioka N, Urrutia-Fucugauchi J, Whalen MT, Xiao L, Yamaguchi KE. Probing the hydrothermal system of the Chicxulub impact crater. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2020; 6:eaaz3053. [PMID: 32523986 PMCID: PMC7259942 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aaz3053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2019] [Accepted: 03/27/2020] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
The ~180-km-diameter Chicxulub peak-ring crater and ~240-km multiring basin, produced by the impact that terminated the Cretaceous, is the largest remaining intact impact basin on Earth. International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) and International Continental Scientific Drilling Program (ICDP) Expedition 364 drilled to a depth of 1335 m below the sea floor into the peak ring, providing a unique opportunity to study the thermal and chemical modification of Earth's crust caused by the impact. The recovered core shows the crater hosted a spatially extensive hydrothermal system that chemically and mineralogically modified ~1.4 × 105 km3 of Earth's crust, a volume more than nine times that of the Yellowstone Caldera system. Initially, high temperatures of 300° to 400°C and an independent geomagnetic polarity clock indicate the hydrothermal system was long lived, in excess of 106 years.
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Affiliation(s)
- David A. Kring
- Lunar and Planetary Institute, Universities Space Research Association, 3600 Bay Area Boulevard, Houston, TX 77058, USA
| | - Sonia M. Tikoo
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Rutgers University New Brunswick, Piscataway Township, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Martin Schmieder
- Lunar and Planetary Institute, Universities Space Research Association, 3600 Bay Area Boulevard, Houston, TX 77058, USA
| | - Ulrich Riller
- Institut für Geologie, Universität Hamburg, Bundesstraße 55, 20146 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Mario Rebolledo-Vieyra
- Departamento de Recursos del Mar, CINVESTAV-MÉRIDA, Carret. Merida-Progreso, S/N, Merida, Yucatán 97215, México
| | - Sarah L. Simpson
- Institute for Earth and Space Exploration and Department of Earth Sciences, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 5B7, Canada
| | - Gordon R. Osinski
- Institute for Earth and Space Exploration and Department of Earth Sciences, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 5B7, Canada
| | - Jérôme Gattacceca
- Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, Institut pour la Recherche et le Développement, Coll France, INRA, CEREGE, Aix-en-Provence, France
| | - Axel Wittmann
- Eyring Materials Center, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287-8301, USA
| | - Christina M. Verhagen
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Rutgers University New Brunswick, Piscataway Township, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Charles S. Cockell
- Centre for Astrobiology, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3FD, UK
| | - Marco J. L. Coolen
- School of Earth and Planetary Sciences, WA-Organic and Isotope Geochemistry Centre (WA-OIGC), Curtin University, Bentley, WA 6102, Australia
| | - Fred J. Longstaffe
- Institute for Earth and Space Exploration and Department of Earth Sciences, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 5B7, Canada
| | - Sean P. S. Gulick
- Institute for Geophysics, Jackson School of Geosciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78758-4445, USA
| | - Joanna V. Morgan
- Department of Earth Science and Engineering, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Timothy J. Bralower
- Department of Geosciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Elise Chenot
- GeoRessources, Université de Lorraine, CNRS, 54 500 Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy, France
| | - Gail L. Christeson
- Institute for Geophysics, Jackson School of Geosciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78758-4445, USA
| | - Philippe Claeys
- Analytical, Environmental and Geo-Chemistry, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, Brussels 1050, Belgium
| | | | - Catalina Gebhardt
- Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre of Polar and Marine Research, 27568 Bremerhaven, Germany
| | - Kazuhisa Goto
- Department of Earth and Planetary Science, The University of Tokyo, Hongo 7-3-1, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | | | - Heather Jones
- Department of Geosciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Johanna Lofi
- Géosciences Montpellier, Université de Montpellier, 34095 Montpellier Cedex 05, France
| | - Christopher M. Lowery
- Institute for Geophysics, Jackson School of Geosciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78758-4445, USA
| | - Rubén Ocampo-Torres
- Groupe de Physico-Chimie de l’Atmosphère, L’Institut de Chimie et Procédés pour l’Énergie, l’Environnement et la Santé (ICPEES), UMR 7515 Université de Strasbourg–CNRS 1 rue Blessig, 67000 Strasbourg, France
| | - Ligia Perez-Cruz
