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Liu J, Michalski JR, Gao W, Schröder C, Li YL. Freeze-thaw cycles drove chemical weathering and enriched sulfates in the Burns formation at Meridiani, Mars. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadi1805. [PMID: 38232168 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adi1805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2024]
Abstract
Sulfate-rich sedimentary rocks explored by the Opportunity rover during its 14-year surface mission at Meridiani Planum provide an invaluable window into the thousands of sulfate deposits detected on Mars via remote sensing. Existing models explaining the formation of martian sulfates can be generally described as either bottom-up, groundwater-driven playa settings or top-down icy chemical weathering environments. Here, we propose a hybrid model involving both bottom-up and top-down processes driven by freeze-thaw cycles. Freezing leads to cryo-concentration of acidic fluids from precipitations at the surface, facilitating rapid chemical weathering despite low temperatures. Cryosuction causes the upward migration of vadose water and even groundwater with dissolved ions, resulting in the accumulation of ions in near-surface environments. Evaporation precipitates salts, but leaching separates chlorides from sulfates during the thawing period. Freeze-thaw cycles, therefore, can enrich sulfates at the surface. While freeze-thaw is more commonly understood as a mechanism of physical weathering, we suggest that it is a fundamental aspect of chemical weathering on Mars.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiacheng Liu
- Department of Earth Sciences, the University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
- Laboratory for Space Research, the University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Joseph R Michalski
- Department of Earth Sciences, the University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
- Laboratory for Space Research, the University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Wenyuan Gao
- Department of Geology, Northeastern University, Shenyang, China
| | - Christian Schröder
- Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, FK9 4LA, UK
| | - Yi-Liang Li
- Department of Earth Sciences, the University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
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2
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Quraish SN, Cockell C, Wuchter C, Kring D, Grice K, Coolen MJL. Deep subsurface microbial life in impact-altered Late Paleozoic granitoid rocks from the Chicxulub impact crater. GEOBIOLOGY 2024; 22:e12583. [PMID: 38385599 DOI: 10.1111/gbi.12583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2023] [Revised: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 02/23/2024]
Abstract
In 2016, IODP-ICDP Expedition 364 recovered an 829-meter-long core within the peak ring of the Chicxulub impact crater (Yucatán, Mexico), allowing us to investigate the post-impact recovery of the heat-sterilized deep continental microbial biosphere at the impact site. We recently reported increased cell biomass in the impact suevite, which was deposited within the first few hours of the Cenozoic, and that the overall microbial communities differed significantly between the suevite and the other main core lithologies (i.e., the granitic basement and the overlying Early Eocene marine sediments; Cockell et al., 2021). However, only seven rock intervals were previously analyzed from the geologically heterogenic and impact-deformed 587-m-long granitic core section below the suevite interval. Here, we used 16S rRNA gene profiling to study the microbial community composition in 45 intervals including (a) 31 impact-shocked granites, (b) 7 non-granitic rocks (i.e., consisting of suevite and impact melt rocks intercalated into the granites during crater formation and strongly serpentinized pre-impact sub-volcanic, ultramafic basanite/dolerite), and (c) 7 cross-cut mineral veins of anhydride and silica. Most recovered microbial taxa resemble those found in hydrothermal systems. Spearman correlation analysis confirmed that the borehole temperature, which gradually increased from 47 to 69°C with core depth, significantly shaped a subset of the vertically stratified modern microbial community composition in the granitic basement rocks. However, bacterial communities differed significantly between the impoverished shattered granites and nutrient-enriched non-granite rocks, even though both lithologies were at similar depths and temperatures. Furthermore, Spearman analysis revealed a strong correlation between the microbial communities and bioavailable chemical compounds and suggests the presence of chemolithoautotrophs, which most likely still play an active role in metal and sulfur cycling. These results indicate that post-impact microbial niche separation has also occurred in the granitic basement lithologies, as previously shown for the newly formed lithologies. Moreover, our data suggest that the impact-induced geochemical boundaries continue to shape the modern-day deep biosphere in the granitic basement underlying the Chicxulub crater.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sohaib Naseer Quraish
- The Institute for Geoscience Research, WA-Organic and Isotope Geochemistry Centre (WA-OIGC), School of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Curtin University, Bentley, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Charles Cockell
- UK Centre for Astrobiology, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Cornelia Wuchter
- The Institute for Geoscience Research, WA-Organic and Isotope Geochemistry Centre (WA-OIGC), School of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Curtin University, Bentley, Western Australia, Australia
| | - David Kring
- Lunar and Planetary Institute, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Kliti Grice
- The Institute for Geoscience Research, WA-Organic and Isotope Geochemistry Centre (WA-OIGC), School of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Curtin University, Bentley, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Marco J L Coolen
- The Institute for Geoscience Research, WA-Organic and Isotope Geochemistry Centre (WA-OIGC), School of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Curtin University, Bentley, Western Australia, Australia
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3
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Adams D, Luo Y, Wong ML, Dunn P, Christensen M, Dong C, Hu R, Yung Y. Nitrogen Fixation at Early Mars. ASTROBIOLOGY 2021; 21:968-980. [PMID: 34339294 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2020.2273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) recently discovered nitrates in Gale Crater (e.g., Stern et al., 2015; Sutter et al., 2017). One possible mechanism for ancient nitrate deposition on Mars is through HNOx formation and rain out in the atmosphere, for which lightning-induced NO is likely the fundamental source. This study investigates nitrogen (N2) fixation in early Mars' atmosphere, with implications for early Mars' habitability. We consider a 1 bar atmosphere of background CO2, with abundance of N2, hydrogen, and methane varied from 1% to 10% to explore a swath of potential early Mars climates. We derive lightning-induced thermochemical equilibrium fluxes of NO and HCN by coupling the lightning-rate parametrization from the study of Romps et al. (2014) with chemical equilibrium with applications, and we use a Geant4 simulation platform to estimate the effect of solar energetic particle events. These fluxes are used as input into KINETICS, the Caltech/JPL coupled photochemistry and transport code, which models the chemistry of 50 species linked by 495 reactions to derive rain-out fluxes of HNOx and HCN. We compute equilibrium concentrations of cyanide and nitrate in a putative northern ocean at early Mars, assuming hydrothermal vent circulation and photoreduction act as the dominant loss mechanisms. We find average oceanic concentrations of ∼0.1-2 nM nitrate and ∼0.01-2 mM cyanide. HCN is critical for protein synthesis at concentrations >0.01 M (e.g., Holm and Neubeck, 2009), and our result is astrobiologically significant if secondary local concentration mechanisms occurred. Nitrates may act as high-potential electron acceptors for early metabolisms, although the minimum concentration required is unknown. Our study derives concentrations that will be useful for future laboratory studies to investigate the habitability at early Mars. The aqueous nitrate concentrations correspond to surface nitrate precipitates of ∼1-8 × 10-4 wt % that may have formed after the evaporation of surface waters, and these values roughly agree with recent MSL measurements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danica Adams
- Department of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
| | - Yangcheng Luo
- Department of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
| | - Michael L Wong
- Department of Astronomy and Astrobiology Program, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
- Virtual Planet Laboratory, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Patrick Dunn
- Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Madeline Christensen
- Department of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
- Bellarmine Preparatory, Tacoma, Washington, USA
| | - Chuanfei Dong
- Department of Astrophysical Sciences, Princeton University, Princeton, California, USA
| | - Renyu Hu
- Department of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
| | - Yuk Yung
- Department of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
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4
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Cockell CS, Schaefer B, Wuchter C, Coolen MJL, Grice K, Schnieders L, Morgan JV, Gulick SPS, Wittmann A, Lofi J, Christeson GL, Kring DA, Whalen MT, Bralower TJ, Osinski GR, Claeys P, Kaskes P, de Graaff SJ, Déhais T, Goderis S, Hernandez Becerra N, Nixon S. Shaping of the Present-Day Deep Biosphere at Chicxulub by the Impact Catastrophe That Ended the Cretaceous. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:668240. [PMID: 34248877 PMCID: PMC8264514 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.668240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2021] [Accepted: 05/10/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
We report on the effect of the end-Cretaceous impact event on the present-day deep microbial biosphere at the impact site. IODP-ICDP Expedition 364 drilled into the peak ring of the Chicxulub crater, México, allowing us to investigate the microbial communities within this structure. Increased cell biomass was found in the impact suevite, which was deposited within the first few hours of the Cenozoic, demonstrating that the impact produced a new lithological horizon that caused a long-term improvement in deep subsurface colonization potential. In the biologically impoverished granitic rocks, we observed increased cell abundances at impact-induced geological interfaces, that can be attributed to the nutritionally diverse substrates and/or elevated fluid flow. 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing revealed taxonomically distinct microbial communities in each crater lithology. These observations show that the impact caused geological deformation that continues to shape the deep subsurface biosphere at Chicxulub in the present day.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles S Cockell
- UK Centre for Astrobiology, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Bettina Schaefer
- WA-Organic and Isotope Geochemistry Centre (WA-OIGC), School of Earth and Planetary Sciences, The Institute for Geoscience Research, Curtin University, Bentley, WA, Australia
| | - Cornelia Wuchter
- WA-Organic and Isotope Geochemistry Centre (WA-OIGC), School of Earth and Planetary Sciences, The Institute for Geoscience Research, Curtin University, Bentley, WA, Australia
| | - Marco J L Coolen
- WA-Organic and Isotope Geochemistry Centre (WA-OIGC), School of Earth and Planetary Sciences, The Institute for Geoscience Research, Curtin University, Bentley, WA, Australia
| | - Kliti Grice
- WA-Organic and Isotope Geochemistry Centre (WA-OIGC), School of Earth and Planetary Sciences, The Institute for Geoscience Research, Curtin University, Bentley, WA, Australia
| | - Luzie Schnieders
- MARUM-Center for Marine Environmental Sciences, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
| | - Joanna V Morgan
