1
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Qin X, Ren X, Wang X, Liu J, Wu H, Zeng X, Sun Y, Chen Z, Zhang S, Zhang Y, Chen W, Liu B, Liu D, Guo L, Li K, Zeng X, Huang H, Zhang Q, Yu S, Li C, Guo Z. Modern water at low latitudes on Mars: Potential evidence from dune surfaces. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadd8868. [PMID: 37115933 PMCID: PMC10146874 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.add8868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Landforms on the Martian surface are critical to understanding the nature of surface processes in the recent past. However, modern hydroclimatic conditions on Mars remain enigmatic, as explanations for the formation of observed landforms are ambiguous. We report crusts, cracks, aggregates, and bright polygonal ridges on the surfaces of hydrated salt-rich dunes of southern Utopia Planitia (~25°N) from in situ exploration by the Zhurong rover. These surface features were inferred to form after 1.4 to 0.4 million years ago. Wind and CO2 frost processes can be ruled out as potential mechanisms. Instead, involvement of saline water from thawed frost/snow is the most likely cause. This discovery sheds light on more humid conditions of the modern Martian climate and provides critical clues to future exploration missions searching for signs of extant life, particularly at low latitudes with comparatively warmer, more amenable surface temperatures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoguang Qin
- Key Laboratory of Cenozoic Geology and Environment, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Corresponding author. (X.Q.); (X.R.); (X.W.); (J.L.)
| | - Xin Ren
- Key Laboratory of Lunar and Deep Space Exploration, National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Corresponding author. (X.Q.); (X.R.); (X.W.); (J.L.)
| | - Xu Wang
- Key Laboratory of Cenozoic Geology and Environment, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Corresponding author. (X.Q.); (X.R.); (X.W.); (J.L.)
| | - Jianjun Liu
- Key Laboratory of Lunar and Deep Space Exploration, National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Corresponding author. (X.Q.); (X.R.); (X.W.); (J.L.)
| | - Haibin Wu
- Key Laboratory of Cenozoic Geology and Environment, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- College of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xingguo Zeng
- Key Laboratory of Lunar and Deep Space Exploration, National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yong Sun
- Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zhaopeng Chen
- Key Laboratory of Lunar and Deep Space Exploration, National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Shihao Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Cenozoic Geology and Environment, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yizhong Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Lunar and Deep Space Exploration, National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Wangli Chen
- Key Laboratory of Lunar and Deep Space Exploration, National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Bin Liu
- Key Laboratory of Lunar and Deep Space Exploration, National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Dawei Liu
- Key Laboratory of Lunar and Deep Space Exploration, National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Lin Guo
- Key Laboratory of Lunar and Deep Space Exploration, National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Kangkang Li
- Key Laboratory of Cenozoic Geology and Environment, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xiangzhao Zeng
- Key Laboratory of Lunar and Deep Space Exploration, National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Hai Huang
- Key Laboratory of Lunar and Deep Space Exploration, National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Qing Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Lunar and Deep Space Exploration, National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Songzheng Yu
- Key Laboratory of Lunar and Deep Space Exploration, National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Chunlai Li
- Key Laboratory of Lunar and Deep Space Exploration, National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zhengtang Guo
- Key Laboratory of Cenozoic Geology and Environment, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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2
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Macey MC, Ramkissoon NK, Cogliati S, Toubes-Rodrigo M, Stephens BP, Kucukkilic-Stephens E, Schwenzer SP, Pearson VK, Preston LJ, Olsson-Francis K. Habitability and Biosignature Formation in Simulated Martian Aqueous Environments. ASTROBIOLOGY 2023; 23:144-154. [PMID: 36577028 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2021.0197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Water present on early Mars is often assumed to have been habitable. In this study, experiments were performed to investigate the habitability of well-defined putative martian fluids and to identify the accompanying potential formation of biosignatures. Simulated martian environments were developed by combining martian fluid and regolith simulants based on the chemistry of the Rocknest sand shadow at Gale Crater. The simulated chemical environment was inoculated with terrestrial anoxic sediment from the Pyefleet mudflats (United Kingdom). These enrichments were cultured for 28 days and subsequently subcultured seven times to ensure that the microbial community was solely grown on the defined, simulated chemistry. The impact of the simulated chemistries on the microbial community was assessed by cell counts and sequencing of 16S rRNA gene profiles. Associated changes to the fluid and precipitate chemistries were established by using ICP-OES, IC, FTIR, and NIR. The fluids were confirmed as habitable, with the enriched microbial community showing a reduction in abundance and diversity over multiple subcultures relating to the selection of specific metabolic groups. The final community comprised sulfate-reducing, acetogenic, and other anaerobic and fermentative bacteria. Geochemical characterization and modeling of the simulant and fluid chemistries identified clear differences between the biotic and abiotic experiments. These differences included the elimination of sulfur owing to the presence of sulfate-reducing bacteria and more general changes in pH associated with actively respiring cells that impacted the mineral assemblages formed. This study confirmed that a system simulating the fluid chemistry of Gale Crater could support a microbial community and that variation in chemistries under biotic and abiotic conditions can be used to inform future life-detection missions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael C Macey
- AstrobiologyOU, Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, The Open University, Milton Keynes, United Kingdom
| | - Nisha K Ramkissoon
- AstrobiologyOU, Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, The Open University, Milton Keynes, United Kingdom
| | - Simone Cogliati
- AstrobiologyOU, Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, The Open University, Milton Keynes, United Kingdom
| | - Mario Toubes-Rodrigo
- AstrobiologyOU, Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, The Open University, Milton Keynes, United Kingdom
| | - Ben P Stephens
- AstrobiologyOU, Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, The Open University, Milton Keynes, United Kingdom
| | - Ezgi Kucukkilic-Stephens
- AstrobiologyOU, Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, The Open University, Milton Keynes, United Kingdom
| | - Susanne P Schwenzer
- AstrobiologyOU, Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, The Open University, Milton Keynes, United Kingdom
| | - Victoria K Pearson
- AstrobiologyOU, Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, The Open University, Milton Keynes, United Kingdom
| | - Louisa J Preston
- Mullard Space Science Laboratory, Department of Space and Climate Physics, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Karen Olsson-Francis
- AstrobiologyOU, Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, The Open University, Milton Keynes, United Kingdom
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3
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Rull F, Veneranda M, Manrique-Martinez JA, Sanz-Arranz A, Saiz J, Medina J, Moral A, Perez C, Seoane L, Lalla E, Charro E, Lopez JM, Nieto LM, Lopez-Reyes G. Spectroscopic study of terrestrial analogues to support rover missions to Mars - A Raman-centred review. Anal Chim Acta 2022; 1209:339003. [PMID: 35569840 DOI: 10.1016/j.aca.2021.339003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2021] [Revised: 08/25/2021] [Accepted: 08/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The 2020s could be called, with little doubt, the "Mars decade". No other period in space exploration history has experienced such interest in placing orbiters, rovers and landers on the Red Planet. In 2021 alone, the Emirates' first Mars Mission (the Hope orbiter), the Chinese Tianwen-1 mission (orbiter, lander and rover), and NASA's Mars 2020 Perseverance rover reached Mars. The ExoMars mission Rosalind Franklin rover is scheduled for launch in 2022. Beyond that, several other missions are proposed or under development. Among these, MMX to Phobos and the very important Mars Sample Return can be cited. One of the key mission objectives of the Mars 2020 and ExoMars 2022 missions is the detection of traces of potential past or present life. This detection relies to a great extent on the analytical results provided by complementary spectroscopic techniques. The development of these novel instruments has been carried out in step with the analytical study of terrestrial analogue sites and materials, which serve to test the scientific capabilities of spectroscopic prototypes while providing crucial information to better understand the geological processes that could have occurred on Mars. Being directly involved in the development of three of the first Raman spectrometers to be validated for space exploration missions (Mars 2020/SuperCam, ExoMars/RLS and RAX/MMX), the present review summarizes some of the most relevant spectroscopy-based analyses of terrestrial analogues carried out over the past two decades. Therefore, the present work describes the analytical results gathered from the study of some of the most distinctive terrestrial analogues of Martian geological contexts, as well as the lessons learned mainly from ExoMars mission simulations conducted at representative analogue sites. Learning from the experience gained in the described studies, a general overview of the scientific outcome expected from the spectroscopic system developed for current and forthcoming planetary missions is provided.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernando Rull
- University of Valladolid, Plaza de Santa Cruz 8, 47002, Valladolid, Spain.