- Instituto de Geofísica, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cd. Universitaria, Coyoacán, Ciudad de México C. P. 04510, México
| | - Annemarie E. Pickersgill
- School of Geographical and Earth Sciences, University of Glasgow, Gregory, Lilybank Gardens, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
| | | | - Auriol S. P. Rae
- Department of Earth Science and Engineering, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
- University of Freiburg, Geology, Albertstraße 23b, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Cornelia Rasmussen
- Institute for Geophysics, Jackson School of Geosciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78758-4445, USA
- Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Utah, 115 S 1460 E (FASB), Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Honami Sato
- Ocean Resources Research Center for Next Generation, Chiba Institute of Technology, 2-17-1, Tsudanuma, Narashino-city, Chiba 275-0016, Japan
| | - Jan Smit
- Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences (FALW), Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, de Boelelaan 1085, Amsterdam 1018HV, Netherlands
| | - Naotaka Tomioka
- Kochi Institute for Core Sample Research, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology, 200 Monobe Otsu, Nankoku, Kochi 783-8502, Japan
| | - Jaime Urrutia-Fucugauchi
- Instituto de Geofísica, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cd. Universitaria, Coyoacán, Ciudad de México C. P. 04510, México
| | - Michael T. Whalen
- Department of Geosciences, University of Alaska Fairbanks, 1930 Yukon Drive, Fairbanks, AK 99775, USA
| | - Long Xiao
- China University of Geosciences (Wuhan), School of Earth Sciences, Planetary Science Institute, 388 Lumo Rd. Hongshan Dist., Wuhan, China
| | - Kosei E. Yamaguchi
- Department of Chemistry, Toho University, Funabashi, Chiba 274-8510, Japan
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Thombre RS, Shivakarthik E, Sivaraman B, Vaishampayan PA, Seuylemezian A, Meka JK, Vijayan S, Kulkarni PP, Pataskar T, Patil BS. Survival of Extremotolerant Bacteria from the Mukundpura Meteorite Impact Crater. ASTROBIOLOGY 2019; 19:785-796. [PMID: 31081685 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2018.1928] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Carbonaceous meteorites provide clues with regard to prebiotic chemistry and the origin of life. Geological Survey of India recorded a carbonaceous chondrite meteorite fall in Mukundpura, India, on June 6, 2017. We conducted a study to investigate the microbial community that survived the meteorite impact. 16S rRNA metagenomic sequencing indicates the presence of Actinobacteria, Proteobacteria, and Acidobacteria in meteorite impact soil. Comparative phylogenetic analysis revealed an intriguing abundance of class Bacilli in the impact soil. Bacillus thermocopriae IR-1, a moderately thermotolerant organism, was isolated from a rock, impacted by the Mukundpura meteorite. We investigated the resilience of B. thermocopriae IR-1 to environmental stresses and impact shock in a Reddy shock tube. Bacillus thermocopriae IR-1 survived (28.82% survival) the effect of shock waves at a peak shock pressure of 300 kPa, temperature 400 K, and Mach number of 1.47. This investigation presents the first report on the effect of impact shock on B. thermocopriae IR-1. The study is also the first report on studying the microbial diversity and isolation of bacteria from impact crater soil immediately after meteorite impact event.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca S Thombre
- 1 Department of Biotechnology, Modern College of Arts, Science and Commerce, Pune, India
| | - E Shivakarthik
- 2 Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics Division, Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad, India
| | - Bhalamurugan Sivaraman
- 2 Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics Division, Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad, India
| | - Parag A Vaishampayan
- 3 Biotechnology and Planetary Protection Group, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California
| | - Arman Seuylemezian
- 3 Biotechnology and Planetary Protection Group, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California
| | - J K Meka
- 2 Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics Division, Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad, India
| | - S Vijayan
- 2 Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics Division, Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad, India
| | - P P Kulkarni
- 1 Department of Biotechnology, Modern College of Arts, Science and Commerce, Pune, India
| | - T Pataskar
- 1 Department of Biotechnology, Modern College of Arts, Science and Commerce, Pune, India
| | - B S Patil
- 1 Department of Biotechnology, Modern College of Arts, Science and Commerce, Pune, India
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5