- Department of Earth Science and Engineering, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Sean P S Gulick
- Institute for Geophysics, Jackson School of Geosciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States.,Department of Geological Sciences, Jackson School of Geosciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States.,Center for Planetary Systems Habitability, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States
| | - Axel Wittmann
- Arizona State University, Eyring Materials Center, Tempe, AZ, United States
| | - Johanna Lofi
- Géosciences Montpellier, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, Montpellier, France
| | - Gail L Christeson
- Institute for Geophysics, Jackson School of Geosciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States
| | - David A Kring
- Lunar and Planetary Institute, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Michael T Whalen
- Department of Geosciences, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK, United States
| | - Timothy J Bralower
- Department of Geosciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
| | - Gordon R Osinski
- Institute for Earth and Space Exploration and Department of Earth Sciences, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | - Philippe Claeys
- Analytical, Environmental and Geo-Chemistry, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Pim Kaskes
- Analytical, Environmental and Geo-Chemistry, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Sietze J de Graaff
- Analytical, Environmental and Geo-Chemistry, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Thomas Déhais
- Analytical, Environmental and Geo-Chemistry, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Steven Goderis
- Analytical, Environmental and Geo-Chemistry, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Natali Hernandez Becerra
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, IN, United States
| | - Sophie Nixon
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, IN, United States
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5
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Clark BC, Kolb VM, Steele A, House CH, Lanza NL, Gasda PJ, VanBommel SJ, Newsom HE, Martínez-Frías J. Origin of Life on Mars: Suitability and Opportunities. Life (Basel) 2021; 11:539. [PMID: 34207658 PMCID: PMC8227854 DOI: 10.3390/life11060539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2021] [Revised: 05/28/2021] [Accepted: 06/01/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Although the habitability of early Mars is now well established, its suitability for conditions favorable to an independent origin of life (OoL) has been less certain. With continued exploration, evidence has mounted for a widespread diversity of physical and chemical conditions on Mars that mimic those variously hypothesized as settings in which life first arose on Earth. Mars has also provided water, energy sources, CHNOPS elements, critical catalytic transition metal elements, as well as B, Mg, Ca, Na and K, all of which are elements associated with life as we know it. With its highly favorable sulfur abundance and land/ocean ratio, early wet Mars remains a prime candidate for its own OoL, in many respects superior to Earth. The relatively well-preserved ancient surface of planet Mars helps inform the range of possible analogous conditions during the now-obliterated history of early Earth. Continued exploration of Mars also contributes to the understanding of the opportunities for settings enabling an OoL on exoplanets. Favoring geochemical sediment samples for eventual return to Earth will enhance assessments of the likelihood of a Martian OoL.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Vera M. Kolb
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin—Parkside, Kenosha, WI 53141, USA;
| | - Andrew Steele
- Earth and Planetary Laboratory, Carnegie Institution for Science, Washington, DC 20015, USA;
| | - Christopher H. House
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA 16807, USA;
| | - Nina L. Lanza
- Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545, USA; (N.L.L.); (P.J.G.)
| | - Patrick J. Gasda
- Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545, USA; (N.L.L.); (P.J.G.)
| | - Scott J. VanBommel
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA;
| | - Horton E. Newsom
- Institute of Meteoritics, Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 88033, USA;
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6
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Tarnas JD, Mustard JF, Sherwood Lollar B, Stamenković V, Cannon KM, Lorand JP, Onstott TC, Michalski JR, Warr O, Palumbo AM, Plesa AC. Earth-like Habitable Environments in the Subsurface of Mars. ASTROBIOLOGY 2021; 21:741-756. [PMID: 33885329 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2020.2386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
In Earth's deep continental subsurface, where groundwaters are often isolated for >106 to 109 years, energy released by radionuclides within rock produces oxidants and reductants that drive metabolisms of non-photosynthetic microorganisms. Similar processes could support past and present life in the martian subsurface. Sulfate-reducing microorganisms are common in Earth's deep subsurface, often using hydrogen derived directly from radiolysis of pore water and sulfate derived from oxidation of rock-matrix-hosted sulfides by radiolytically derived oxidants. Radiolysis thus produces redox energy to support a deep biosphere in groundwaters isolated from surface substrate input for millions to billions of years on Earth. Here, we demonstrate that radiolysis by itself could produce sufficient redox energy to sustain a habitable environment in the subsurface of present-day Mars, one in which Earth-like microorganisms could survive wherever groundwater exists. We show that the source localities for many martian meteorites are capable of producing sufficient redox nutrients to sustain up to millions of sulfate-reducing microbial cells per kilogram rock via radiolysis alone, comparable to cell densities observed in many regions of Earth's deep subsurface. Additionally, we calculate variability in supportable sulfate-reducing cell densities between the martian meteorite source regions. Our results demonstrate that martian subsurface groundwaters, where present, would largely be habitable for sulfate-reducing bacteria from a redox energy perspective via radiolysis alone. We present evidence for crustal regions that could support especially high cell densities, including zones with high sulfide concentrations, which could be targeted by future subsurface exploration missions.
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Affiliation(s)
- J D Tarnas
- Brown University Department of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
| | - J F Mustard
- Brown University Department of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
| | | | - V Stamenković
- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
| | - K M Cannon
- Department of Geology and Geological Engineering, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, Colorado, USA
- Space Resources Program, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, Colorado, USA
| | - J-P Lorand
- Université de Nantes Laboratoire de Planétologie et Géodynamique de Nantes, Nantes, France
| | - T C Onstott
- Princeton University Department of Geosciences, Princeton, New Jersey, USA
| | - J R Michalski
- University of Hong Kong Division of Earth & Planetary Science, Hong Kong
| | - O Warr
- University of Toronto Department of Earth Sciences, Toronto, Canada
| | - A M Palumbo
- Brown University Department of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
| | - A-C Plesa
- German Aerospace Center (DLR) Institute of Planetary Research, Berlin, Germany
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7
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García-Florentino C, Gomez-Nubla L, Huidobro J, Torre-Fdez I, Ruíz-Galende P, Aramendia J, Hausrath EM, Castro K, Arana G, Madariaga JM. Interrelationships in the Gypsum-Syngenite-Görgeyite System and Their Possible Formation on Mars. ASTROBIOLOGY 2021; 21:332-344. [PMID: 33481644 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2020.2319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Calcium sulfates are known to be potential reservoirs of organic compounds and have been detected on Mars. However, not all data that indicate the presence of sulfates collected by the Mars Exploration Rovers (Spirit and Opportunity) and Curiosity rover can be explained by the different calcium sulfate polymorphs, and therefore, mixtures of calcium sulfates with other single sulfates must be considered. In addition, the presence of mixed calcium sulfates supports the data and indicates that the molar ratio of sulfate/calcium is >1. To obtain adequate spectroscopic information of mixed-cation sulfates to be used in the interpretation of data from Mars in the next few years, the thermodynamically stable syngenite (K2Ca(SO4)2·H2O) and görgeyite (K2Ca5(SO4)6·H2O) mixed-cation sulfates have been studied along with the interrelationships in the gypsum-syngenite-görgeyite system to understand their possible formation on Mars. Raman spectroscopy and Visible-Near Infrared-Shortwave Infrared (VisNIR) spectroscopy have been used for their characterization to increase the databases for the two future Mars exploration missions, Mars2020 and ExoMars2022, where both techniques will be implemented. These VisNIR data can also help with the interpretation of spectral data of salt deposits on Mars acquired by the OMEGA and CRISM spectrometers onboard the Mars Express and Mars Reconnaissance orbiters. This work demonstrates that syngenite (K2Ca(SO4)2·H2O) easily precipitates without the need for hydrothermal conditions, which, depending on the ion concentrations, may precipitate in different proportions with gypsum. Furthermore, in this study, we also demonstrate that, under hydrothermal conditions, görgeyite (K2Ca5(SO4)6·H2O) would also be highly likely to form and may also be identified on Mars together with syngenite and gypsum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina García-Florentino
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Bilbao, Spain
| | - Leticia Gomez-Nubla
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Bilbao, Spain
| | - Jennifer Huidobro
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Bilbao, Spain
| | - Imanol Torre-Fdez
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Bilbao, Spain
| | - Patricia Ruíz-Galende
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Bilbao, Spain
| | - Julene Aramendia
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Bilbao, Spain
| | | | - Kepa Castro
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Bilbao, Spain
| | - Gorka Arana
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Bilbao, Spain
| | - Juan Manuel Madariaga
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Bilbao, Spain
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8
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Bishop JL, Yeşilbaş M, Hinman NW, Burton ZFM, Englert PAJ, Toner JD, McEwen AS, Gulick VC, Gibson EK, Koeberl C. Martian subsurface cryosalt expansion and collapse as trigger for landslides. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2021; 7:eabe4459. [PMID: 33536216 PMCID: PMC7857681 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abe4459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2020] [Accepted: 12/15/2020] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
On Mars, seasonal martian flow features known as recurring slope lineae (RSL) are prevalent on sun-facing slopes and are associated with salts. On Earth, subsurface interactions of gypsum with chlorides and oxychlorine salts wreak havoc: instigating sinkholes, cave collapse, debris flows, and upheave. Here, we illustrate (i) the disruptive potential of sulfate-chloride reactions in laboratory soil crust experiments, (ii) the formation of thin films of mixed ice-liquid water "slush" at -40° to -20°C on salty Mars analog grains, (iii) how mixtures of sulfates and chlorine salts affect their solubilities in low-temperature environments, and (iv) how these salt brines could be contributing to RSL formation on Mars. Our results demonstrate that interactions of sulfates and chlorine salts in fine-grained soils on Mars could absorb water, expand, deliquesce, cause subsidence, form crusts, disrupt surfaces, and ultimately produce landslides after dust loading on these unstable surfaces.