| | - Marco Veneranda
- University of Valladolid, Plaza de Santa Cruz 8, 47002, Valladolid, Spain
| | | | | | - Jesus Saiz
- University of Valladolid, Plaza de Santa Cruz 8, 47002, Valladolid, Spain
| | - Jesús Medina
- University of Valladolid, Plaza de Santa Cruz 8, 47002, Valladolid, Spain
| | - Andoni Moral
- National Institute for Aerospace Technology (INTA), Torrejón de Ardoz, Spain
| | - Carlos Perez
- National Institute for Aerospace Technology (INTA), Torrejón de Ardoz, Spain
| | - Laura Seoane
- National Institute for Aerospace Technology (INTA), Torrejón de Ardoz, Spain
| | - Emmanuel Lalla
- York University, Centre for Research in Earth and Space Science, Toronto, Canada
| | - Elena Charro
- University of Valladolid, Plaza de Santa Cruz 8, 47002, Valladolid, Spain
| | - Jose Manuel Lopez
- University of Valladolid, Plaza de Santa Cruz 8, 47002, Valladolid, Spain
| | - Luis Miguel Nieto
- University of Valladolid, Plaza de Santa Cruz 8, 47002, Valladolid, Spain
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Royle SH, Salter TL, Watson JS, Sephton MA. Mineral Matrix Effects on Pyrolysis Products of Kerogens Infer Difficulties in Determining Biological Provenance of Macromolecular Organic Matter at Mars. ASTROBIOLOGY 2022; 22:520-540. [PMID: 35171040 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2021.0074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Ancient martian organic matter is likely to take the form of kerogen-like recalcitrant macromolecular organic matter (MOM), existing in close association with reactive mineral surfaces, especially iron oxides. Detecting and identifying a biological origin for martian MOM will therefore be of utmost importance for life-detection efforts at Mars. We show that Type I and Type IV kerogens provide effective analogues for putative martian MOM of biological and abiological (meteoric) provenances, respectively. We analyze the pyrolytic breakdown products when these kerogens are mixed with mineral matrices highly relevant for the search for life on Mars. We demonstrate that, using traditional thermal techniques as generally used by the Sample Analysis at Mars and Mars Organic Molecule Analyser instruments, even the breakdown products of highly recalcitrant MOM are transformed during analysis in the presence of reactive mineral surfaces, particularly iron. Analytical transformation reduces the diagnostic ability of this technique, as detected transformation products of both biological and abiological MOM may be identical (low molecular weight gas phases and benzene) and indistinguishable. The severity of transformational effects increased through calcite < kaolinite < hematite < nontronite < magnetite < goethite. Due to their representation of various habitable aqueous environments and the preservation potential of organic matter by iron, it is not advisable to completely avoid iron-rich strata. We conclude that hematite-rich localities, with evidence of extensive aqueous alteration of originally reducing phases, such as the Vera Rubin Ridge, may be relatively promising targets for identifying martian biologically sourced MOM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel H Royle
- Department of Earth Science and Engineering, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Tara L Salter
- Department of Earth Science and Engineering, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Jonathan S Watson
- Department of Earth Science and Engineering, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Mark A Sephton
- Department of Earth Science and Engineering, Imperial College London, London, UK
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5
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Vasavada AR. Mission Overview and Scientific Contributions from the Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity Rover After Eight Years of Surface Operations. SPACE SCIENCE REVIEWS 2022; 218:14. [PMID: 35399614 PMCID: PMC8981195 DOI: 10.1007/s11214-022-00882-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2021] [Accepted: 03/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
UNLABELLED NASA's Mars Science Laboratory mission, with its Curiosity rover, has been exploring Gale crater (5.4° S, 137.8° E) since 2012 with the goal of assessing the potential of Mars to support life. The mission has compiled compelling evidence that the crater basin accumulated sediment transported by marginal rivers into lakes that likely persisted for millions of years approximately 3.6 Ga ago in the early Hesperian. Geochemical and mineralogical assessments indicate that environmental conditions within this timeframe would have been suitable for sustaining life, if it ever were present. Fluids simultaneously circulated in the subsurface and likely existed through the dry phases of lake bed exposure and aeolian deposition, conceivably creating a continuously habitable subsurface environment that persisted to less than 3 Ga in the early Amazonian. A diversity of organic molecules has been preserved, though degraded, with evidence for more complex precursors. Solid samples show highly variable isotopic abundances of sulfur, chlorine, and carbon. In situ studies of modern wind-driven sediment transport and multiple large and active aeolian deposits have led to advances in understanding bedform development and the initiation of saltation. Investigation of the modern atmosphere and environment has improved constraints on the timing and magnitude of atmospheric loss, revealed the presence of methane and the crater's influence on local meteorology, and provided measurements of high-energy radiation at Mars' surface in preparation for future crewed missions. Rover systems and science instruments remain capable of addressing all key scientific objectives. Emphases on advance planning, flexibility, operations support work, and team culture have allowed the mission team to maintain a high level of productivity in spite of declining rover power and funding. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11214-022-00882-7.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashwin R. Vasavada
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA USA
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6
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Price A, Macey MC, Pearson VK, Schwenzer SP, Ramkissoon NK, Olsson-Francis K. Oligotrophic Growth of Nitrate-Dependent Fe 2+-Oxidising Microorganisms Under Simulated Early Martian Conditions. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:800219. [PMID: 35418959 PMCID: PMC8997339 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.800219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2021] [Accepted: 02/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Nitrate-dependent Fe2+ oxidation (NDFO) is a microbially mediated process observed in many anaerobic, low-nutrient (oligotrophic) neutral-alkaline environments on Earth, which describes oxidation of Fe2+ to Fe3+ in tandem with microbial nitrate reduction. Evidence suggests that similar environments existed on Mars during the Noachian epoch (4.1-3.7 Ga) and in periodic, localised environments more recently, indicating that NDFO metabolism could have played a role in a potential early martian biosphere. In this paper, three NDFO microorganisms, Acidovorax sp. strain BoFeN1, Pseudogulbenkiania sp. strain 2002 and Paracoccus sp. strain KS1, were assessed for their ability to grow oligotrophically in simulated martian brines and in a minimal medium with olivine as a solid Fe2+ source. These simulant-derived media were developed from modelled fluids based on the geochemistry of Mars sample locations at Rocknest (contemporary Mars soil), Paso Robles (sulphur-rich soil), Haematite Slope (haematite-rich soil) and a Shergottite meteorite (common basalt). The Shergottite medium was able to support growth of all three organisms, while the contemporary Mars medium supported growth of Acidovorax sp. strain BoFeN1 and Pseudogulbenkiania sp. strain 2002; however, growth was not accompanied by significant Fe2+ oxidation. Each of the strains was also able to grow in oligotrophic minimal media with olivine as the sole Fe2+ source. Biomineralised cells of Pseudogulbenkiania sp. strain 2002 were identified on the surface of the olivine, representing a potential biosignature for NDFO microorganisms in martian samples. The results suggest that NDFO microorganisms could have thrived in early martian groundwaters under oligotrophic conditions, depending on the local lithology. This can guide missions in identifying palaeoenvironments of interest for biosignature detection. Indeed, biomineralised cells identified on the olivine surface provide a previously unexplored mechanism for the preservation of morphological biosignatures in the martian geological record.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex Price
- School of Environment, Earth and Ecosystem Sciences, Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, The Open University, Milton Keynes, United Kingdom
| | - Michael C. Macey
- School of Environment, Earth and Ecosystem Sciences, Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, The Open University, Milton Keynes, United Kingdom
| | - Victoria K. Pearson
- School of Physical Sciences, Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, The Open University, Milton Keynes, United Kingdom
| | - Susanne P. Schwenzer
- School of Environment, Earth and Ecosystem Sciences, Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, The Open University, Milton Keynes, United Kingdom
| | - Nisha K. Ramkissoon
- School of Environment, Earth and Ecosystem Sciences, Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, The Open University, Milton Keynes, United Kingdom
| | - Karen Olsson-Francis
- School of Environment, Earth and Ecosystem Sciences, Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, The Open University, Milton Keynes, United Kingdom
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Huidobro J, Aramendia J, Arana G, Madariaga JM. Reviewing in situ analytical techniques used to research Martian geochemistry: From the Viking Project to the MMX future mission. Anal Chim Acta 2022; 1197:339499. [DOI: 10.1016/j.aca.2022.339499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2021] [Revised: 01/11/2022] [Accepted: 01/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
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Kloprogge JT(T, Hartman H. Clays and the Origin of Life: The Experiments. Life (Basel) 2022; 12:life12020259. [PMID: 35207546 PMCID: PMC8880559 DOI: 10.3390/life12020259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2021] [Revised: 01/08/2022] [Accepted: 02/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
There are three groups of scientists dominating the search for the origin of life: the organic chemists (the Soup), the molecular biologists (RNA world), and the inorganic chemists (metabolism and transient-state metal ions), all of which have experimental adjuncts. It is time for Clays and the Origin of Life to have its experimental adjunct. The clay data coming from Mars and carbonaceous chondrites have necessitated a review of the role that clays played in the origin of life on Earth. The data from Mars have suggested that Fe-clays such as nontronite, ferrous saponites, and several other clays were formed on early Mars when it had sufficient water. This raised the question of the possible role that these clays may have played in the origin of life on Mars. This has put clays front and center in the studies on the origin of life not only on Mars but also here on Earth. One of the major questions is: What was the catalytic role of Fe-clays in the origin and development of metabolism here on Earth? First, there is the recent finding of a chiral amino acid (isovaline) that formed on the surface of a clay mineral on several carbonaceous chondrites. This points to the formation of amino acids on the surface of clay minerals on carbonaceous chondrites from simpler molecules, e.g., CO2, NH3, and HCN. Additionally, there is the catalytic role of small organic molecules, such as dicarboxylic acids and amino acids found on carbonaceous chondrites, in the formation of Fe-clays themselves. Amino acids and nucleotides adsorb on clay surfaces on Earth and subsequently polymerize. All of these observations and more must be subjected to strict experimental analysis. This review provides an overview of what has happened and is now happening in the experimental clay world related to the origin of life. The emphasis is on smectite-group clay minerals, such as montmorillonite and nontronite.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob Teunis (Theo) Kloprogge
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
- Department of Chemistry, College of Arts and Sciences, University of the Philippines Visayas, Miagao 5023, Philippines
- Correspondence: (J.T.K.); (H.H.)
| | - Hyman Hartman
- Department of Earth Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
- Correspondence: (J.T.K.); (H.H.)