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Oehler DZ, Etiope G. Methane Seepage on Mars: Where to Look and Why. ASTROBIOLOGY 2017; 17:1233-1264. [PMID: 28771029 PMCID: PMC5730060 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2017.1657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2017] [Accepted: 05/14/2017] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Methane on Mars is a topic of special interest because of its potential association with microbial life. The variable detections of methane by the Curiosity rover, orbiters, and terrestrial telescopes, coupled with methane's short lifetime in the martian atmosphere, may imply an active gas source in the planet's subsurface, with migration and surface emission processes similar to those known on Earth as "gas seepage." Here, we review the variety of subsurface processes that could result in methane seepage on Mars. Such methane could originate from abiotic chemical reactions, thermogenic alteration of abiotic or biotic organic matter, and ancient or extant microbial metabolism. These processes can occur over a wide range of temperatures, in both sedimentary and igneous rocks, and together they enhance the possibility that significant amounts of methane could have formed on early Mars. Methane seepage to the surface would occur preferentially along faults and fractures, through focused macro-seeps and/or diffuse microseepage exhalations. Our work highlights the types of features on Mars that could be associated with methane release, including mud-volcano-like mounds in Acidalia or Utopia; proposed ancient springs in Gusev Crater, Arabia Terra, and Valles Marineris; and rims of large impact craters. These could have been locations of past macro-seeps and may still emit methane today. Microseepage could occur through faults along the dichotomy or fractures such as those at Nili Fossae, Cerberus Fossae, the Argyre impact, and those produced in serpentinized rocks. Martian microseepage would be extremely difficult to detect remotely yet could constitute a significant gas source. We emphasize that the most definitive detection of methane seepage from different release candidates would be best provided by measurements performed in the ground or at the ground-atmosphere interface by landers or rovers and that the technology for such detection is currently available. Key Words: Mars-Methane-Seepage-Clathrate-Fischer-Tropsch-Serpentinization. Astrobiology 17, 1233-1264.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Giuseppe Etiope
- Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Sezione Roma 2, Roma, Italy, and Faculty of Environmental Science and Engineering, Babes-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
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6
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Rummel JD, Beaty DW, Jones MA, Bakermans C, Barlow NG, Boston PJ, Chevrier VF, Clark BC, de Vera JPP, Gough RV, Hallsworth JE, Head JW, Hipkin VJ, Kieft TL, McEwen AS, Mellon MT, Mikucki JA, Nicholson WL, Omelon CR, Peterson R, Roden EE, Sherwood Lollar B, Tanaka KL, Viola D, Wray JJ. A new analysis of Mars "Special Regions": findings of the second MEPAG Special Regions Science Analysis Group (SR-SAG2). ASTROBIOLOGY 2014; 14:887-968. [PMID: 25401393 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2014.1227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 148] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
A committee of the Mars Exploration Program Analysis Group (MEPAG) has reviewed and updated the description of Special Regions on Mars as places where terrestrial organisms might replicate (per the COSPAR Planetary Protection Policy). This review and update was conducted by an international team (SR-SAG2) drawn from both the biological science and Mars exploration communities, focused on understanding when and where Special Regions could occur. The study applied recently available data about martian environments and about terrestrial organisms, building on a previous analysis of Mars Special Regions (2006) undertaken by a similar team. Since then, a new body of highly relevant information has been generated from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (launched in 2005) and Phoenix (2007) and data from Mars Express and the twin Mars Exploration Rovers (all 2003). Results have also been gleaned from the Mars Science Laboratory (launched in 2011). In addition to Mars data, there is a considerable body of new data regarding the known environmental limits to life on Earth-including the potential for terrestrial microbial life to survive and replicate under martian environmental conditions. The SR-SAG2 analysis has included an examination of new Mars models relevant to natural environmental variation in water activity and temperature; a review and reconsideration of the current parameters used to define Special Regions; and updated maps and descriptions of the martian environments recommended for treatment as "Uncertain" or "Special" as natural features or those potentially formed by the influence of future landed spacecraft. Significant changes in our knowledge of the capabilities of terrestrial organisms and the existence of possibly habitable martian environments have led to a new appreciation of where Mars Special Regions may be identified and protected. The SR-SAG also considered the impact of Special Regions on potential future human missions to Mars, both as locations of potential resources and as places that should not be inadvertently contaminated by human activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- John D Rummel