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Affiliation(s)
- J L Bishop
- Carl Sagan Center, SETI Institute, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA.
- Space Science and Astrobiology, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA
| | - M Yeşilbaş
- Carl Sagan Center, SETI Institute, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA
- Department of Chemistry, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - N W Hinman
- Department of Geosciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, USA
| | - Z F M Burton
- Department of Geological Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - P A J Englert
- Hawai'i Institute of Geophysics and Planetology, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA
| | - J D Toner
- Department of Earth & Space Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - A S McEwen
- Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA
| | - V C Gulick
- Carl Sagan Center, SETI Institute, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA
- Space Science and Astrobiology, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA
| | - E K Gibson
- Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science, NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX 77058, USA
| | - C Koeberl
- Department of Lithospheric Research, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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9
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Bell JF, Maki JN, Mehall GL, Ravine MA, Caplinger MA, Bailey ZJ, Brylow S, Schaffner JA, Kinch KM, Madsen MB, Winhold A, Hayes AG, Corlies P, Tate C, Barrington M, Cisneros E, Jensen E, Paris K, Crawford K, Rojas C, Mehall L, Joseph J, Proton JB, Cluff N, Deen RG, Betts B, Cloutis E, Coates AJ, Colaprete A, Edgett KS, Ehlmann BL, Fagents S, Grotzinger JP, Hardgrove C, Herkenhoff KE, Horgan B, Jaumann R, Johnson JR, Lemmon M, Paar G, Caballo-Perucha M, Gupta S, Traxler C, Preusker F, Rice MS, Robinson MS, Schmitz N, Sullivan R, Wolff MJ. The Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover Mast Camera Zoom (Mastcam-Z) Multispectral, Stereoscopic Imaging Investigation. SPACE SCIENCE REVIEWS 2021; 217:24. [PMID: 33612866 PMCID: PMC7883548 DOI: 10.1007/s11214-020-00755-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2020] [Accepted: 09/25/2020] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
Mastcam-Z is a multispectral, stereoscopic imaging investigation on the Mars 2020 mission's Perseverance rover. Mastcam-Z consists of a pair of focusable, 4:1 zoomable cameras that provide broadband red/green/blue and narrowband 400-1000 nm color imaging with fields of view from 25.6° × 19.2° (26 mm focal length at 283 μrad/pixel) to 6.2° × 4.6° (110 mm focal length at 67.4 μrad/pixel). The cameras can resolve (≥ 5 pixels) ∼0.7 mm features at 2 m and ∼3.3 cm features at 100 m distance. Mastcam-Z shares significant heritage with the Mastcam instruments on the Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover. Each Mastcam-Z camera consists of zoom, focus, and filter wheel mechanisms and a 1648 × 1214 pixel charge-coupled device detector and electronics. The two Mastcam-Z cameras are mounted with a 24.4 cm stereo baseline and 2.3° total toe-in on a camera plate ∼2 m above the surface on the rover's Remote Sensing Mast, which provides azimuth and elevation actuation. A separate digital electronics assembly inside the rover provides power, data processing and storage, and the interface to the rover computer. Primary and secondary Mastcam-Z calibration targets mounted on the rover top deck enable tactical reflectance calibration. Mastcam-Z multispectral, stereo, and panoramic images will be used to provide detailed morphology, topography, and geologic context along the rover's traverse; constrain mineralogic, photometric, and physical properties of surface materials; monitor and characterize atmospheric and astronomical phenomena; and document the rover's sample extraction and caching locations. Mastcam-Z images will also provide key engineering information to support sample selection and other rover driving and tool/instrument operations decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - M. A. Ravine
- Malin Space Science Systems, Inc., San Diego, CA USA
| | | | | | - S. Brylow
- Malin Space Science Systems, Inc., San Diego, CA USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - C. Tate
- Cornell Univ., Ithaca, NY USA
| | | | | | - E. Jensen
- Malin Space Science Systems, Inc., San Diego, CA USA
| | - K. Paris
- Arizona State Univ., Tempe, AZ USA
| | | | - C. Rojas
- Arizona State Univ., Tempe, AZ USA
| | | | | | | | - N. Cluff
- Arizona State Univ., Tempe, AZ USA
| | | | - B. Betts
- The Planetary Society, Pasadena, CA USA
| | | | - A. J. Coates
- Mullard Space Science Laboratory, Univ. College, London, UK
| | - A. Colaprete
- NASA/Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA USA
| | - K. S. Edgett
- Malin Space Science Systems, Inc., San Diego, CA USA
| | - B. L. Ehlmann
- JPL/Caltech, Pasadena, CA USA
- Caltech, Pasadena, CA USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | - R. Jaumann
- Inst. of Geological Sciences, Free University Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | | | - M. Lemmon
- Space Science Inst., Boulder, CO USA
| | - G. Paar
- Joanneum Research, Graz, Austria
| | | | | | | | - F. Preusker
- DLR/German Aerospace Center, Berlin, Germany
| | - M. S. Rice
- Western Washington Univ., Bellingham, WA USA
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10
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McMahon S, Parnell J, Reekie PBR. Mars-Analog Calcium Sulfate Veins Record Evidence of Ancient Subsurface Life. ASTROBIOLOGY 2020; 20:1212-1223. [PMID: 32985907 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2019.2172] [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: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Ancient veins of calcium sulfate minerals (anhydrite, bassanite, and gypsum) deposited by subsurface aqueous fluids crosscut fluviolacustrine sedimentary rocks at multiple localities on Mars. Although these veins have been considered an attractive target for astrobiological investigation, their potential to preserve biosignatures is poorly understood. Here, we report the presence of biogenic authigenic pyrite in a fibrous gypsum vein of probable Cenozoic emplacement age from Permian lacustrine rocks in Northwest England. Pyrite occurs at the vein margins and displays a complex interfingering boundary with the surrounding gypsum suggestive of replacive authigenic growth. Gypsum-entombed carbonaceous material of probable organic origin was also identified by Raman spectroscopic microscopy in close proximity to the pyrite. Spatially resolved ion microprobe (SIMS) measurements reveal that the pyrite sulfur isotope composition is consistently very light (δ34SVCDT = -30.7‰). Comparison with the sulfate in the vein gypsum (δ34SVCDT = +8.5‰) indicates a fractionation too large to be explained by nonbiological (thermochemical) sulfate reduction. We infer that the pyrite was precipitated by microorganisms coupling the reduction of vein-derived sulfate with the oxidation of wall-derived organic matter. This is the first evidence that such veins can incorporate biosignatures that remain stable over geological time, which could be detected in samples returned from Mars.
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Affiliation(s)
- S McMahon
- UK Centre for Astrobiology, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- School of Geosciences, Grant Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - J Parnell
- School of Geosciences, University of Aberdeen, King's College, Aberdeen, UK
| | - P B R Reekie
- UK Centre for Astrobiology, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- School of Geosciences, Grant Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
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11
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Abstract
The first detection of gypsum (CaSO4·2H2O) by the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) rover Curiosity in the Gale Crater, Mars created a profound impact on planetary science and exploration. The unique capability of plasma spectroscopy, which involves in situ elemental analysis in extraterrestrial environments, suggests the presence of water in the red planet based on phase characterization and provides a clue to Martian paleoclimate. The key to gypsum as an ideal paleoclimate proxy lies in its textural variants and terrestrial gypsum samples from varied locations and textural types have been analyzed with laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) in this study. Petrographic, sub-microscopic, and powder X-ray diffraction characterizations confirm the presence of gypsum (hydrated calcium sulphate; CaSO4·2H2O), bassanite (semi-hydrated calcium sulphate; CaSO4·½H2O), and anhydrite (anhydrous calcium sulphate; CaSO4), along with accessory phases (quartz and jarosite). The principal component analysis of LIBS spectra from texturally varied gypsums can be differentiated from one another due to the chemical variability in their elemental concentrations. The concentration of gypsum is determined from the partial least-square regressions model. The rapid characterization of gypsum samples with LIBS is expected to work well in extraterrestrial environments.