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9
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Anita, Bullard JW, Banerjee S. Chemical transformations of extraterrestrial soils. TRENDS IN CHEMISTRY 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.trechm.2022.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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10
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Kelbrick M, Oliver JAW, Ramkissoon NK, Dugdale A, Stephens BP, Kucukkilic-Stephens E, Schwenzer SP, Antunes A, Macey MC. Microbes from Brine Systems with Fluctuating Salinity Can Thrive under Simulated Martian Chemical Conditions. Life (Basel) 2021; 12:life12010012. [PMID: 35054406 PMCID: PMC8781782 DOI: 10.3390/life12010012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2021] [Revised: 12/15/2021] [Accepted: 12/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
The waters that were present on early Mars may have been habitable. Characterising environments analogous to these waters and investigating the viability of their microbes under simulated martian chemical conditions is key to developing hypotheses on this habitability and potential biosignature formation. In this study, we examined the viability of microbes from the Anderton Brine Springs (United Kingdom) under simulated martian chemistries designed to simulate the chemical conditions of water that may have existed during the Hesperian. Associated changes in the fluid chemistries were also tested using inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES). The tested Hesperian fluid chemistries were shown to be habitable, supporting the growth of all of the Anderton Brine Spring isolates. However, inter and intra-generic variation was observed both in the ability of the isolates to tolerate more concentrated fluids and in their impact on the fluid chemistry. Therefore, whilst this study shows microbes from fluctuating brines can survive and grow in simulated martian water chemistry, further investigations are required to further define the potential habitability under past martian conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Kelbrick
- Biology Department, Edge Hill University, Ormskirk L39 4QP, UK;
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Behaviour, Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 3GJ, UK
- Correspondence: (M.K.); (M.C.M.)
| | | | - Nisha K. Ramkissoon
- AstrobiologyOU, School of Environment, Earth and Ecosystem Sciences, Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, The Open University, Milton Keynes MK7 6AA, UK; (N.K.R.); (B.P.S.); (E.K.-S.); (S.P.S.)
| | - Amy Dugdale
- AstrobiologyOU, School of Physical Sciences, Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, The Open University, Milton Keynes W23 F2H6, UK;
- Biology Department, Maynooth University, Maynooth, W23 F2H6 Kildare, Ireland
| | - Ben P. Stephens
- AstrobiologyOU, School of Environment, Earth and Ecosystem Sciences, Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, The Open University, Milton Keynes MK7 6AA, UK; (N.K.R.); (B.P.S.); (E.K.-S.); (S.P.S.)
| | - Ezgi Kucukkilic-Stephens
- AstrobiologyOU, School of Environment, Earth and Ecosystem Sciences, Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, The Open University, Milton Keynes MK7 6AA, UK; (N.K.R.); (B.P.S.); (E.K.-S.); (S.P.S.)
| | - Susanne P. Schwenzer
- AstrobiologyOU, School of Environment, Earth and Ecosystem Sciences, Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, The Open University, Milton Keynes MK7 6AA, UK; (N.K.R.); (B.P.S.); (E.K.-S.); (S.P.S.)
| | - André Antunes
- State Key Laboratory of Lunar and Planetary Sciences, Macau University of Science and Technology (MUST), Macau, China;
- China National Space Administration (CNSA), Macau Center for Space Exploration and Science, Macau, China
| | - Michael C. Macey
- AstrobiologyOU, School of Environment, Earth and Ecosystem Sciences, Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, The Open University, Milton Keynes MK7 6AA, UK; (N.K.R.); (B.P.S.); (E.K.-S.); (S.P.S.)
- Correspondence: (M.K.); (M.C.M.)
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11
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Royle SH, Watson JS, Sephton MA. Transformation of Cyanobacterial Biomolecules by Iron Oxides During Flash Pyrolysis: Implications for Mars Life-Detection Missions. ASTROBIOLOGY 2021; 21:1363-1386. [PMID: 34402652 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2020.2428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Answering the question of whether life ever existed on Mars is a key goal of both NASA's and ESA's imminent Mars rover missions. The obfuscatory effects of oxidizing salts, such as perchlorates and sulfates, on organic matter during thermal decomposition analysis techniques are well established. Less well studied are the transformative effects of iron oxides and (oxy)hydroxides, which are present in great abundances in the martian regolith. We examined the products of flash pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (a technique analogous to the thermal techniques employed by past, current, and future landed Mars missions) which form when the cyanobacteria Arthrospira platensis are heated in the presence of a variety of Mars-relevant iron-bearing minerals. We found that iron oxides/(oxy)hydroxides have transformative effects on the pyrolytic products of cyanobacterial biomolecules. Both the abundance and variety of molecular species detected were decreased as iron substrates transformed biomolecules, by both oxidative and reductive processes, into lower fidelity alkanes, aromatic and aryl-bonded hydrocarbons. Despite the loss of fidelity, a suite that contains mid-length alkanes and polyaromatic hydrocarbons and/or aryl-bonded molecules in iron-rich samples subjected to pyrolysis may allude to the transformation of cyanobacterially derived mid-long chain length fatty acids (particularly unsaturated fatty acids) originally present in the sample. Hematite was found to be the iron oxide with the lowest transformation potential, and because this iron oxide has a high affinity for codeposition of organic matter and preservation over geological timescales, sampling at Mars should target sediments/strata that have undergone a diagenetic history encouraging the dehydration, dihydroxylation, and oxidation of more reactive iron-bearing phases to hematite by looking for (mineralogical) evidence of the activity of oxidizing, acidic/neutral, and either hot or long-lived fluids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel H Royle
- Impacts and Astromaterials Research Centre, Department of Earth Science and Engineering, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Jonathan S Watson
- Impacts and Astromaterials Research Centre, Department of Earth Science and Engineering, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Mark A Sephton
- Impacts and Astromaterials Research Centre, Department of Earth Science and Engineering, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
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12
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A Review of the Phyllosilicates in Gale Crater as Detected by the CheMin Instrument on the Mars Science Laboratory, Curiosity Rover. MINERALS 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/min11080847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Curiosity, the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) rover, landed on Mars in August 2012 to investigate the ~3.5-billion-year-old (Ga) fluvio-lacustrine sedimentary deposits of Aeolis Mons (informally known as Mount Sharp) and the surrounding plains (Aeolis Palus) in Gale crater. After nearly nine years, Curiosity has traversed over 25 km, and the Chemistry and Mineralogy (CheMin) X-ray diffraction instrument on-board Curiosity has analyzed 30 drilled rock and three scooped soil samples to date. The principal strategic goal of the mission is to assess the habitability of Mars in its ancient past. Phyllosilicates are common in ancient Martian terrains dating to ~3.5–4 Ga and were detected from orbit in some of the lower strata of Mount Sharp. Phyllosilicates on Earth are important for harboring and preserving organics. On Mars, phyllosilicates are significant for exploration as they are hypothesized to be a marker for potential habitable environments. CheMin data demonstrate that ancient fluvio-lacustrine rocks in Gale crater contain up to ~35 wt. % phyllosilicates. Phyllosilicates are key indicators of past fluid–rock interactions, and variation in the structure and composition of phyllosilicates in Gale crater suggest changes in past aqueous environments that may have been habitable to microbial life with a variety of possible energy sources.