- 1 Department of Biology, East Carolina University , Greenville, North Carolina, USA
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7
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López-Lozano NE, Eguiarte LE, Bonilla-Rosso G, García-Oliva F, Martínez-Piedragil C, Rooks C, Souza V. Bacterial communities and the nitrogen cycle in the gypsum soils of Cuatro Ciénegas Basin, coahuila: a Mars analogue. ASTROBIOLOGY 2012; 12:699-709. [PMID: 22920518 PMCID: PMC3426888 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2012.0840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2012] [Accepted: 05/28/2012] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
The OMEGA/Mars Express hyperspectral imager identified gypsum at several sites on Mars in 2005. These minerals constitute a direct record of past aqueous activity and are important with regard to the search of extraterrestrial life. Gale Crater was chosen as Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity's landing site because it is rich in gypsum, as are some desert soils of the Cuatro Ciénegas Basin (CCB) (Chihuahuan Desert, Mexico). The gypsum of the CCB, which is overlain by minimal carbonate deposits, was the product of magmatic activity that occurred under the Tethys Sea. To examine this Mars analogue, we retrieved gypsum-rich soil samples from two contrasting sites with different humidity in the CCB. To characterize the site, we obtained nutrient data and analyzed the genes related to the N cycle (nifH, nirS, and nirK) and the bacterial community composition by using 16S rRNA clone libraries. As expected, the soil content for almost all measured forms of carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus were higher at the more humid site than at the drier site. What was unexpected is the presence of a rich and divergent community at both sites, with higher taxonomic diversity at the humid site and almost no taxonomic overlap. Our results suggest that the gypsum-rich soils of the CCB host a unique microbial ecosystem that includes novel microbial assemblies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nguyen E. López-Lozano
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Coyoacán, México D.F., México
| | - Luis E. Eguiarte
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Coyoacán, México D.F., México
| | - Germán Bonilla-Rosso
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Coyoacán, México D.F., México
| | - Felipe García-Oliva
- Centro de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Morelia, Michoacán, México
| | - Celeste Martínez-Piedragil
- Centro de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Morelia, Michoacán, México
| | - Christine Rooks
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Coyoacán, México D.F., México
| | - Valeria Souza
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Coyoacán, México D.F., México
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Bailey JV, Orphan VJ, Joye SB, Corsetti FA. Chemotrophic microbial mats and their potential for preservation in the rock record. ASTROBIOLOGY 2009; 9:843-859. [PMID: 19968462 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2008.0314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Putative microbialites are commonly regarded to have formed in association with photosynthetic microorganisms, such as cyanobacteria. However, many modern microbial mat ecosystems are dominated by chemotrophic bacteria and archaea. Like phototrophs, filamentous sulfur-oxidizing bacteria form large mats at the sediment/water interface that can act to stabilize sediments, and their metabolic activities may mediate the formation of marine phosphorites. Similarly, bacteria and archaea associated with the anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM) catalyze the precipitation of seafloor authigenic carbonates. When preserved, lipid biomarkers, isotopic signatures, body fossils, and lithological indicators of the local depositional environment may be used to identify chemotrophic mats in the rock record. The recognition of chemotrophic communities in the rock record has the potential to transform our understanding of ancient microbial ecologies, evolution, and geochemical conditions. Chemotrophic microbes on Earth occupy naturally occurring interfaces between oxidized and reduced chemical species and thus may provide a new set of search criteria to target life-detection efforts on other planets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jake V Bailey
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91125, USA.