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12
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Chan MA, Bowen BB, Corsetti FA, Farrand WH, Law ES, Newsom HE, Perl SM, Spear JR, Thompson DR. Exploring, Mapping, and Data Management Integration of Habitable Environments in Astrobiology. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:147. [PMID: 30891006 PMCID: PMC6412026 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.00147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2018] [Accepted: 01/21/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
New approaches to blending geoscience, planetary science, microbiology-geobiology/ecology, geoinformatics and cyberinfrastructure technology disciplines in a holistic effort can be transformative to astrobiology explorations. Over the last two decades, overwhelming orbital evidence has confirmed the abundance of authigenic (in situ, formed in place) minerals on Mars. On Earth, environments where authigenic minerals form provide a substrate for the preservation of microbial life. Similarly, extraterrestrial life is likely to be preserved where crustal minerals can record and preserve the biochemical mechanisms (i.e., biosignatures). The search for astrobiological evidence on Mars has focused on identifying past or present habitable environments - places that could support some semblance of life. Thus, authigenic minerals represent a promising habitable environment where extraterrestrial life could be recorded and potentially preserved over geologic time scales. Astrobiology research necessarily takes place over vastly different scales; from molecules to viruses and microbes to those of satellites and solar system exploration, but the differing scales of analyses are rarely connected quantitatively. The mismatch between the scales of these observations- from the macro- satellite mineralogical observations to the micro- microbial observations- limits the applicability of our astrobiological understanding as we search for records of life beyond Earth. Each-scale observation requires knowledge of the geologic context and the environmental parameters important for assessing habitability. Exploration efforts to search for extraterrestrial life should attempt to quantify both the geospatial context and the temporal/spatial relationships between microbial abundance and diversity within authigenic minerals at multiple scales, while assimilating resolutions from satellite observations to field measurements to microscopic analyses. Statistical measures, computer vision, and the geospatial synergy of Geographic Information Systems (GIS), can allow analyses of objective data-driven methods to locate, map, and predict where the "sweet spots" of habitable environments occur at multiple scales. This approach of science information architecture or an "Astrobiology Information System" can provide the necessary maps to guide researchers to discoveries via testing, visualizing, documenting, and collaborating on significant data relationships that will advance explorations for evidence of life in our solar system and beyond.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marjorie A. Chan
- Department of Geology and Geophysics, The University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Brenda B. Bowen
- Department of Geology and Geophysics, The University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Frank A. Corsetti
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | | | - Emily S. Law
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, United States
| | - Horton E. Newsom
- Department Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, United States
| | - Scott M. Perl
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, United States
| | - John R. Spear
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO, United States
| | - David R. Thompson
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, United States
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13
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Shkolyar S, Farmer JD. Biosignature Preservation Potential in Playa Evaporites: Impacts of Diagenesis and Implications for Mars Exploration. ASTROBIOLOGY 2018; 18:1460-1478. [PMID: 30124326 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2018.1849] [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: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Assessing biosignature preservation potential (BPP) in ancient habitable environments on Mars is a top NASA priority. We address this goal through the study of Miocene-Pliocene evaporites of the Verde Formation (central Arizona). We assessed the effects of diagenesis on BPP, integrating outcrop-scale observations with six lab analyses: thin-section petrography, X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, total organic carbon (TOC), electron probe microanalysis (EPMA), and visible to near-infrared (VNIR) reflectance spectroscopy. We recognized five facies and their diagenetic pathways. Two facies included mudstones which contain clusters of displacive growth gypsum (DGG). Early DGG was altered during diagenesis by dissolution forming crystal cavities and later underwent recrystallization, cation substitution, and sulfate dehydration. Another facies was identified by lenticular beds dominated by halite and late diagenetic thenardite (Na2SO4). These pods are overlain by a sequence of interbedded gray and red mudstones which record cyclic oxidation and Fe-oxide cementation. During the Pleistocene, a lacustrine environment developed, accompanied by magnesite cementation of playa mudstones. TOC analyses were used as a proxy for inferring the BPP in each facies. The highest BPP was associated with both red and gray mudstone facies. This study provides a taphonomic framework for playa environments on Earth that record the impacts of diagenesis on BPP, with potential applications to Mars sample return (MSR) missions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Svetlana Shkolyar
- School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University , Tempe, Arizona
| | - Jack D Farmer
- School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University , Tempe, Arizona
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14
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Karl D, Kamutzki F, Zocca A, Goerke O, Guenster J, Gurlo A. Towards the colonization of Mars by in-situ resource utilization: Slip cast ceramics from Martian soil simulant. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0204025. [PMID: 30307968 PMCID: PMC6181286 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0204025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2018] [Accepted: 08/14/2018] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Here we demonstrate that by applying exclusively Martian resources a processing route involving suspensions of mineral particles called slurries or slips can be established for manufacturing ceramics on Mars. We developed water-based slurries without the use of additives that had a 51 wt. % solid load resembling commercial porcelain slurries in respect to the particle size distribution and rheological properties. These slurries were used to slip cast discs, rings and vases that were sintered at temperatures between 1000 and 1130 °C using different sintering schedules, the latter were set-up according the results of hot-stage microscopic characterization. The microstructure, porosity and the mechanical properties were characterized by SEM, X-ray computer tomography and Weibull analysis. Our wet processing of minerals yields ceramics with complex shapes that show similar mechanical properties to porcelain and could serve as a technology for future Mars colonization. The best quality parts with completely vitrificated matrix supporting a few idiomorphic crystals are obtained at 1130 °C with 10 h dwell time with volume and linear shrinkage as much as ~62% and ~17% and a characteristic compressive strength of 51 MPa.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Karl
- Fachgebiet Keramische Werkstoffe / Chair of Advanced Ceramic Materials, Technische Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- * E-mail:
| | - Franz Kamutzki
- Fachgebiet Keramische Werkstoffe / Chair of Advanced Ceramic Materials, Technische Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Andrea Zocca
- Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und –prüfung (BAM), Berlin, Germany
| | - Oliver Goerke
- Fachgebiet Keramische Werkstoffe / Chair of Advanced Ceramic Materials, Technische Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Jens Guenster
- Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und –prüfung (BAM), Berlin, Germany
| | - Aleksander Gurlo
- Fachgebiet Keramische Werkstoffe / Chair of Advanced Ceramic Materials, Technische Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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15
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Shkolyar S, Eshelman EJ, Farmer JD, Hamilton D, Daly MG, Youngbull C. Detecting Kerogen as a Biosignature Using Colocated UV Time-Gated Raman and Fluorescence Spectroscopy. ASTROBIOLOGY 2018; 18:431-453. [PMID: 29624103 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2017.1716] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The Mars 2020 mission will analyze samples in situ and identify any that could have preserved biosignatures in ancient habitable environments for later return to Earth. Highest priority targeted samples include aqueously formed sedimentary lithologies. On Earth, such lithologies can contain fossil biosignatures as aromatic carbon (kerogen). In this study, we analyzed nonextracted kerogen in a diverse suite of natural, complex samples using colocated UV excitation (266 nm) time-gated (UV-TG) Raman and laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopies. We interrogated kerogen and its host matrix in samples to (1) explore the capabilities of UV-TG Raman and fluorescence spectroscopies for detecting kerogen in high-priority targets in the search for possible biosignatures on Mars; (2) assess the effectiveness of time gating and UV laser wavelength in reducing fluorescence in Raman spectra; and (3) identify sample-specific issues that could challenge rover-based identifications of kerogen using UV-TG Raman spectroscopy. We found that ungated UV Raman spectroscopy is suited to identify diagnostic kerogen Raman bands without interfering fluorescence and that UV fluorescence spectroscopy is suited to identify kerogen. These results highlight the value of combining colocated Raman and fluorescence spectroscopies, similar to those obtainable by SHERLOC on Mars 2020, to strengthen the confidence of kerogen detection as a potential biosignature in complex natural samples. Key Words: Raman spectroscopy-Laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopy-Mars Sample Return-Mars 2020 mission-Kerogen-Biosignatures. Astrobiology 18, 431-453.