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13
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Veneranda M, Lopez-Reyes G, Manrique-Martinez JA, Sanz-Arranz A, Medina J, Pérez C, Quintana C, Moral A, Rodríguez JA, Zafra J, Nieto Calzada L, Rull F. Raman spectroscopy and planetary exploration: Testing the ExoMars/RLS system at the Tabernas Desert (Spain). Microchem J 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.microc.2021.106149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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14
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Royle SH, Tan JSW, Watson JS, Sephton MA. Pyrolysis of Carboxylic Acids in the Presence of Iron Oxides: Implications for Life Detection on Missions to Mars. ASTROBIOLOGY 2021; 21:673-691. [PMID: 33635150 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2020.2226] [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
The search for, and characterization of, organic matter on Mars is central to efforts in identifying habitable environments and detecting evidence of life in the martian surface and near surface. Iron oxides are ubiquitous in the martian regolith and are known to be associated with the deposition and preservation of organic matter in certain terrestrial environments, thus iron oxide-rich sediments are potential targets for life-detection missions. The most frequently used protocol for martian organic matter characterization (also planned for use on ExoMars) has been thermal extraction for the transfer of organic matter to gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) detectors. For the effective use of thermal extraction for martian samples, it is necessary to explore how potential biomarker organic molecules evolve during this process in the presence of iron oxides. We have thermally decomposed iron oxides simultaneously with (z)-octadec-9-enoic and n-octadecanoic acids and analyzed the products through pyrolysis-GC-MS. We found that the thermally driven dehydration, reduction, and recrystallization of iron oxides transformed fatty acids. Overall detectability of products greatly reduced, molecular diversity decreased, unsaturated products decreased, and aromatization increased. The severity of this effect increased as reduction potential of the iron oxide and inferred free radical formation increased. Of the iron oxides tested hematite showed the least transformative effects, followed by magnetite, goethite, then ferrihydrite. It was possible to identify the saturation state of the parent carboxylic acid at high (0.5 wt %) concentrations by the distribution of n-alkylbenzenes in the pyrolysis products. When selecting life-detection targets on Mars, localities where hematite is the dominant iron oxide could be targeted preferentially, otherwise thermal analysis of carboxylic acids, or similar biomarker molecules, will lead to enhanced polymerization, aromatization, and breakdown, which will in turn reduce the fidelity of the original biomarker, similar to changes normally observed during thermal maturation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel H Royle
- Department of Earth Science and Engineering, Impacts and Astromaterials Research Centre, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Jonathan S W Tan
- Department of Earth Science and Engineering, Impacts and Astromaterials Research Centre, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Jonathan S Watson
- Department of Earth Science and Engineering, Impacts and Astromaterials Research Centre, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Mark A Sephton
- Department of Earth Science and Engineering, Impacts and Astromaterials Research Centre, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
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15
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Prabhu A, Morrison SM, Eleish A, Zhong H, Huang F, Golden JJ, Perry SN, Hummer DR, Ralph J, Runyon SE, Fontaine K, Krivovichev S, Downs RT, Hazen RM, Fox P. Global earth mineral inventory: A data legacy. GEOSCIENCE DATA JOURNAL 2021; 8:74-89. [PMID: 34158935 PMCID: PMC8216291 DOI: 10.1002/gdj3.106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2020] [Accepted: 08/04/2020] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Minerals contain important clues to understanding the complex geologic history of Earth and other planetary bodies. Therefore, geologists have been collecting mineral samples and compiling data about these samples for centuries. These data have been used to better understand the movement of continental plates, the oxidation of Earth's atmosphere and the water regime of ancient martian landscapes. Datasets found at 'RRUFF.info/Evolution' and 'mindat.org' have documented a wealth of mineral occurrences around the world. One of the main goals in geoinformatics has been to facilitate discovery by creating and merging datasets from various scientific fields and using statistical methods and visualization tools to inspire and test hypotheses applicable to modelling Earth's past environments. To help achieve this goal, we have compiled physical, chemical and geological properties of minerals and linked them to the above-mentioned mineral occurrence datasets. As a part of the Deep Time Data Infrastructure, funded by the W.M. Keck Foundation, with significant support from the Deep Carbon Observatory (DCO) and the A.P. Sloan Foundation, GEMI ('Global Earth Mineral Inventory') was developed from the need of researchers to have all of the required mineral data visible in a single portal, connected by a robust, yet easy to understand schema. Our data legacy integrates these resources into a digestible format for exploration and analysis and has allowed researchers to gain valuable insights from mineralogical data. GEMI can be considered a network, with every node representing some feature of the datasets, for example, a node can represent geological parameters like colour, hardness or lustre. Exploring subnetworks gives the researcher a specific view of the data required for the task at hand. GEMI is accessible through the DCO Data Portal (https://dx.deepcarbon.net/11121/6200-6954-6634-8243-CC). We describe our efforts in compiling GEMI, the Data Policies for usage and sharing, and the evaluation metrics for this data legacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anirudh Prabhu
- Tetherless World Constellation, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, USA
| | - Shaunna M. Morrison
- Carnegie Institution for Science, Geophysical Laboratory, Washington, D.C., USA
| | - Ahmed Eleish
- Tetherless World Constellation, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, USA
| | - Hao Zhong
- Tetherless World Constellation, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, USA
| | - Fang Huang
- CSIRO Mineral Resources, Kensington, CBR, Australia
| | - Joshua J. Golden
- Department of Geosciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | | | - Daniel R. Hummer
- Department of Geology, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL, USA
| | | | - Simone E. Runyon
- Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA
| | - Kathleen Fontaine
- Tetherless World Constellation, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, USA
| | | | - Robert T. Downs
- Department of Geosciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Robert M. Hazen
- Carnegie Institution for Science, Geophysical Laboratory, Washington, D.C., USA
| | - Peter Fox
- Tetherless World Constellation, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, USA
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16
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A Review of Sample Analysis at Mars-Evolved Gas Analysis Laboratory Analog Work Supporting the Presence of Perchlorates and Chlorates in Gale Crater, Mars. MINERALS 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/min11050475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument on the Curiosity rover has detected evidence of oxychlorine compounds (i.e., perchlorates and chlorates) in Gale crater, which has implications for past habitability, diagenesis, aqueous processes, interpretation of in situ organic analyses, understanding the martian chlorine cycle, and hazards and resources for future human exploration. Pure oxychlorines and mixtures of oxychlorines with Mars-analog phases have been analyzed for their oxygen (O2) and hydrogen chloride (HCl) releases on SAM laboratory analog instruments in order to constrain which phases are present in Gale crater. These studies demonstrated that oxychlorines evolve O2 releases with peaks between ~200 and 600 °C, although the thermal decomposition temperatures and the amount of evolved O2 decrease when iron phases are present in the sample. Mg and Fe oxychlorines decompose into oxides and release HCl between ~200 and 542 °C. Ca, Na, and K oxychlorines thermally decompose into chlorides and do not evolve HCl by themselves. However, the chlorides (original or from oxychlorine decomposition) can react with water-evolving phases (e.g., phyllosilicates) in the sample and evolve HCl within the temperature range of SAM (<~870 °C). These laboratory analog studies support that the SAM detection of oxychlorine phases is consistent with the presence of Mg, Ca, Na, and K perchlorate and/or chlorate along with possible contributions from adsorbed oxychlorines in Gale crater samples.
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17
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Veneranda M, Lopez-Reyes G, Pascual Sanchez E, Krzesińska AM, Manrique-Martinez JA, Sanz-Arranz A, Lantz C, Lalla E, Moral A, Medina J, Poulet F, Dypvik H, Werner SC, Vago JL, Rull F. ExoMars Raman Laser Spectrometer: A Tool to Semiquantify the Serpentinization Degree of Olivine-Rich Rocks on Mars. ASTROBIOLOGY 2021; 21:307-322. [PMID: 33252242 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2020.2265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
We evaluated the effectiveness of the ExoMars Raman laser spectrometer (RLS) to determine the degree of serpentinization of olivine-rich units on Mars. We selected terrestrial analogs of martian ultramafic rocks from the Leka Ophiolite Complex (LOC) and analyzed them with both laboratory and flight-like analytical instruments. We first studied the mineralogical composition of the samples (mostly olivine and serpentine) with state-of-the-art diffractometric (X-ray diffractometry [XRD]) and spectroscopic (Raman, near-infrared spectroscopy [NIR]) laboratory systems. We compared these results with those obtained using our RLS ExoMars Simulator. Our work shows that the RLS ExoMars Simulator successfully identified all major phases. Moreover, when emulating the automatic operating mode of the flight instrument, the RLS ExoMars Simulator also detected several minor compounds (pyroxene and brucite), some of which were not observed by NIR and XRD (e.g., calcite). Thereafter, we produced RLS-dedicated calibration curves (R2 between 0.9993 and 0.9995 with an uncertainty between ±3.0% and ±5.2% with a confidence interval of 95%) to estimate the relative content of olivine and serpentine in the samples. Our results show that RLS can be very effective in identifying serpentine, a scientific target of primary importance for the potential detection of biosignatures on Mars-the main objective of the ExoMars rover mission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Veneranda
- Department of Condensed Matter Physics, Crystallography and Mineralogy, University of Valladolid, Valladolid, Spain
| | - Guillermo Lopez-Reyes
- Department of Condensed Matter Physics, Crystallography and Mineralogy, University of Valladolid, Valladolid, Spain
| | - Elena Pascual Sanchez
- Department of Condensed Matter Physics, Crystallography and Mineralogy, University of Valladolid, Valladolid, Spain
| | - Agata M Krzesińska
- Department of Geosciences, Centre for Earth Evolution and Dynamics, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | | | - Aurelio Sanz-Arranz
- Department of Condensed Matter Physics, Crystallography and Mineralogy, University of Valladolid, Valladolid, Spain
| | - Cateline Lantz
- Institut d'Astrophysique Spatiale, CNRS/Université Paris-Sud, Orsay, France
| | - Emmanuel Lalla
- Department of Earth and Space Science and Engineering, York University, Toronto, Canada
| | - Andoni Moral
- Department of Space Programs, Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial (INTA), Madrid, Spain
| | - Jesús Medina
- Department of Condensed Matter Physics, Crystallography and Mineralogy, University of Valladolid, Valladolid, Spain
| | - Francois Poulet
- Institut d'Astrophysique Spatiale, CNRS/Université Paris-Sud, Orsay, France
| | - Henning Dypvik
- Department of Geosciences, Centre for Earth Evolution and Dynamics, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Stephanie C Werner
- Department of Geosciences, Centre for Earth Evolution and Dynamics, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | | | - Fernando Rull
- Department of Condensed Matter Physics, Crystallography and Mineralogy, University of Valladolid, Valladolid, Spain
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18
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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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19
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Ding L, Huang L, Li S, Gao H, Deng H, Li Y, Liu G. Definition and Application of Variable Resistance Coefficient for Wheeled Mobile Robots on Deformable Terrain. IEEE T ROBOT 2020. [DOI: 10.1109/tro.2020.2981822] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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20
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Carrizo D, Muñoz-Iglesias V, Fernández-Sampedro MT, Gil-Lozano C, Sánchez-García L, Prieto-Ballesteros O, Medina J, Rull F. Detection of Potential Lipid Biomarkers in Oxidative Environments by Raman Spectroscopy and Implications for the ExoMars 2020-Raman Laser Spectrometer Instrument Performance. ASTROBIOLOGY 2020; 20:405-414. [PMID: 31985262 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2019.2100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The aim of the European Space Agency's ExoMars rover mission is to search for potential traces of present or past life in the swallow subsurface (2 m depth) of Mars. The ExoMars rover mission relies on a suite of analytical instruments envisioned to identify organic compounds with biological value (biomarkers) associated with a mineralogical matrix in a highly oxidative environment. We investigated the feasibility of detecting basic organics (linear and branched lipid molecules) with Raman laser spectroscopy, an instrument onboard the ExoMars rover, when exposed to oxidant conditions. We compared the detectability of six lipid molecules (alkanes, alkanols, fatty acid, and isoprenoid) before and after an oxidation treatment (15 days with hydrogen peroxide), with and without mineral matrix support (amorphous silica rich vs. iron rich). Raman and infrared spectrometry was combined with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry to determine detection limits and technical constraints. We observed different spectral responses to degradation depending on the lipid molecule and mineral substrate, with the silica-rich material showing better preservation of organic signals. These findings will contribute to the interpretation of Raman laser spectroscopy results on cores from the ExoMars rover landing site, the hydrated silica-enriched delta fan on Cogoon Vallis (Oxia Planum).
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Jesús Medina
- Unidad Asociada UVa-CSIC al Centro de Astrobiología (CSIC-INTA), University of Valladolid, Valladolid, Spain
| | - Fernando Rull
- Unidad Asociada UVa-CSIC al Centro de Astrobiología (CSIC-INTA), University of Valladolid, Valladolid, Spain
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21
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Martínez-Pabello PU, Navarro-González R, Walls X, Pi-Puig T, González-Chávez JL, de la Rosa JG, Molina P, Zamora O. Production of nitrates and perchlorates by laser ablation of sodium chloride in simulated Martian atmospheres. Implications for their formation by electric discharges in dust devils. LIFE SCIENCES IN SPACE RESEARCH 2019; 22:125-136. [PMID: 31421844 DOI: 10.1016/j.lssr.2019.02.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2018] [Revised: 02/25/2019] [Accepted: 02/25/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Nitrates and perchlorates are present both on Earth and Mars. In the Martian environment perchlorates dominate over nitrates whereas on Earth is contrariwise. This implies that the mechanisms responsible for their formation are different for both planets. The chemical elements required for their formation are nitrogen and chlorine, which are present in the atmosphere and surface, respectively. Dust in the Martian atmosphere causes atmospheric perturbations that lead to the development of dust-devils and sandstorms. Dust devils contain both chemical elements simultaneously, and normally generate high electric fields that can trigger the formation of electric discharges. Here we present laboratory experiments of this phenomenon using laser ablation of a sodium chloride (NaCl) plate in two different simulated atmospheres: (1) 96% CO2, 2% N2 and 2% Ar; and (2) 66% CO2, 33% N2 and 1% Ar. The dust that condensed and accumulated on the walls of the reactor was analyzed by different analytical techniques that included Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, visible spectroscopy using azo dyes, thermogravimetry/simultaneous thermal analyses coupled to mass spectrometry, powder X-ray diffraction, and ion chromatography. The main components of the ablated dust corresponded to NaCl ≥ 91.5%, sodium nitrate (NaNO3 = 1.6-6.0%), and sodium perchlorate (NaClO4 ∼ 0.2-0.3%). It is interesting to note that these salts formed in a dry process that is relevant to Mars today. A thermochemical model was used to understand the chemical steps that led to the formation of these salts in the gas phase. The NaNO3NaClO4 (wt/wt) ratio of this process was estimated to vary from 5.0 to 30.0; this ratio is too high compared to that found on Mars (NO3-ClO4- (wt/wt)) from 0.004 to 0.13). This implies that gaseous NaCl was not efficiently oxidized to perchlorate by the electric discharge process. We propose instead that gaseous metal chlorides (e.g., MgCl2, NaCl, CaCl2, KCl) were supplied to the atmosphere by the volatilization of chloride minerals present in the dust by electric discharges generated in dust devils and were subsequently oxidized to perchlorate by photochemical processes. Further work is required to assess the relative contribution of this possible source.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pável U Martínez-Pabello
- Laboratorio de Química de Plasmas y Estudios Planetarios, Instituto de Ciencias Nucleares, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Circuito Exterior, Ciudad Universitaria, Apartado Postal 70-543, Coyoacán, Ciudad de México 04510, Mexico
| | - Rafael Navarro-González
- Laboratorio de Química de Plasmas y Estudios Planetarios, Instituto de Ciencias Nucleares, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Circuito Exterior, Ciudad Universitaria, Apartado Postal 70-543, Coyoacán, Ciudad de México 04510, Mexico.
| | - Xavier Walls
- Laboratorio de Química de Plasmas y Estudios Planetarios, Instituto de Ciencias Nucleares, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Circuito Exterior, Ciudad Universitaria, Apartado Postal 70-543, Coyoacán, Ciudad de México 04510, Mexico
| | - Teresa Pi-Puig
- Departamento de Geoquímica, Instituto de Geología y LANGEM (Laboratorio Nacional de Geoquímica y Mineralogía), Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria 04510, Coyoacán, Ciudad de México 04510, Mexico
| | - José L González-Chávez
- Departamento de Química Analítica, Facultad de Química, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria, Coyoacán, Ciudad de México 04510, Mexico
| | - José G de la Rosa
- Laboratorio de Química de Plasmas y Estudios Planetarios, Instituto de Ciencias Nucleares, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Circuito Exterior, Ciudad Universitaria, Apartado Postal 70-543, Coyoacán, Ciudad de México 04510, Mexico
| | - Paola Molina
- Laboratorio de Química de Plasmas y Estudios Planetarios, Instituto de Ciencias Nucleares, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Circuito Exterior, Ciudad Universitaria, Apartado Postal 70-543, Coyoacán, Ciudad de México 04510, Mexico
| | - Olivia Zamora
- Departamento de Ciencias Ambientales y del Suelo, Instituto de Geología y LANGEM, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria 04510, Coyoacán, Ciudad de México 04510, Mexico
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Wang W, Amiri M, Huang T, Zakharov LN, Zhang Y, Nyman M. Stabilizing Reactive Fe(III) Clusters by Freeze-Dry/Solvent-Exchange To Benchmark Iron Hydrolysis Pathways. Inorg Chem 2019; 58:5555-5560. [PMID: 31008592 DOI: 10.1021/acs.inorgchem.8b03446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Isolating Fe(III) clusters from water without stabilizing ligands is significantly challenged by the high acidity of Fe3+-bound water, leading to uncontrolled precipitation of iron oxyhydroxides. Here we demonstrate a freeze-drying solvent-exchange method that enabled the isolation of a metastable Fe(III) sulfate decameric cluster formulated [Fe10O2(SO4)12(OCH3)2]·14CH3OH (Fe10). Without stabilization by solvent-exchange, the aqueous species undergoes rapid conversion to the iron sulfate mineral schwertmannite. Monitoring the hydrolysis process from cluster intermediates to schertmannite by small-angle X-ray scattering, we observe the progression from Fe10 to 37 Å soluble nanoparticles prior to the precipitation process. This condensation behavior of Fe10 is further exploited to develop a simple laboratory synthesis of schwetmannite. In addition, we demonstrate the versatility of the freeze-drying solvent-exchange method by isolating Al(III), Zn(II), and Cd(II) substituted Fe(III) sulfate clusters. The freeze-drying solvent-exchange method provides a unique opportunity to isolate cluster intermediates and models to aid in our understanding of metal-ion hydrolysis processes in environmental, material science, and geological studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Wang
- Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Materials Chemistry and Physics , Fujian Institute of Research on the Structure of Matter, Chinese Academy of Sciences , 155 Yangqiao Road West , Fuzhou , Fujian 350002 , People's Republic of China
| | - Mehran Amiri
- Department of Chemistry , Oregon State University , 153 Gilbert Hall , Corvallis , Oregon 97331 , United States
| | - Tao Huang
- Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Materials Chemistry and Physics , Fujian Institute of Research on the Structure of Matter, Chinese Academy of Sciences , 155 Yangqiao Road West , Fuzhou , Fujian 350002 , People's Republic of China
| | - Lev N Zakharov
- Department of Chemistry , Oregon State University , 153 Gilbert Hall , Corvallis , Oregon 97331 , United States
| | - Yining Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Materials Chemistry and Physics , Fujian Institute of Research on the Structure of Matter, Chinese Academy of Sciences , 155 Yangqiao Road West , Fuzhou , Fujian 350002 , People's Republic of China
| | - May Nyman
- Department of Chemistry , Oregon State University , 153 Gilbert Hall , Corvallis , Oregon 97331 , United States
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Tosca NJ, Ahmed IA, Tutolo BM, Ashpitel A, Hurowitz JA. Magnetite Authigenesis and the Warming of Early Mars. NATURE GEOSCIENCE 2018; 11:635-639. [PMID: 30123317 PMCID: PMC6092749 DOI: 10.1038/s41561-018-0203-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2018] [Accepted: 07/10/2018] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
The Curiosity rover has documented lacustrine sediments at Gale Crater, but how liquid water became physically stable on the early Martian surface is a matter of significant debate. To constrain the composition of the early Martian atmosphere during sediment deposition, we experimentally investigated the nucleation and growth kinetics of authigenic Fe-minerals in Gale Crater mudstones. Experiments show that pH variations within anoxic basaltic waters trigger a series of mineral transformations that rapidly generate magnetite and H2(aq). Magnetite continues to form through this mechanism despite high PCO2 and supersaturation with respect to Fe-carbonate minerals. Reactive transport simulations that incorporate these experimental data show that groundwater infiltration into a lake equilibrated with a CO2-rich atmosphere can trigger the production of both magnetite and H2(aq) in the mudstones. H2(aq), generated at concentrations that would readily exsolve from solution, is capable of increasing annual mean surface temperatures above freezing in CO2-dominated atmospheres. We therefore suggest that magnetite authigenesis could have provided a short-term feedback for stabilizing liquid water, as well as a principal feedstock for biologically relevant chemical reactions, at the early Martian surface.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas J. Tosca
- Dept. of Earth Sciences, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3AN, UK
| | - Imad A.M. Ahmed
- Dept. of Earth Sciences, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3AN, UK
| | - Benjamin M. Tutolo
- Department of Geoscience, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Alice Ashpitel
- Dept. of Earth Sciences, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3AN, UK
| | - Joel A. Hurowitz
- Department of Geosciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-2100, USA
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Hou X, Ding T, Deng Z, Yu Z, Xue P, Cao P, Tang T. Study of the creeping of irregularly shaped Martian dust particles based on DEM-CFD. POWDER TECHNOL 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.powtec.2018.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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Bebout G, Banerjee N, Izawa M, Kobayashi K, Lazzeri K, Ranieri L, Nakamura E. Nitrogen Concentrations and Isotopic Compositions of Seafloor-Altered Terrestrial Basaltic Glass: Implications for Astrobiology. ASTROBIOLOGY 2018; 18:330-342. [PMID: 29106312 PMCID: PMC5867513 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2017.1708] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2017] [Accepted: 10/03/2017] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Observed enrichments of N (and the δ15N of this N) in volcanic glasses altered on Earth's modern and ancient seafloor are relevant in considerations of modern global N subduction fluxes and ancient life on Earth, and similarly altered glasses on Mars and other extraterrestrial bodies could serve as valuable tracers of biogeochemical processes. Palagonitized glasses and whole-rock samples of volcanic rocks on the modern seafloor (ODP Site 1256D) contain 3-18 ppm N with δ15Nair values of up to +4.5‰. Variably altered glasses from Mesozoic ophiolites (Troodos, Cyprus; Stonyford volcanics, USA) contain 2-53 ppm N with δ15N of -6.3 to +7‰. All of the more altered glasses have N concentrations higher than those of fresh volcanic glass (for MORB, <2 ppm N), reflecting significant N enrichment, and most of the altered glasses have δ15N considerably higher than that of their unaltered glass equivalents (for MORB, -5 ± 2‰). Circulation of hydrothermal fluids, in part induced by nearby spreading-center magmatism, could have leached NH4+ from sediments then fixed this NH4+ in altering volcanic glasses. Glasses from each site contain possible textural evidence for microbial activity in the form of microtubules, but any role of microbes in producing the N enrichments and elevated δ15N remains uncertain. Petrographic analysis, and imaging and chemical analyses by scanning electron microscopy and scanning transmission electron microscopy, indicate the presence of phyllosilicates (smectite, illite) in both the palagonitized cracks and the microtubules. These phyllosilicates (particularly illite), and possibly also zeolites, are the likely hosts for N in these glasses. Key Words: Nitrogen-Nitrogen isotope-Palagonite-Volcanic glass-Mars. Astrobiology 18, 330-342.
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Affiliation(s)
- G.E. Bebout
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, USA
- Pheasant Memorial Laboratory for Geochemistry and Cosmochemistry, Institute for Planetary Materials, Okayama University, Misasa, Japan
| | - N.R. Banerjee
- Department of Earth Sciences, Western University, London, Canada
| | - M.R.M. Izawa
- Pheasant Memorial Laboratory for Geochemistry and Cosmochemistry, Institute for Planetary Materials, Okayama University, Misasa, Japan
- Department of Earth Sciences, Western University, London, Canada
| | - K. Kobayashi
- Pheasant Memorial Laboratory for Geochemistry and Cosmochemistry, Institute for Planetary Materials, Okayama University, Misasa, Japan
| | - K. Lazzeri
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - L.A. Ranieri
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - E. Nakamura
- Pheasant Memorial Laboratory for Geochemistry and Cosmochemistry, Institute for Planetary Materials, Okayama University, Misasa, Japan
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Sklute EC, Rogers AD, Gregerson JC, Jensen HB, Reeder RJ, Dyar MD. Amorphous salts formed from rapid dehydration of multicomponent chloride and ferric sulfate brines: Implications for Mars. ICARUS 2018; 302:285-295. [PMID: 29670302 PMCID: PMC5901898 DOI: 10.1016/j.icarus.2017.11.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Salts with high hydration states have the potential to maintain high levels of relative humidity (RH) in the near subsurface of Mars, even at moderate temperatures. These conditions could promote deliquescence of lower hydrates of ferric sulfate, chlorides, and other salts. Previous work on deliquesced ferric sulfates has shown that when these materials undergo rapid dehydration, such as that which would occur upon exposure to present day Martian surface conditions, an amorphous phase forms. However, the fate of deliquesced halides or mixed ferric sulfate-bearing brines are presently unknown. Here we present results of rapid dehydration experiments on Ca-, Na-, Mg- and Fe-chloride brines and multi-component (Fe2 (SO4)3 ± Ca, Na, Mg, Fe, Cl, HCO3) brines at ∼21°C, and characterize the dehydration products using visible/near-infrared (VNIR) reflectance spectroscopy, mid-infrared attenuated total reflectance spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. We find that rapid dehydration of many multicomponent brines can form amorphous solids or solids with an amorphous component, and that the presence of other elements affects the persistence of the amorphous phase under RH fluctuations. Of the pure chloride brines, only Fe-chloride formed an amorphous solid. XRD patterns of the multicomponent amorphous salts show changes in position, shape, and magnitude of the characteristic diffuse scattering observed in all amorphous materials that could be used to help constrain the composition of the amorphous salt. Amorphous salts deliquesce at lower RH values compared to their crystalline counterparts, opening up the possibility of their role in potential deliquescence-related geologic phenomena such as recurring slope lineae (RSLs) or soil induration. This work suggests that a wide range of aqueous mixed salt solutions can lead to the formation of amorphous salts and are possible for Mars; detailed studies of the formation mechanisms, stability and transformation behaviors of amorphous salts are necessary to further constrain their contribution to Martian surface materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth C. Sklute
- Department of Astronomy, Mount Holyoke College, 50 College St., South Hadley, MA 01075, USA
| | - A. Deanne Rogers
- Department of Geoscience, Stony Brook University, 255 Earth and Space Science Building, Stony Brook, NY 11794-2100, USA
| | - Jason C. Gregerson
- Department of Geoscience, Stony Brook University, 255 Earth and Space Science Building, Stony Brook, NY 11794-2100, USA
| | - Heidi B. Jensen
- Department of Geoscience, Stony Brook University, 255 Earth and Space Science Building, Stony Brook, NY 11794-2100, USA
| | - Richard J. Reeder
- Department of Geoscience, Stony Brook University, 255 Earth and Space Science Building, Stony Brook, NY 11794-2100, USA
| | - M. Darby Dyar
- Department of Astronomy, Mount Holyoke College, 50 College St., South Hadley, MA 01075, USA
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Bishop JL, Fairén AG, Michalski JR, Gago-Duport L, Baker LL, Velbel MA, Gross C, Rampe EB. Surface clay formation during short-term warmer and wetter conditions on a largely cold ancient Mars. NATURE ASTRONOMY 2018; 2:260-213. [PMID: 32042926 PMCID: PMC7008931 DOI: 10.1038/s41550-017-0377-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2017] [Accepted: 12/27/2017] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
The ancient rock record for Mars has long been at odds with climate modelling. The presence of valley networks, dendritic channels and deltas on ancient terrains points towards running water and fluvial erosion on early Mars1, but climate modelling indicates that long-term warm conditions were not sustainable2. Widespread phyllosilicates and other aqueous minerals on the Martian surface3-6 provide additional evidence that an early wet Martian climate resulted in surface weathering. Some of these phyllosilicates formed in subsurface crustal environments5, with no association with the Martian climate, while other phyllosilicate-rich outcrops exhibit layered morphologies and broad stratigraphies7 consistent with surface formation. Here, we develop a new geochemical model for early Mars to explain the formation of these clay-bearing rocks in warm and wet surface locations. We propose that sporadic, short-term warm and wet environments during a generally cold early Mars enabled phyllosilicate formation without requiring long-term warm and wet conditions. We conclude that Mg-rich clay-bearing rocks with lateral variations in mixed Fe/Mg smectite, chlorite, talc, serpentine and zeolite occurrences formed in subsurface hydrothermal environments, whereas dioctahedral (Al/Fe3+-rich) smectite and widespread vertical horizonation of Fe/Mg smectites, clay assemblages and sulphates formed in variable aqueous environments on the surface of Mars. Our model for aluminosilicate formation on Mars is consistent with the observed geological features, diversity of aqueous mineralogies in ancient surface rocks and state-of-the-art palaeoclimate scenarios.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janice L. Bishop
- SETI Institute, Mountain View, CA, USA
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA, USA
| | - Alberto G. Fairén
- Centro de Astrobiología (Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial), Madrid, Spain
- Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Joseph R. Michalski
- Department of Earth Sciences & Laboratory for Space Research, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | | | | | - Michael A. Velbel
- Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
- Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USA
| | | | - Elizabeth B. Rampe
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration-Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX, USA
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Ehlmann BL, Edgett KS, Sutter B, Achilles CN, Litvak ML, Lapotre MGA, Sullivan R, Fraeman AA, Arvidson RE, Blake DF, Bridges NT, Conrad PG, Cousin A, Downs RT, Gabriel TSJ, Gellert R, Hamilton VE, Hardgrove C, Johnson JR, Kuhn S, Mahaffy PR, Maurice S, McHenry M, Meslin PY, Ming DW, Minitti ME, Morookian JM, Morris RV, O'Connell-Cooper CD, Pinet PC, Rowland SK, Schröder S, Siebach KL, Stein NT, Thompson LM, Vaniman DT, Vasavada AR, Wellington DF, Wiens RC, Yen AS. Chemistry, mineralogy, and grain properties at Namib and High dunes, Bagnold dune field, Gale crater, Mars: A synthesis of Curiosity rover observations. JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH. PLANETS 2017; 122:2510-2543. [PMID: 29497589 DOI: 10.1002/2016je005225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2017] [Revised: 05/18/2017] [Accepted: 05/19/2017] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
The Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover performed coordinated measurements to examine the textures and compositions of aeolian sands in the active Bagnold dune field. The Bagnold sands are rounded to subrounded, very fine to medium sized (~45-500 μm) with ≥6 distinct grain colors. In contrast to sands examined by Curiosity in a dust-covered, inactive bedform called Rocknest and soils at other landing sites, Bagnold sands are darker, less red, better sorted, have fewer silt-sized or smaller grains, and show no evidence for cohesion. Nevertheless, Bagnold mineralogy and Rocknest mineralogy are similar with plagioclase, olivine, and pyroxenes in similar proportions comprising >90% of crystalline phases, along with a substantial amorphous component (35% ± 15%). Yet Bagnold and Rocknest bulk chemistry differ. Bagnold sands are Si enriched relative to other soils at Gale crater, and H2O, S, and Cl are lower relative to all previously measured Martian soils and most Gale crater rocks. Mg, Ni, Fe, and Mn are enriched in the coarse-sieved fraction of Bagnold sands, corroborated by visible/near-infrared spectra that suggest enrichment of olivine. Collectively, patterns in major element chemistry and volatile release data indicate two distinctive volatile reservoirs in Martian soils: (1) amorphous components in the sand-sized fraction (represented by Bagnold) that are Si-enriched, hydroxylated alteration products and/or H2O- or OH-bearing impact or volcanic glasses and (2) amorphous components in the fine fraction (<40 μm; represented by Rocknest and other bright soils) that are Fe, S, and Cl enriched with low Si and adsorbed and structural H2O.
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29
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Ehlmann BL, Edgett KS, Sutter B, Achilles CN, Litvak ML, Lapotre MGA, Sullivan R, Fraeman AA, Arvidson RE, Blake DF, Bridges NT, Conrad PG, Cousin A, Downs RT, Gabriel TSJ, Gellert R, Hamilton VE, Hardgrove C, Johnson JR, Kuhn S, Mahaffy PR, Maurice S, McHenry M, Meslin P, Ming DW, Minitti ME, Morookian JM, Morris RV, O'Connell‐Cooper CD, Pinet PC, Rowland SK, Schröder S, Siebach KL, Stein NT, Thompson LM, Vaniman DT, Vasavada AR, Wellington DF, Wiens RC, Yen AS. Chemistry, mineralogy, and grain properties at Namib and High dunes, Bagnold dune field, Gale crater, Mars: A synthesis of Curiosity rover observations. JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH. PLANETS 2017; 122:2510-2543. [PMID: 29497589 PMCID: PMC5815393 DOI: 10.1002/2017je005267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2017] [Revised: 05/18/2017] [Accepted: 05/19/2017] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
The Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover performed coordinated measurements to examine the textures and compositions of aeolian sands in the active Bagnold dune field. The Bagnold sands are rounded to subrounded, very fine to medium sized (~45-500 μm) with ≥6 distinct grain colors. In contrast to sands examined by Curiosity in a dust-covered, inactive bedform called Rocknest and soils at other landing sites, Bagnold sands are darker, less red, better sorted, have fewer silt-sized or smaller grains, and show no evidence for cohesion. Nevertheless, Bagnold mineralogy and Rocknest mineralogy are similar with plagioclase, olivine, and pyroxenes in similar proportions comprising >90% of crystalline phases, along with a substantial amorphous component (35% ± 15%). Yet Bagnold and Rocknest bulk chemistry differ. Bagnold sands are Si enriched relative to other soils at Gale crater, and H2O, S, and Cl are lower relative to all previously measured Martian soils and most Gale crater rocks. Mg, Ni, Fe, and Mn are enriched in the coarse-sieved fraction of Bagnold sands, corroborated by visible/near-infrared spectra that suggest enrichment of olivine. Collectively, patterns in major element chemistry and volatile release data indicate two distinctive volatile reservoirs in Martian soils: (1) amorphous components in the sand-sized fraction (represented by Bagnold) that are Si-enriched, hydroxylated alteration products and/or H2O- or OH-bearing impact or volcanic glasses and (2) amorphous components in the fine fraction (<40 μm; represented by Rocknest and other bright soils) that are Fe, S, and Cl enriched with low Si and adsorbed and structural H2O.
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Abstract
Spectral remote sensing in the visible/near-infrared (VNIR) and mid-IR (MIR) regions has enabled detection and characterisation of multiple clays and clay minerals on Earth and in the Solar System. Remote sensing on Earth poses the greatest challenge due to atmospheric absorptions that interfere with detection of surface minerals. Still, a greater variety of clay minerals have been observed on Earth than other bodies due to extensive aqueous alteration on our planet. Clay minerals have arguably been mapped in more detail on the planet Mars because they are not masked by vegetation on that planet and the atmosphere is less of a hindrance. Fe/Mg-smectite is the most abundant clay mineral on the surface of Mars and is also common in meteorites and comets where clay minerals are detected.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janice L Bishop
- SETI Institute, Carl Sagan Center, 189 Bernardo Ave, Suite 200, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA
| | | | - John Carter
- Institut d'Astrophysique Spatiale, CNRS/Paris-Sud University, Orsay, France
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31
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Flores-McLaughlin J. Radiation transport simulation of the Martian GCR surface flux and dose estimation using spherical geometry in PHITS compared to MSL-RAD measurements. LIFE SCIENCES IN SPACE RESEARCH 2017; 14:36-42. [PMID: 28887942 DOI: 10.1016/j.lssr.2017.07.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2017] [Revised: 07/16/2017] [Accepted: 07/21/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Planetary bodies and spacecraft are predominantly exposed to isotropic radiation environments that are subject to transport and interaction in various material compositions and geometries. Specifically, the Martian surface radiation environment is composed of galactic cosmic radiation, secondary particles produced by their interaction with the Martian atmosphere, albedo particles from the Martian regolith and occasional solar particle events. Despite this complex physical environment with potentially significant locational and geometric dependencies, computational resources often limit radiation environment calculations to a one-dimensional or slab geometry specification. To better account for Martian geometry, spherical volumes with respective Martian material densities are adopted in this model. This physical description is modeled with the PHITS radiation transport code and compared to a portion of measurements from the Radiation Assessment Detector of the Mars Science Laboratory. Particle spectra measured between 15 November 2015 and 15 January 2016 and PHITS model results calculated for this time period are compared. Results indicate good agreement between simulated dose rates, proton, neutron and gamma spectra. This work was originally presented at the 1st Mars Space Radiation Modeling Workshop held in 2016 in Boulder, CO.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Flores-McLaughlin
- University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA; Space Radiation Analysis Group, NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX, USA.
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Chow BJ, Chen T, Zhong Y, Qiao Y. Direct Formation of Structural Components Using a Martian Soil Simulant. Sci Rep 2017; 7:1151. [PMID: 28450723 PMCID: PMC5430746 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-01157-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2016] [Accepted: 03/27/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Martian habitats are ideally constructed using only locally available soils; extant attempts to process structural materials on Mars, however, generally require additives or calcination. In this work we demonstrate that Martian soil simulant Mars-1a can be directly compressed at ambient into a strong solid without additives, highlighting a possible aspect of complete Martian in-situ resource utilization. Flexural strength of the compact is not only determined by the compaction pressure but also significantly influenced by the lateral boundary condition of processing loading. The compression loading can be applied either quasi-statically or through impact. Nanoparticulate iron oxide (npOx), commonly detected in Martian regolith, is identified as the bonding agent. Gas permeability of compacted samples was measured to be on the order of 10-16 m2, close to that of solid rocks. The compaction procedure is adaptive to additive manufacturing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian J Chow
- Department of Structural Engineering, University of California - San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0085, USA
| | - Tzehan Chen
- Program of Materials Science and Engineering, University of California - San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Ying Zhong
- Program of Materials Science and Engineering, University of California - San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Yu Qiao
- Department of Structural Engineering, University of California - San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093-0085, USA. .,Program of Materials Science and Engineering, University of California - San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA.
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33
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Korablev OI, Dobrolensky Y, Evdokimova N, Fedorova AA, Kuzmin RO, Mantsevich SN, Cloutis EA, Carter J, Poulet F, Flahaut J, Griffiths A, Gunn M, Schmitz N, Martín-Torres J, Zorzano MP, Rodionov DS, Vago JL, Stepanov AV, Titov AY, Vyazovetsky NA, Trokhimovskiy AY, Sapgir AG, Kalinnikov YK, Ivanov YS, Shapkin AA, Ivanov AY. Infrared Spectrometer for ExoMars: A Mast-Mounted Instrument for the Rover. ASTROBIOLOGY 2017; 17:542-564. [PMID: 28731817 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2016.1543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
ISEM (Infrared Spectrometer for ExoMars) is a pencil-beam infrared spectrometer that will measure reflected solar radiation in the near infrared range for context assessment of the surface mineralogy in the vicinity of the ExoMars rover. The instrument will be accommodated on the mast of the rover and will be operated together with the panoramic camera (PanCam), high-resolution camera (HRC). ISEM will study the mineralogical and petrographic composition of the martian surface in the vicinity of the rover, and in combination with the other remote sensing instruments, it will aid in the selection of potential targets for close-up investigations and drilling sites. Of particular scientific interest are water-bearing minerals, such as phyllosilicates, sulfates, carbonates, and minerals indicative of astrobiological potential, such as borates, nitrates, and ammonium-bearing minerals. The instrument has an ∼1° field of view and covers the spectral range between 1.15 and 3.30 μm with a spectral resolution varying from 3.3 nm at 1.15 μm to 28 nm at 3.30 μm. The ISEM optical head is mounted on the mast, and its electronics box is located inside the rover's body. The spectrometer uses an acousto-optic tunable filter and a Peltier-cooled InAs detector. The mass of ISEM is 1.74 kg, including the electronics and harness. The science objectives of the experiment, the instrument design, and operational scenarios are described. Key Words: ExoMars-ISEM-Mars-Surface-Mineralogy-Spectroscopy-AOTF-Infrared. Astrobiology 17, 542-564.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Ruslan O Kuzmin
- 1 Space Research Institute IKI , Moscow, Russia
- 2 Vernadsky Institute of Geochemistry and Analytical Chemistry GEOKHI , Moscow, Russia
| | - Sergei N Mantsevich
- 1 Space Research Institute IKI , Moscow, Russia
- 3 Department of Physics, Lomonosov Moscow State University , Russia
| | | | - John Carter
- 5 Institut d'Astrophysique Spatiale IAS-CNRS/Université Paris Sud , Orsay, France
| | - Francois Poulet
- 5 Institut d'Astrophysique Spatiale IAS-CNRS/Université Paris Sud , Orsay, France
| | - Jessica Flahaut
- 6 Université Lyon 1 , ENS-Lyon, CNRS, UMR 5276 LGL-TPE, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Andrew Griffiths
- 7 Mullard Space Science Laboratory, University College London , Dorking, United Kingdom
| | - Matthew Gunn
- 8 Department of Physics, Aberystwyth University , Aberystwyth, United Kingdom
| | | | - Javier Martín-Torres
- 10 Division of Space Technology, Department of Computer Science, Electrical and Space Engineering, Luleå University of Technology , Kiruna, Sweden
- 11 Instituto Andaluz de Ciencias de la Tierra (CSIC-UGR) , Granada, Spain
| | - Maria-Paz Zorzano
- 10 Division of Space Technology, Department of Computer Science, Electrical and Space Engineering, Luleå University of Technology , Kiruna, Sweden
- 12 Centro de Astrobiología (INTA-CSIC) , Madrid, Spain
| | | | | | - Alexander V Stepanov
- 1 Space Research Institute IKI , Moscow, Russia
- 3 Department of Physics, Lomonosov Moscow State University , Russia
| | | | | | | | | | - Yurii K Kalinnikov
- 14 National Research Institute for Physicotechnical and Radio Engineering Measurements VNIIFTRI , Mendeleevo, Russia
| | - Yurii S Ivanov
- 15 Main Astronomical Observatory MAO NASU , Kyiv, Ukraine
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Maynard-Casely HE. ‘Peaks in space’ – crystallography in planetary science: past impacts and future opportunities. CRYSTALLOGR REV 2016. [DOI: 10.1080/0889311x.2016.1242127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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Lapotre MGA, Ewing RC, Lamb MP, Fischer WW, Grotzinger JP, Rubin DM, Lewis KW, Ballard MJ, Day M, Gupta S, Banham SG, Bridges NT, Des Marais DJ, Fraeman AA, Grant JA, Herkenhoff KE, Ming DW, Mischna MA, Rice MS, Sumner DY, Vasavada AR, Yingst RA. Large wind ripples on Mars: A record of atmospheric evolution. Science 2016; 353:55-8. [DOI: 10.1126/science.aaf3206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 124] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2016] [Accepted: 05/31/2016] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- M. G. A. Lapotre
- Division of Geological and Planetary Science, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - R. C. Ewing
- Department of Geology and Geophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - M. P. Lamb
- Division of Geological and Planetary Science, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - W. W. Fischer
- Division of Geological and Planetary Science, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - J. P. Grotzinger
- Division of Geological and Planetary Science, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - D. M. Rubin
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
| | - K. W. Lewis
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - M. J. Ballard
- Department of Geology and Geophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - M. Day
- Jackson School of Geosciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - S. Gupta
- Department of Earth Science and Engineering, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - S. G. Banham
- Department of Earth Science and Engineering, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - N. T. Bridges
- Applied Physics Laboratory, Johns Hopkins University, Laurel, MD 20723, USA
| | | | - A. A. Fraeman
- Division of Geological and Planetary Science, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA
| | - J. A. Grant
- National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20560, USA
| | - K. E. Herkenhoff
- Astrogeology Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, Flagstaff, AZ 86001-1698, USA
| | - D. W. Ming
- NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX 77058, USA
| | - M. A. Mischna
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA
| | - M. S. Rice
- Geology Department, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA 98225-9080, USA
| | - D. Y. Sumner
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - A. R. Vasavada
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA
| | - R. A. Yingst
- Planetary Science Institute, Tucson, AZ 85719, USA
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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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Arvidson RE, Iagnemma KD, Maimone M, Fraeman AA, Zhou F, Heverly MC, Bellutta P, Rubin D, Stein NT, Grotzinger JP, Vasavada AR. Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity