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Shen J, Huang T, Zhang H, Lin W. Hydrochemical and isotopic characteristics of water sources for biological activity across a massive evaporite basin on the Tibetan Plateau: Implications for aquatic environments on early Mars. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 935:173442. [PMID: 38788948 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.173442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2024] [Revised: 04/28/2024] [Accepted: 05/20/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024]
Abstract
Covered by vast eolian landforms, gravel deposits, and playas, the worldwide typical evaporite deposit land, Qaidam Basin, in northwestern China is analogous to early Mars when the aridification process had lasted for millions of years since the end of a wetter climate. This study aims to investigate the chemical and isotopic characteristics of waters in an evaporite-rich environment, as well as the habitable conditions therein, that have undergone a transformation similar to early Mars. In May 2023, a total of 26 water samples were collected across the representative central axis of a longitudinal aridity gradient in the Qaidam Basin, including categories of meteoric water, freshwater, standing water accumulated after precipitation, salty lacustrine water, and hypersaline brines to inspect compounds made up of carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfur, halogen, and metallic elements. As evaporation intensified, the salt types transformed from HCO3-Ca·Na to Cl·SO4-Na or ClMg. The dominance of carbonate will gradually be replaced by sulfate and chloride, leaving much more dilute and less detectable contents. The presence of trace ClO4-, ClO3-, ClO2-, and BrO3- was confirmed in a few of the sampled Qaidam waters, indicating the preservation of oxyhalides in waters within an arid region and possibly the presence of relevant microbial enzymes. The isotopes of water, carbonaceous, and nitrogenous compounds provide valuable references for either abiogenic or biogenic signatures. With undetectable amount, phosphorus was found to be the limiting nutrient in evaporative aquatic environments but not necessarily antibiosignatures. Overall, these results suggest that the paleo-lacustrine environments on Mars are more likely to preserve biosignatures if they feature the dominance of carbonate minerals, bioavailable nitrate, phosphorus, and organic carbon, the presence of thermodynamically unstable oxyhalides, and isotope ratios that point to the involvement of biological activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianxun Shen
- Key Laboratory of Earth and Planetary Physics, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Tianming Huang
- Key Laboratory of Shale Gas and Geoengineering, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029, China; College of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Huiqing Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Earth and Planetary Physics, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029, China; College of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Wei Lin
- Key Laboratory of Earth and Planetary Physics, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029, China; College of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
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Huang T, Lai Q, Xiao L, Gong L, Shao Z, Wang H, Xu Y, Amils R, Escudero C, Martinez JM. Sediminibacillus dalangtanensis sp. nov., a moderate halophile isolated from hypersaline sediments of the Qaidam Basin in Northwest China. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2022; 71. [DOI: 10.1099/ijsem.0.005501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
A Gram-stain-positive, moderately halophilic, aerobic, endospore-forming, rod-shaped bacterium, designated strain DP4-553-ST, was isolated from hypersaline sediment collected from the Dalangtan Playa in the Qaidam Basin, Northwest PR China. Growth occurred within 0–21.6% (w/v) NaCl (optimum 7.2%) at pH 5.5–9.0 (optimum pH 7.0) and at 4–45 °C (optimum 37 °C). Phylogeny based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that strain DP4-553-ST belonged to the genus
Sediminibacillus
, with high 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity to
Sediminibacillus halophilus
EN8dT (99.5 %),
Sediminibacillus terrae
JSM 102062T (99.4 %), Virgibacillus senegalensis SK-1T (99.3 %) and
Sediminibacillus albus
NHBX5T (98.3 %). The G+C content of the chromosomal DNA was 43.6 mol %. The average amino acid identity, average nucleotide identity and digital DNA–DNA hybridization values between strain DP4-553-ST and the four close type strains were 71.2–93.3, 74.0–90.5 and 20.0–41.4 %, respectively. The whole genomic analysis showed that strain DP4-553-ST constituted a different taxon separated from the recognized
Sediminibacillus
species. The major cellular fatty acids were anteiso-C15 : 0, anteiso-C17 : 0, iso-C16 : 0, C16 : 0 and iso-C15 : 0. The type strain contained cell-wall peptidoglycan based on diaminopimelic acid and possessed menaquinone-7 as the major respiratory isoprenoid quinone. The polar lipid pattern consisted of diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, four unidentified glycolipids, phosphatidylcholine, aminophospholipid, aminolipid and seven unidentified phospholipids. The combined data from phenotypic and genotypic studies demonstrated that strain DP4-553-ST represents a novel species of the genus
Sediminibacillus
, for which the name Sediminibacillus dalangtanensis sp. nov. is proposed, the type strain is DP4-553-ST (=MCCC 1K03838T= KCTC 43250T).