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Affiliation(s)
- Svetlana Shkolyar
- 1 School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University , Tempe, Arizona
- 2 Current address: Geophysical Laboratory, Carnegie Institution of Washington , Washington, District of Columbia
| | - Evan J Eshelman
- 3 The Centre for Research in Earth and Space Science (CRESS), York University , Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jack D Farmer
- 1 School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University , Tempe, Arizona
| | - David Hamilton
- 3 The Centre for Research in Earth and Space Science (CRESS), York University , Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Michael G Daly
- 3 The Centre for Research in Earth and Space Science (CRESS), York University , Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Cody Youngbull
- 4 Flathead Lake Biological Station, University of Montana , Polson, Montana
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16
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Price A, Pearson VK, Schwenzer SP, Miot J, Olsson-Francis K. Nitrate-Dependent Iron Oxidation: A Potential Mars Metabolism. Front Microbiol 2018; 9:513. [PMID: 29616015 PMCID: PMC5869265 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.00513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2017] [Accepted: 03/06/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
This work considers the hypothetical viability of microbial nitrate-dependent Fe2+ oxidation (NDFO) for supporting simple life in the context of the early Mars environment. This draws on knowledge built up over several decades of remote and in situ observation, as well as recent discoveries that have shaped current understanding of early Mars. Our current understanding is that certain early martian environments fulfill several of the key requirements for microbes with NDFO metabolism. First, abundant Fe2+ has been identified on Mars and provides evidence of an accessible electron donor; evidence of anoxia suggests that abiotic Fe2+ oxidation by molecular oxygen would not have interfered and competed with microbial iron metabolism in these environments. Second, nitrate, which can be used by some iron oxidizing microorganisms as an electron acceptor, has also been confirmed in modern aeolian and ancient sediment deposits on Mars. In addition to redox substrates, reservoirs of both organic and inorganic carbon are available for biosynthesis, and geochemical evidence suggests that lacustrine systems during the hydrologically active Noachian period (4.1-3.7 Ga) match the circumneutral pH requirements of nitrate-dependent iron-oxidizing microorganisms. As well as potentially acting as a primary producer in early martian lakes and fluvial systems, the light-independent nature of NDFO suggests that such microbes could have persisted in sub-surface aquifers long after the desiccation of the surface, provided that adequate carbon and nitrates sources were prevalent. Traces of NDFO microorganisms may be preserved in the rock record by biomineralization and cellular encrustation in zones of high Fe2+ concentrations. These processes could produce morphological biosignatures, preserve distinctive Fe-isotope variation patterns, and enhance preservation of biological organic compounds. Such biosignatures could be detectable by future missions to Mars with appropriate instrumentation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex Price
- Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, The Open University, Milton Keynes, United Kingdom
| | - Victoria K. Pearson
- Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, The Open University, Milton Keynes, United Kingdom
| | - Susanne P. Schwenzer
- Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, The Open University, Milton Keynes, United Kingdom
| | - Jennyfer Miot
- CNRS, Institut de Minéralogie, de Physique des Matériaux et de Cosmochimie, Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Université Pierre et Marie Curie – Sorbonne Universités, UMR 7590, Paris, France
| | - Karen Olsson-Francis
- Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, The Open University, Milton Keynes, United Kingdom
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17
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Ciarletti V, Clifford S, Plettemeier D, Le Gall A, Hervé Y, Dorizon S, Quantin-Nataf C, Benedix WS, Schwenzer S, Pettinelli E, Heggy E, Herique A, Berthelier JJ, Kofman W, Vago JL, Hamran SE. The WISDOM Radar: Unveiling the Subsurface Beneath the ExoMars Rover and Identifying the Best Locations for Drilling. ASTROBIOLOGY 2017; 17:565-584. [PMCID: PMC5568567 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2016.1532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2016] [Accepted: 03/05/2017] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
The search for evidence of past or present life on Mars is the principal objective of the 2020 ESA-Roscosmos ExoMars Rover mission. If such evidence is to be found anywhere, it will most likely be in the subsurface, where organic molecules are shielded from the destructive effects of ionizing radiation and atmospheric oxidants. For this reason, the ExoMars Rover mission has been optimized to investigate the subsurface to identify, understand, and sample those locations where conditions for the preservation of evidence of past life are most likely to be found. The Water Ice Subsurface Deposit Observation on Mars (WISDOM) ground-penetrating radar has been designed to provide information about the nature of the shallow subsurface over depth ranging from 3 to 10 m (with a vertical resolution of up to 3 cm), depending on the dielectric properties of the regolith. This depth range is critical to understanding the geologic evolution stratigraphy and distribution and state of subsurface H2O, which provide important clues in the search for life and the identification of optimal drilling sites for investigation and sampling by the Rover's 2-m drill. WISDOM will help ensure the safety and success of drilling operations by identification of potential hazards that might interfere with retrieval of subsurface samples. Key Words: Ground penetrating radar—Martian shallow subsurface—ExoMars. Astrobiology 17, 565–584.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valérie Ciarletti
- LATMOS/IPSL, UVSQ Université Paris-Saclay, UPMC, Paris 06, CNRS, Guyancourt, France
| | | | | | - Alice Le Gall
- LATMOS/IPSL, UVSQ Université Paris-Saclay, UPMC, Paris 06, CNRS, Guyancourt, France
| | - Yann Hervé
- LATMOS/IPSL, UVSQ Université Paris-Saclay, UPMC, Paris 06, CNRS, Guyancourt, France
| | - Sophie Dorizon
- LATMOS/IPSL, UVSQ Université Paris-Saclay, UPMC, Paris 06, CNRS, Guyancourt, France
| | - Cathy Quantin-Nataf
- Laboratoire de Géologie de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1/CNRS/ENS Lyon, Villeurbanne, France
| | | | - Susanne Schwenzer
- Open University Centre for Earth Planetary Space and Astronomical Research, Milton Keynes, Milton Keynes, United Kingdom
| | - Elena Pettinelli
- Universita degli Studi Roma Tre Dipartimento di Matematica e Fisica, Roma, Italy
| | - Essam Heggy
- University of Southern California Viterbi School of Engineering, Los Angeles, California
| | - Alain Herique
- Université Grenoble Alpes, IPAG, F-38000 Grenoble; CNRS, IPAG, F-38000, Grenoble, France
| | | | - Wlodek Kofman
- Université Grenoble Alpes, IPAG, F-38000 Grenoble; CNRS, IPAG, F-38000, Grenoble, France
- Space Research Centre, PAN, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Jorge L. Vago
- European Space Agency, ESA/ESTEC (HME-ME), Noordwijk, The Netherlands
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18
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Vago JL, Westall F. Habitability on Early Mars and the Search for Biosignatures with the ExoMars Rover. ASTROBIOLOGY 2017; 17:471-510. [PMID: 31067287 PMCID: PMC5685153 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2016.1533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 132] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2016] [Accepted: 03/05/2017] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
The second ExoMars mission will be launched in 2020 to target an ancient location interpreted to have strong potential for past habitability and for preserving physical and chemical biosignatures (as well as abiotic/prebiotic organics). The mission will deliver a lander with instruments for atmospheric and geophysical investigations and a rover tasked with searching for signs of extinct life. The ExoMars rover will be equipped with a drill to collect material from outcrops and at depth down to 2 m. This subsurface sampling capability will provide the best chance yet to gain access to chemical biosignatures. Using the powerful Pasteur payload instruments, the ExoMars science team will conduct a holistic search for traces of life and seek corroborating geological context information. Key Words: Biosignatures-ExoMars-Landing sites-Mars rover-Search for life. Astrobiology 17, 471-510.
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19
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Mitrofanov IG, Litvak ML, Nikiforov SY, Jun I, Bobrovnitsky YI, Golovin DV, Grebennikov AS, Fedosov FS, Kozyrev AS, Lisov DI, Malakhov AV, Mokrousov MI, Sanin AB, Shvetsov VN, Timoshenko GN, Tomilina TM, Tret'yakov VI, Vostrukhin AA. The ADRON-RM Instrument Onboard the ExoMars Rover. ASTROBIOLOGY 2017; 17:585-594. [PMID: 28731818 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2016.1566] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
This overview presents the physical principles, design, measurement capabilities, and summary of planned operations of the autonomous detector of radiation of neutrons onboard rover at Mars (ADRON-RM) on the surface of Mars. ADRON-RM is a Russian project selected for the joint European Space Agency-Roscosmos ExoMars 2020 landing mission. A compact passive neutron spectrometer, ADRON-RM, was designed to study the abundance and distribution of water and neutron absorption elements (such as Cl, Fe, and others) in the martian subsurface along the path of the ExoMars rover. Key Words: Mars exploration-Surface-Neutron Spectroscopy-Water. Astrobiology 17, 585-594.
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Affiliation(s)
- I G Mitrofanov
- 1 Institute for Space Research , Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - M L Litvak
- 1 Institute for Space Research , Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - S Y Nikiforov
- 1 Institute for Space Research , Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - I Jun
- 2 Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology , Pasadena, California
| | - Y I Bobrovnitsky
- 3 A.A. Blagonravov Institute of Mechanical Engineering , Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - D V Golovin
- 1 Institute for Space Research , Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - A S Grebennikov
- 3 A.A. Blagonravov Institute of Mechanical Engineering , Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - F S Fedosov
- 1 Institute for Space Research , Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - A S Kozyrev
- 1 Institute for Space Research , Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - D I Lisov
- 1 Institute for Space Research , Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - A V Malakhov
- 1 Institute for Space Research , Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - M I Mokrousov
- 1 Institute for Space Research , Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - A B Sanin
- 1 Institute for Space Research , Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - V N Shvetsov
- 4 Joint Institute of Nuclear Research , Dubna, Russia
| | | | - T M Tomilina
- 3 A.A. Blagonravov Institute of Mechanical Engineering , Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - V I Tret'yakov
- 1 Institute for Space Research , Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - A A Vostrukhin
- 1 Institute for Space Research , Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
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20
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Acosta-Maeda TE, Misra AK, Muzangwa LG, Berlanga G, Muchow D, Porter J, Sharma SK. Remote Raman measurements of minerals, organics, and inorganics at 430 m range. APPLIED OPTICS 2016; 55:10283-10289. [PMID: 28059247 DOI: 10.1364/ao.55.010283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Raman spectroscopy is a characterization technique that is able to analyze and detect water or water-bearing minerals, minerals, and organic materials that are of special interest for planetary science. Using a portable pulsed remote Raman system with a commercial 8 in. (203.2 mm) telescope, a frequency doubled Nd-YAG-pulsed laser, and a spectrometer equipped with an intensified CCD camera, we acquired good quality Raman spectra of various materials from a 430 m standoff distance during daylight with detection times of 1-10 s, in a realistic context in which both the exciting source and the detector are part of the same measurement system. Remote Raman spectra at this distance provided unambiguous detection of compounds such as water and water ice, dry ice, sulfur, sulfates, various minerals and organics, and atmospheric gases. This research work demonstrates significant improvement in the remote Raman technique as well as its suitability for solar system exploration.
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21
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Amazonian chemical weathering rate derived from stony meteorite finds at Meridiani Planum on Mars. Nat Commun 2016; 7:13459. [PMID: 27834377 PMCID: PMC5114618 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms13459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2015] [Accepted: 09/26/2016] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Spacecraft exploring Mars such as the Mars Exploration Rovers Spirit and Opportunity, as well as the Mars Science Laboratory or Curiosity rover, have accumulated evidence for wet and habitable conditions on early Mars more than 3 billion years ago. Current conditions, by contrast, are cold, extremely arid and seemingly inhospitable. To evaluate exactly how dry today's environment is, it is important to understand the ongoing current weathering processes. Here we present chemical weathering rates determined for Mars. We use the oxidation of iron in stony meteorites investigated by the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity at Meridiani Planum. Their maximum exposure age is constrained by the formation of Victoria crater and their minimum age by erosion of the meteorites. The chemical weathering rates thus derived are ∼1 to 4 orders of magnitude slower than that of similar meteorites found in Antarctica where the slowest rates are observed on Earth. Little is known about the impacts of Mars' contemporary dryness on weathering processes. Here, using iron oxidation estimates from the Mars Rover Opportunity, the authors quantify chemical weathering rates for Mars, finding appreciably slower rates compared with the lowest values on Earth.
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Ruecker A, Schröder C, Byrne J, Weigold P, Behrens S, Kappler A. Geochemistry and Mineralogy of Western Australian Salt Lake Sediments: Implications for Meridiani Planum on Mars. ASTROBIOLOGY 2016; 16:525-538. [PMID: 27258848 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2015.1429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
UNLABELLED Hypersaline lakes are characteristic for Western Australia and display a rare combination of geochemical and mineralogical properties that make these lakes potential analogues for past conditions on Mars. In our study, we focused on the geochemistry and mineralogy of Lake Orr and Lake Whurr. While both lakes are poor in organic carbon (<1%), the sediments' pH values differ and range from 3.8 to 4.8 in Lake Orr and from 5.4 to 6.3 in Lake Whurr sediments. Lake Whurr sediments were dominated by orange and red sediment zones in which the main Fe minerals were identified as hematite, goethite, and tentatively jarosite and pyrite. Lake Orr was dominated by brownish and blackish sediments where the main Fe minerals were goethite and another paramagnetic Fe(III)-phase that could not be identified. Furthermore, a likely secondary Fe(II)-phase was observed in Lake Orr sediments. The mineralogy of these two salt lakes in the sampling area is strongly influenced by events such as flooding, evaporation, and desiccation, processes that explain at least to some extent the observed differences between Lake Orr and Lake Whurr. The iron mineralogy of Lake Whurr sediments and the high salinity make this lake a suitable analogue for Meridiani Planum on Mars, and in particular the tentative identification of pyrite in Lake Whurr sediments has implications for the interpretation of the Fe mineralogy of Meridiani Planum sediments. KEY WORDS Western Australia-Salt lakes-Jarosite-Hematite-Pyrite-Mars analogue. Astrobiology 16, 525-538.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Ruecker
- 1 Geomicrobiology, Center for Applied Geosciences, University of Tübingen , Tübingen, Germany
| | - C Schröder
- 2 Biological and Environmental Sciences, School of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling , Stirling, Scotland, UK
| | - J Byrne
- 1 Geomicrobiology, Center for Applied Geosciences, University of Tübingen , Tübingen, Germany
| | - P Weigold
- 1 Geomicrobiology, Center for Applied Geosciences, University of Tübingen , Tübingen, Germany
| | - S Behrens
- 1 Geomicrobiology, Center for Applied Geosciences, University of Tübingen , Tübingen, Germany
| | - A Kappler
- 1 Geomicrobiology, Center for Applied Geosciences, University of Tübingen , Tübingen, Germany
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Di Genova D, Kolzenburg S, Vona A, Chevrel MO, Hess KU, Neuville DR, Ertel-Ingrisch W, Romano C, Dingwell DB. Raman spectra of Martian glass analogues: A tool to approximate their chemical composition. JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH. PLANETS 2016; 121:740-752. [PMID: 27840783 PMCID: PMC5098411 DOI: 10.1002/2016je005010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2016] [Revised: 03/24/2016] [Accepted: 04/18/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Raman spectrometers will form a key component of the analytical suite of future planetary rovers intended to investigate geological processes on Mars. In order to expand the applicability of these spectrometers and use them as analytical tools for the investigation of silicate glasses, a database correlating Raman spectra to glass composition is crucial. Here we investigate the effect of the chemical composition of reduced silicate glasses on their Raman spectra. A range of compositions was generated in a diffusion experiment between two distinct, iron-rich end-members (a basalt and a peralkaline rhyolite), which are representative of the anticipated compositions of Martian rocks. Our results show that for silica-poor (depolymerized) compositions the band intensity increases dramatically in the regions between 550-780 cm-1 and 820-980 cm-1. On the other hand, Raman spectra regions between 250-550 cm-1 and 1000-1250 cm-1 are well developed in silica-rich (highly polymerized) systems. Further, spectral intensity increases at ~965 cm-1 related to the high iron content of these glasses (~7-17 wt % of FeOtot). Based on the acquired Raman spectra and an ideal mixing equation between the two end-members we present an empirical parameterization that enables the estimation of the chemical compositions of silicate glasses within this range. The model is validated using external samples for which chemical composition and Raman spectra were characterized independently. Applications of this model range from microanalysis of dry and hydrous silicate glasses (e.g., melt inclusions) to in situ field investigations and studies under extreme conditions such as extraterrestrial (i.e., Mars) and submarine volcanic environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danilo Di Genova
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität Munich Germany
| | - Stephan Kolzenburg
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra Università degli Studi di Torino Turin Italy
| | - Alessandro Vona
- Dipartimento di Scienze Università degli Studi Roma Tre Rome Italy
| | | | - Kai-Uwe Hess
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität Munich Germany
| | | | - Werner Ertel-Ingrisch
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität Munich Germany
| | - Claudia Romano
- Dipartimento di Scienze Università degli Studi Roma Tre Rome Italy
| | - Donald B Dingwell
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität Munich Germany
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Insights from the metagenome of an acid salt lake: the role of biology in an extreme depositional environment. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0122869. [PMID: 25923206 PMCID: PMC4414474 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0122869] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2014] [Accepted: 02/24/2015] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The extremely acidic brine lakes of the Yilgarn Craton of Western Australia are home to some of the most biologically challenging waters on Earth. In this study, we employed metagenomic shotgun sequencing to generate a microbial profile of the depositional environment associated with the sulfur-rich sediments of one such lake. Of the 1.5 M high-quality reads generated, 0.25 M were mapped to protein features, which in turn provide new insights into the metabolic function of this community. In particular, 45 diverse genes associated with sulfur metabolism were identified, the majority of which were linked to either the conversion of sulfate to adenylylsulfate and the subsequent production of sulfide from sulfite or the oxidation of sulfide, elemental sulfur, and thiosulfate via the sulfur oxidation (Sox) system. This is the first metagenomic study of an acidic, hypersaline depositional environment, and we present evidence for a surprisingly high level of microbial diversity. Our findings also illuminate the possibility that we may be meaningfully underestimating the effects of biology on the chemistry of these sulfur-rich sediments, thereby influencing our understanding of past geobiological conditions that may have been present on Earth as well as early Mars.