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10
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11
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Borg L. A review of meteorite evidence for the timing of magmatism and of surface or near-surface liquid water on Mars. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2005. [DOI: 10.1029/2005je002402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Brown A, Walter M, Cudahy T. Short-wave infrared reflectance investigation of sites of paleobiological interest: applications for Mars exploration. ASTROBIOLOGY 2004; 4:359-376. [PMID: 15383240 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2004.4.359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Rover missions to the rocky bodies of the Solar System and especially to Mars require lightweight, portable instruments that use minimal power, require no sample preparation, and provide suitably diagnostic mineralogical information to an Earth-based exploration team. Short-wave infrared (SWIR) spectroscopic instruments such as the Portable Infrared Mineral Analyser (PIMA, Integrated Spectronics Pty Ltd., Baulkham Hills, NSW, Australia) fulfill all these requirements. We describe an investigation of a possible Mars analogue site using a PIMA instrument. A survey was carried out on the Strelley Pool Chert, an outcrop of stromatolitic, silicified Archean carbonate and clastic succession in the Pilbara Craton, interpreted as being modified by hydrothermal processes. The results of this study demonstrate the capability of SWIR techniques to add significantly to the geological interpretation of such hydrothermally altered outcrops. Minerals identified include dolomite, white micas such as illite-muscovite, and chlorite. In addition, the detection of pyrophyllite in a bleached and altered unit directly beneath the succession suggests acidic, sulfur-rich hydrothermal activity may have interacted with the silicified sediments of the Strelley Pool Chert.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrian Brown
- Australian Centre for Astrobiology, Macquarie University, North Ryde, New South Wales, Australia.
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14
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Cabrol NA, Grin EA, Carr MH, Sutter B, Moore JM, Farmer JD, Greeley R, Kuzmin RO, DesMarais DJ, Kramer MG, Newsom H, Barber C, Thorsos I, Tanaka KL, Barlow NG, Fike DA, Urquhart ML, Grigsby B, Grant FD, de Goursac O. Exploring Gusev Crater with Spirit: Review of science objectives and testable hypotheses. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2003. [DOI: 10.1029/2002je002026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Brad Sutter
- NASA Ames Research Center; Moffett Field California USA
| | | | - Jack D. Farmer
- Department of Geological Sciences; Arizona State University; Tempe Arizona USA
| | - Ronald Greeley
- Department of Geological Sciences; Arizona State University; Tempe Arizona USA
| | | | | | | | - Horton Newsom
- Institute of Meteoritics and Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences; University of New Mexico; Albuquerque New Mexico USA
| | - Charles Barber
- Institute of Meteoritics and Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences; University of New Mexico; Albuquerque New Mexico USA
| | - Ivan Thorsos
- Institute of Meteoritics and Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences; University of New Mexico; Albuquerque New Mexico USA
| | - Kenneth L. Tanaka
- Department of Physics and Astronomy; Northern Arizona University; Flagstaff Arizona USA
| | | | - David A. Fike
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences; Massachussetts Institute of Technology; Cambridge Massachusetts USA
| | - Mary L. Urquhart
- Department of Science and Mathematics Education; University of Texas at Dallas; Richardson Texas USA
| | | | - Frederick D. Grant
- Department of Geology; University of Mississippi; Jackson Mississippi USA
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Newsom HE, Barber CA, Hare TM, Schelble RT, Sutherland VA, Feldman WC. Paleolakes and impact basins in southern Arabia Terra, including Meridiani Planum: Implications for the formation of hematite deposits on Mars. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2003. [DOI: 10.1029/2002je001993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Horton E. Newsom
- Institute of Meteoritics and Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences; University of New Mexico; Albuquerque New Mexico USA
| | - Charles A. Barber
- Institute of Meteoritics and Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences; University of New Mexico; Albuquerque New Mexico USA
| | | | - Rachel T. Schelble
- Institute of Meteoritics and Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences; University of New Mexico; Albuquerque New Mexico USA
| | - Van A. Sutherland
- Institute of Meteoritics and Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences; University of New Mexico; Albuquerque New Mexico USA
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Hode T, von Dalwigk I, Broman C. A hydrothermal system associated with the Siljan impact structure, Sweden--implications for the search for fossil life on Mars. ASTROBIOLOGY 2003; 3:271-289. [PMID: 14582511 DOI: 10.1089/153110703769016370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
The Siljan ring structure (368 +/- 1.1 Ma) is the largest known impact structure in Europe. It isa 65-km-wide, eroded, complex impact structure, displaying several structural units, including a central uplifted region surrounded by a ring-shaped depression. Associated with the impact crater are traces of a post-impact hydrothermal system indicated by precipitated and altered hydrothermal mineral assemblages. Precipitated hydrothermal minerals include quartz veins and breccia fillings associated with granitic rocks at the outer margin of the central uplift, and calcite, fluorite, galena, and sphalerite veins associated with Paleozoic carbonate rocks located outside the central uplift. Two-phase water/gas and oil/gas inclusions in calcite and fluorite display homogenization temperatures between 75 degrees C and 137 degrees C. With an estimated erosional unloading of approximately 1 km, the formation temperatures were probably not more than 10-15 degrees C higher. Fluid inclusion ice-melting temperatures indicate a very low salt content, reducing the probability that the mineralization was precipitated during the Caledonian Orogeny. Our findings suggest that large impacts induce low-temperature hydrothermal systems that may be habitats for thermophilic organisms. Large impact structures on Mars may therefore be suitable targets in the search for fossil thermophilic organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomas Hode
- Department of Paleozoology, Swedish Museum of Natural History, Stockholm, Sweden.
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Parnell J, Mazzini A, Honghan C. Fluid inclusion studies of chemosynthetic carbonates: strategy for seeking life on Mars. ASTROBIOLOGY 2002; 2:43-57. [PMID: 12449854 DOI: 10.1089/153110702753621330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Fluid inclusions in minerals hold the potential to provide important data on the chemistry of the ambient fluids during mineral precipitation. Especially interesting to astrobiologists are inclusions in low-temperature minerals that may have been precipitated in the presence of microorganisms. We demonstrate that it is possible to obtain data from inclusions in chemosynthetic carbonates that precipitated by the oxidation of organic carbon around methane-bearing seepages. Chemosynthetic carbonates have been identified as a target rock for astrobiological exploration. Other surficial rock types identified as targets for astrobiological exploration include hydrothermal deposits, speleothems, stromatolites, tufas, and evaporites, each of which can contain fluid inclusions. Fracture systems below impact craters would also contain precipitates of minerals with fluid inclusions. As fluid inclusions are sealed microchambers, they preserve fluids in regions where water is now absent, such as regions of the martian surface. Although most inclusions are < 5 microns, the possibility to obtain data from the fluids, including biosignatures and physical remains of life, underscores the advantages of technological advances in the study of fluid inclusions. The crushing of bulk samples could release inclusion waters for analysis, which could be undertaken in situ on Mars.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Parnell
- Department of Geology and Petroleum Geology, University of Aberdeen King's College, Aberdeen AB24 3UE, U.K.
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Wynn-Williams DD, Cabrol NA, Grin EA, Haberle RM, Stoker CR. Brines in seepage channels as eluants for subsurface relict biomolecules on Mars? ASTROBIOLOGY 2001; 1:165-184. [PMID: 12467120 DOI: 10.1089/153110701753198936] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Water, vital for life, not only maintains the integrity of structural and metabolic biomolecules, it also transports them in solution or colloidal suspension. Any flow of water through a dormant or fossilized microbial community elutes molecules that are potentially recognizable as biomarkers. We hypothesize that the surface seepage channels emanating from crater walls and cliffs in Mars Orbiter Camera images results from fluvial erosion of the regolith as low-temperature hypersaline brines. We propose that, if such flows passed through extensive subsurface catchments containing buried and fossilized remains of microbial communities from the wet Hesperian period of early Mars (approximately 3.5 Ga ago), they would have eluted and concentrated relict biomolecules and delivered them to the surface. Life-supporting low-temperature hypersaline brines in Antarctic desert habitats provide a terrestrial analog for such a scenario. As in the Antarctic, salts would likely have accumulated in water-filled depressions on Mars by seasonal influx and evaporation. Liquid water in the Antarctic cold desert analogs occurs at -80 degrees C in the interstices of shallow hypersaline soils and at -50 degrees C in salt-saturated ponds. Similarly, hypersaline brines on Mars could have freezing points depressed below -50 degrees C. The presence of hypersaline brines on Mars would have extended the amount of time during which life might have evolved. Phototrophic communities are especially important for the search for life because the distinctive structures and longevity of their pigments make excellent biomarkers. The surface seepage channels are therefore not only of geomorphological significance, but also provide potential repositories for biomolecules that could be accessed by landers.
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Affiliation(s)
- D D Wynn-Williams
- British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, Cambridge CB3 OET, U.K.
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