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Affiliation(s)
- Ting Huang
- CNSA Macau Center for Space Exploration and Science, Taipa, 999078, Macao, PR China
- State Key Laboratory of Geological Process and Mineral Resources, Planetary Science Institute, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, Hubei, PR China
- State Key Laboratory of Lunar and Planetary Sciences, Macau University of Science and Technology, Taipa, 999078, Macao, PR China
| | - Qiliang Lai
- Key Laboratory of Marine Genetic Resources, Third Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Xiamen, PR China
| | - Long Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Geological Process and Mineral Resources, Planetary Science Institute, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, Hubei, PR China
| | - Linfeng Gong
- Key Laboratory of Marine Genetic Resources, Third Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Xiamen, PR China
| | - Zongze Shao
- Key Laboratory of Marine Genetic Resources, Third Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Xiamen, PR China
| | - Hongmei Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, Hubei, PR China
| | - Yi Xu
- CNSA Macau Center for Space Exploration and Science, Taipa, 999078, Macao, PR China
- State Key Laboratory of Lunar and Planetary Sciences, Macau University of Science and Technology, Taipa, 999078, Macao, PR China
| | - Ricardo Amils
- Centro de Astrobiología (CSIC-INTA), Torrejón de Ardoz, Madrid, Spain
- Centro de Biología Molecular “Severo Ochoa” (UAM-CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Cristina Escudero
- Centro de Astrobiología (CSIC-INTA), Torrejón de Ardoz, Madrid, Spain
| | - José M. Martinez
- Centro de Biología Molecular “Severo Ochoa” (UAM-CSIC), Madrid, Spain
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Kong X, Zhu S, Shavorskiy A, Li J, Liu W, Corral Arroyo P, Signorell R, Wang S, Pettersson JBC. Surface solvation of Martian salt analogues at low relative humidities. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE: ATMOSPHERES 2022; 2:137-145. [PMID: 35419521 PMCID: PMC8929290 DOI: 10.1039/d1ea00092f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2021] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Salt aerosols play important roles in many processes related to atmospheric chemistry and the climate systems on both Earth and Mars. Complicated and still poorly understood processes occur on the salt surfaces when interacting with water vapor. In this study, ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (APXPS) is used to characterize the surface chemical environment of Martian salt analogues originating from saline lakes and playas, as well as their responses to varying relative humidities. Generally, APXPS shows similar ionic compositions to those observed by ion chromatography (IC). However, XPS is a surface-sensitive method while IC is bulk-sensitive and differences are observed for species that preferentially partition to the surface or the bulk. Element-selective surface enhancement of Cl− is observed, likely caused by the presence of SO42−. In addition, Mg2+ is concentrated on the surface while Na+ is relatively depleted in the surface layer. Hence, the cations (Na+ and Mg2+) and the anions (Cl− and SO42−) show competitive correlations. At elevated relative humidity (RH), no major spectral changes were observed in the XPS results, except for the growth of an oxygen component originating from condensed H2O. Near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) measurements show that the magnesium and sodium spectra are sensitive to the presence of water, and the results imply that the surface is fully solvated already at RH = 5%. The surface solvation is also fully reversible as the RH is reduced. No major differences are observed between sample types and sample locations, indicating that the salts originated from saline lakes commonly have solvated surfaces under the environmental conditions on Earth. Salt aerosols play important roles in many processes related to atmospheric chemistry and the climate systems on both Earth and Mars.![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiangrui Kong
- Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, Atmospheric Science, University of Gothenburg, SE-41296 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Suyun Zhu
- MAX IV Laboratory, Lund University, SE221-00 Lund, Sweden
| | | | - Jun Li
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Earth Surface System and Environmental Carrying Capacity, Northwest University, Xi'an 710127, China
| | - Wanyu Liu
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Earth Surface System and Environmental Carrying Capacity, Northwest University, Xi'an 710127, China
| | - Pablo Corral Arroyo
- Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Ruth Signorell
- Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Sen Wang
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Earth Surface System and Environmental Carrying Capacity, Northwest University, Xi'an 710127, China
| | - Jan B. C. Pettersson
- Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, Atmospheric Science, University of Gothenburg, SE-41296 Gothenburg, Sweden
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Kong F, Zheng M, Hu B, Wang A, Ma N, Sobron P. Dalangtan Saline Playa in a Hyperarid Region on Tibet Plateau: I. Evolution and Environments. ASTROBIOLOGY 2018; 18:1243-1253. [PMID: 29792755 PMCID: PMC6205091 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2018.1830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2018] [Accepted: 03/13/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Since 2008, we have been studying a saline lake, Dalangtan (DLT) Playa, and its surroundings in a hyperarid region of the Qaidam Basin on the Tibetan Plateau as a potential Mars analog site. We describe the evolution of saline deposits in the Qaidam Basin (including DLT), based on investigative findings accumulated over the course of 60 years of geological surveys. In addition, we report regional meteorological patterns recorded for the past 32 years along with meteorological station recorded data at DLT since 2012. Overall, the DLT area on the Tibetan Plateau has low atmospheric pressure, high ultraviolet radiation, low annual mean temperatures (T) but large seasonal and diurnal T cycles, and extremely low relative humidity, all of which bear some similarities with the equatorial region on Mars. In addition, salt types similar to those found on Mars, such as magnesium-sulfates, chlorides, and perchlorates, are found at the surface and subsurface in the DLT area (and the other two playas in the Qaidam Basin), thus supporting DLT as a Mars analog in terms of mineralogy and geochemistry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fanjing Kong
- MLR Key Laboratory of Saline Lake Resources and Environments, Institute of Mineral Resources, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Mianping Zheng
- MLR Key Laboratory of Saline Lake Resources and Environments, Institute of Mineral Resources, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Bin Hu
- MLR Key Laboratory of Saline Lake Resources and Environments, Institute of Mineral Resources, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Beijing, China
- Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Alian Wang
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, McDonnell Center for Space Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Nina Ma
- MLR Key Laboratory of Saline Lake Resources and Environments, Institute of Mineral Resources, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Pablo Sobron
- SETI Institute, Mountain View, California
- Impossible Sensing, St. Louis, Missouri
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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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