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Li X, Danell RM, Brinckerhoff WB, Pinnick VT, van Amerom F, Arevalo RD, Getty SA, Mahaffy PR, Steininger H, Goesmann F. Detection of trace organics in Mars analog samples containing perchlorate by laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry. ASTROBIOLOGY 2015; 15:104-110. [PMID: 25622133 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2014.1203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Evidence from recent Mars missions indicates the presence of perchlorate salts up to 1 wt % level in the near-surface materials. Mixed perchlorates and other oxychlorine species may complicate the detection of organic molecules in bulk martian samples when using pyrolysis techniques. To address this analytical challenge, we report here results of laboratory measurements with laser desorption mass spectrometry, including analyses performed on both commercial and Mars Organic Molecule Analyzer (MOMA) breadboard instruments. We demonstrate that the detection of nonvolatile organics in selected spiked mineral-matrix materials by laser desorption/ionization (LDI) mass spectrometry is not inhibited by the presence of up to 1 wt % perchlorate salt. The organics in the sample are not significantly degraded or combusted in the LDI process, and the parent molecular ion is retained in the mass spectrum. The LDI technique provides distinct potential benefits for the detection of organics in situ on the martian surface and has the potential to aid in the search for signs of life on Mars.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiang Li
- 1 Center for Space Science and Technology, University of Maryland , Baltimore County, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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26
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Bianciardi G, Rizzo V, Cantasano N. Opportunity Rover's image analysis: Microbialites on Mars? INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF AERONAUTICAL AND SPACE SCIENCES 2014; 15:419-433. [DOI: 10.5139/ijass.2014.15.4.419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/23/2023]
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Fujii Y, Kimura J, Dohm J, Ohtake M. Geology and photometric variation of solar system bodies with minor atmospheres: implications for solid exoplanets. ASTROBIOLOGY 2014; 14:753-68. [PMID: 25238324 PMCID: PMC4172389 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2014.1165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2014] [Accepted: 07/19/2014] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
A reasonable basis for future astronomical investigations of exoplanets lies in our best knowledge of the planets and satellites in the Solar System. Solar System bodies exhibit a wide variety of surface environments, even including potential habitable conditions beyond Earth, and it is essential to know how they can be characterized from outside the Solar System. In this study, we provide an overview of geological features of major Solar System solid bodies with minor atmospheres (i.e., the terrestrial Moon, Mercury, the Galilean moons, and Mars) that affect surface albedo at local to global scale, and we survey how they influence point-source photometry in the UV/visible/near IR (i.e., the reflection-dominant range). We simulate them based on recent mapping products and also compile observed light curves where available. We show a 5-50% peak-to-trough variation amplitude in one spin rotation associated with various geological processes including heterogeneous surface compositions due to igneous activities, interaction with surrounding energetic particles, and distribution of grained materials. Some indications of these processes are provided by the amplitude and wavelength dependence of variation in combinations of the time-averaged spectra. We also estimate the photometric precision needed to detect their spin rotation rates through periodogram analysis. Our survey illustrates realistic possibilities for inferring the detailed properties of solid exoplanets with future direct imaging observations. Key Words: Planetary environments-Planetary geology-Solar System-Extrasolar terrestrial planets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuka Fujii
- Earth-Life Science Institute, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Jun Kimura
- Earth-Life Science Institute, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo, Japan
| | - James Dohm
- The University Museum, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Makiko Ohtake
- Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Kanagawa, Japan
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Grosch EG, McLoughlin N, Lanari P, Erambert M, Vidal O. Microscale mapping of alteration conditions and potential biosignatures in basaltic-ultramafic rocks on early Earth and beyond. ASTROBIOLOGY 2014; 14:216-228. [PMID: 24588497 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2013.1116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Subseafloor environments preserved in Archean greenstone belts provide an analogue for investigating potential subsurface habitats on Mars. The c. 3.5-3.4 Ga pillow lava metabasalts of the mid-Archean Barberton greenstone belt, South Africa, have been argued to contain the earliest evidence for microbial subseafloor life. This includes candidate trace fossils in the form of titanite microtextures, and sulfur isotopic signatures of pyrite preserved in metabasaltic glass of the c. 3.472 Ga Hooggenoeg Formation. It has been contended that similar microtextures in altered martian basalts may represent potential extraterrestrial biosignatures of microbe-fluid-rock interaction. But despite numerous studies describing these putative early traces of life, a detailed metamorphic characterization of the microtextures and their host alteration conditions in the ancient pillow lava metabasites is lacking. Here, we present a new nondestructive technique with which to study the in situ metamorphic alteration conditions associated with potential biosignatures in mafic-ultramafic rocks of the Hooggenoeg Formation. Our approach combines quantitative microscale compositional mapping by electron microprobe with inverse thermodynamic modeling to derive low-temperature chlorite crystallization conditions. We found that the titanite microtextures formed under subgreenschist to greenschist facies conditions. Two chlorite temperature groups were identified in the maps surrounding the titanite microtextures and record peak metamorphic conditions at 315 ± 40°C (XFe3+(chlorite) = 25-34%) and lower-temperature chlorite veins/microdomains at T = 210 ± 40°C (lower XFe3+(chlorite) = 40-45%). These results provide the first metamorphic constraints in textural context on the Barberton titanite microtextures and thereby improve our understanding of the local preservation conditions of these potential biosignatures. We suggest that this approach may prove to be an important tool in future studies to assess the biogenicity of these earliest candidate traces of life on Earth. Furthermore, we propose that this mapping approach could also be used to investigate altered mafic-ultramafic extraterrestrial samples containing candidate biosignatures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eugene G Grosch
- 1 Department of Earth Science and Centre for Geobiology, University of Bergen , Bergen, Norway
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29
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Cockell CS. Trajectories of martian habitability. ASTROBIOLOGY 2014; 14:182-203. [PMID: 24506485 PMCID: PMC3929387 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2013.1106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2013] [Accepted: 12/29/2013] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Beginning from two plausible starting points-an uninhabited or inhabited Mars-this paper discusses the possible trajectories of martian habitability over time. On an uninhabited Mars, the trajectories follow paths determined by the abundance of uninhabitable environments and uninhabited habitats. On an inhabited Mars, the addition of a third environment type, inhabited habitats, results in other trajectories, including ones where the planet remains inhabited today or others where planetary-scale life extinction occurs. By identifying different trajectories of habitability, corresponding hypotheses can be described that allow for the various trajectories to be disentangled and ultimately a determination of which trajectory Mars has taken and the changing relative abundance of its constituent environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles S Cockell
- UK Centre for Astrobiology, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Edinburgh , Edinburgh, UK
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Arvidson RE, Squyres SW, Bell JF, Catalano JG, Clark BC, Crumpler LS, de Souza PA, Fairen AG, Farrand WH, Fox VK, Gellert R, Ghosh A, Golombek MP, Grotzinger JP, Guinness EA, Herkenhoff KE, Jolliff BL, Knoll AH, Li R, McLennan SM, Ming DW, Mittlefehldt DW, Moore JM, Morris RV, Murchie SL, Parker TJ, Paulsen G, Rice JW, Ruff SW, Smith MD, Wolff MJ. Ancient Aqueous Environments at Endeavour Crater, Mars. Science 2014; 343:1248097. [DOI: 10.1126/science.1248097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 133] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
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31
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McLennan SM, Anderson RB, Bell JF, Bridges JC, Calef F, Campbell JL, Clark BC, Clegg S, Conrad P, Cousin A, Des Marais DJ, Dromart G, Dyar MD, Edgar LA, Ehlmann BL, Fabre C, Forni O, Gasnault O, Gellert R, Gordon S, Grant JA, Grotzinger JP, Gupta S, Herkenhoff KE, Hurowitz JA, King PL, Le Mouélic S, Leshin LA, Léveillé R, Lewis KW, Mangold N, Maurice S, Ming DW, Morris RV, Nachon M, Newsom HE, Ollila AM, Perrett GM, Rice MS, Schmidt ME, Schwenzer SP, Stack K, Stolper EM, Sumner DY, Treiman AH, VanBommel S, Vaniman DT, Vasavada A, Wiens RC, Yingst RA. Elemental geochemistry of sedimentary rocks at Yellowknife Bay, Gale crater, Mars. Science 2013; 343:1244734. [PMID: 24324274 DOI: 10.1126/science.1244734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 214] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Sedimentary rocks examined by the Curiosity rover at Yellowknife Bay, Mars, were derived from sources that evolved from an approximately average martian crustal composition to one influenced by alkaline basalts. No evidence of chemical weathering is preserved, indicating arid, possibly cold, paleoclimates and rapid erosion and deposition. The absence of predicted geochemical variations indicates that magnetite and phyllosilicates formed by diagenesis under low-temperature, circumneutral pH, rock-dominated aqueous conditions. Analyses of diagenetic features (including concretions, raised ridges, and fractures) at high spatial resolution indicate that they are composed of iron- and halogen-rich components, magnesium-iron-chlorine-rich components, and hydrated calcium sulfates, respectively. Composition of a cross-cutting dike-like feature is consistent with sedimentary intrusion. The geochemistry of these sedimentary rocks provides further evidence for diverse depositional and diagenetic sedimentary environments during the early history of Mars.
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Affiliation(s)
- S M McLennan
- Department of Geosciences, State University of New York, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
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Vaniman DT, Bish DL, Ming DW, Bristow TF, Morris RV, Blake DF, Chipera SJ, Morrison SM, Treiman AH, Rampe EB, Rice M, Achilles CN, Grotzinger JP, McLennan SM, Williams J, Bell JF, Newsom HE, Downs RT, Maurice S, Sarrazin P, Yen AS, Morookian JM, Farmer JD, Stack K, Milliken RE, Ehlmann BL, Sumner DY, Berger G, Crisp JA, Hurowitz JA, Anderson R, Des Marais DJ, Stolper EM, Edgett KS, Gupta S, Spanovich N, Agard C, Alves Verdasca JA, Anderson R, Archer D, Armiens-Aparicio C, Arvidson R, Atlaskin E, Atreya S, Aubrey A, Baker B, Baker M, Balic-Zunic T, Baratoux D, Baroukh J, Barraclough B, Bean K, Beegle L, Behar A, Bender S, Benna M, Bentz J, Berger J, Berman D, Blanco Avalos JJ, Blaney D, Blank J, Blau H, Bleacher L, Boehm E, Botta O, Bottcher S, Boucher T, Bower H, Boyd N, Boynton B, Breves E, Bridges J, Bridges N, Brinckerhoff W, Brinza D, Brunet C, Brunner A, Brunner W, Buch A, Bullock M, Burmeister S, Cabane M, Calef F, Cameron J, Campbell JI, Cantor B, Caplinger M, Caride Rodriguez J, Carmosino M, Carrasco Blazquez I, Charpentier A, Choi D, Clark B, Clegg S, Cleghorn T, Cloutis E, Cody G, Coll P, Conrad P, Coscia D, Cousin A, Cremers D, Cros A, Cucinotta F, d'Uston C, Davis S, Day MK, de la Torre Juarez M, DeFlores L, DeLapp D, DeMarines J, Dietrich W, Dingler R, Donny C, Drake D, Dromart G, Dupont A, Duston B, Dworkin J, Dyar MD, Edgar L, Edwards C, Edwards L, Ehresmann B, Eigenbrode J, Elliott B, Elliott H, Ewing R, Fabre C, Fairen A, Farley K, Fassett C, Favot L, Fay D, Fedosov F, Feldman J, Feldman S, Fisk M, Fitzgibbon M, Flesch G, Floyd M, Fluckiger L, Forni O, Fraeman A, Francis R, Francois P, Franz H, Freissinet C, French KL, Frydenvang J, Gaboriaud A, Gailhanou M, Garvin J, Gasnault O, Geffroy C, Gellert R, Genzer M, Glavin D, Godber A, Goesmann F, Goetz W, Golovin D, Gomez Gomez F, Gomez-Elvira J, Gondet B, Gordon S, Gorevan S, Grant J, Griffes J, Grinspoon D, Guillemot P, Guo J, Guzewich S, Haberle R, Halleaux D, Hallet B, Hamilton V, Hardgrove C, Harker D, Harpold D, Harri AM, Harshman K, Hassler D, Haukka H, Hayes A, Herkenhoff K, Herrera P, Hettrich S, Heydari E, Hipkin V, Hoehler T, Hollingsworth J, Hudgins J, Huntress W, Hviid S, Iagnemma K, Indyk S, Israel G, Jackson R, Jacob S, Jakosky B, Jensen E, Jensen JK, Johnson J, Johnson M, Johnstone S, Jones A, Jones J, Joseph J, Jun I, Kah L, Kahanpaa H, Kahre M, Karpushkina N, Kasprzak W, Kauhanen J, Keely L, Kemppinen O, Keymeulen D, Kim MH, Kinch K, King P, Kirkland L, Kocurek G, Koefoed A, Kohler J, Kortmann O, Kozyrev A, Krezoski J, Krysak D, Kuzmin R, Lacour JL, Lafaille V, Langevin Y, Lanza N, Lasue J, Le Mouelic S, Lee EM, Lee QM, Lees D, Lefavor M, Lemmon M, Malvitte AL, Leshin L, Leveille R, Lewin-Carpintier E, Lewis K, Li S, Lipkaman L, Little C, Litvak M, Lorigny E, Lugmair G, Lundberg A, Lyness E, Madsen M, Mahaffy P, Maki J, Malakhov A, Malespin C, Malin M, Mangold N, Manhes G, Manning H, Marchand G, Marin Jimenez M, Martin Garcia C, Martin D, Martin M, Martinez-Frias J, Martin-Soler J, Martin-Torres FJ, Mauchien P, McAdam A, McCartney E, McConnochie T, McCullough E, McEwan I, McKay C, McNair S, Melikechi N, Meslin PY, Meyer M, Mezzacappa A, Miller H, Miller K, Minitti M, Mischna M, Mitrofanov I, Moersch J, Mokrousov M, Molina Jurado A, Moores J, Mora-Sotomayor L, Mueller-Mellin R, Muller JP, Munoz Caro G, Nachon M, Navarro Lopez S, Navarro-Gonzalez R, Nealson K, Nefian A, Nelson T, Newcombe M, Newman C, Nikiforov S, Niles P, Nixon B, Noe Dobrea E, Nolan T, Oehler D, Ollila A, Olson T, Owen T, de Pablo Hernandez MA, Paillet A, Pallier E, Palucis M, Parker T, Parot Y, Patel K, Paton M, Paulsen G, Pavlov A, Pavri B, Peinado-Gonzalez V, Pepin R, Peret L, Perez R, Perrett G, Peterson J, Pilorget C, Pinet P, Pla-Garcia J, Plante I, Poitrasson F, Polkko J, Popa R, Posiolova L, Posner A, Pradler I, Prats B, Prokhorov V, Purdy SW, Raaen E, Radziemski L, Rafkin S, Ramos M, Raulin F, Ravine M, Reitz G, Renno N, Richardson M, Robert F, Robertson K, Rodriguez Manfredi JA, Romeral-Planello JJ, Rowland S, Rubin D, Saccoccio M, Salamon A, Sandoval J, Sanin A, Sans Fuentes SA, Saper L, Sautter V, Savijarvi H, Schieber J, Schmidt M, Schmidt W, Scholes DD, Schoppers M, Schroder S, Schwenzer S, Sebastian Martinez E, Sengstacken A, Shterts R, Siebach K, Siili T, Simmonds J, Sirven JB, Slavney S, Sletten R, Smith M, Sobron Sanchez P, Spray J, Squyres S, Stalport F, Steele A, Stein T, Stern J, Stewart N, Stipp SLS, Stoiber K, Sucharski B, Sullivan R, Summons R, Sun V, Supulver K, Sutter B, Szopa C, Tan F, Tate C, Teinturier S, ten Kate I, Thomas P, Thompson L, Tokar R, Toplis M, Torres Redondo J, Trainer M, Tretyakov V, Urqui-O'Callaghan R, Van Beek J, Van Beek T, VanBommel S, Varenikov A, Vasavada A, Vasconcelos P, Vicenzi E, Vostrukhin A, Voytek M, Wadhwa M, Ward J, Webster C, Weigle E, Wellington D, Westall F, Wiens RC, Wilhelm MB, Williams A, Williams R, Williams RBM, Wilson M, Wimmer-Schweingruber R, Wolff M, Wong M, Wray J, Wu M, Yana C, Yingst A, Zeitlin C, Zimdar R, Zorzano Mier MP. Mineralogy of a Mudstone at Yellowknife Bay, Gale Crater, Mars. Science 2013; 343:1243480. [DOI: 10.1126/science.1243480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 433] [Impact Index Per Article: 39.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
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McKay CP, Stoker CR, Glass BJ, Davé AI, Davila AF, Heldmann JL, Marinova MM, Fairen AG, Quinn RC, Zacny KA, Paulsen G, Smith PH, Parro V, Andersen DT, Hecht MH, Lacelle D, Pollard WH. The Icebreaker Life Mission to Mars: a search for biomolecular evidence for life. ASTROBIOLOGY 2013; 13:334-53. [PMID: 23560417 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2012.0878] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
The search for evidence of life on Mars is the primary motivation for the exploration of that planet. The results from previous missions, and the Phoenix mission in particular, indicate that the ice-cemented ground in the north polar plains is likely to be the most recently habitable place that is currently known on Mars. The near-surface ice likely provided adequate water activity during periods of high obliquity, ≈ 5 Myr ago. Carbon dioxide and nitrogen are present in the atmosphere, and nitrates may be present in the soil. Perchlorate in the soil together with iron in basaltic rock provides a possible energy source for life. Furthermore, the presence of organics must once again be considered, as the results of the Viking GCMS are now suspect given the discovery of the thermally reactive perchlorate. Ground ice may provide a way to preserve organic molecules for extended periods of time, especially organic biomarkers. The Mars Icebreaker Life mission focuses on the following science goals: (1) Search for specific biomolecules that would be conclusive evidence of life. (2) Perform a general search for organic molecules in the ground ice. (3) Determine the processes of ground ice formation and the role of liquid water. (4) Understand the mechanical properties of the martian polar ice-cemented soil. (5) Assess the recent habitability of the environment with respect to required elements to support life, energy sources, and possible toxic elements. (6) Compare the elemental composition of the northern plains with midlatitude sites. The Icebreaker Life payload has been designed around the Phoenix spacecraft and is targeted to a site near the Phoenix landing site. However, the Icebreaker payload could be supported on other Mars landing systems. Preliminary studies of the SpaceX Dragon lander show that it could support the Icebreaker payload for a landing either at the Phoenix site or at midlatitudes. Duplicate samples could be cached as a target for possible return by a Mars Sample Return mission. If the samples were shown to contain organic biomarkers, interest in returning them to Earth would be high.
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Desulfohalophilus alkaliarsenatis gen. nov., sp. nov., an extremely halophilic sulfate- and arsenate-respiring bacterium from Searles Lake, California. Extremophiles 2012; 16:727-42. [PMID: 22744231 PMCID: PMC3432211 DOI: 10.1007/s00792-012-0468-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2012] [Accepted: 06/14/2012] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
A haloalkaliphilic sulfate-respiring bacterium, strain SLSR-1, was isolated from a lactate-fed stable enrichment culture originally obtained from the extreme environment of Searles Lake, California. The isolate proved capable of growth via sulfate-reduction over a broad range of salinities (125–330 g/L), although growth was slowest at salt-saturation. Strain SLSR-1 was also capable of growth via dissimilatory arsenate-reduction and displayed an even broader range of salinity tolerance (50–330 g/L) when grown under these conditions. Strain SLSR-1 could also grow via dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonia. Growth experiments in the presence of high borate concentrations indicated a greater sensitivity of sulfate-reduction than arsenate-respiration to this naturally abundant anion in Searles Lake. Strain SLSR-1 contained genes involved in both sulfate-reduction (dsrAB) and arsenate respiration (arrA). Amplicons of 16S rRNA gene sequences obtained from DNA extracted from Searles Lake sediment revealed the presence of close relatives of strain SLSR-1 as part of the flora of this ecosystem despite the fact that sulfate-reduction activity could not be detected in situ. We conclude that strain SLSR-1 can only achieve growth via arsenate-reduction under the current chemical conditions prevalent at Searles Lake. Strain SLSR-1 is a deltaproteobacterium in the family Desulfohalobiacea of anaerobic, haloalkaliphilic bacteria, for which we propose the name Desulfohalophilus alkaliarsenatis gen. nov., sp. nov.
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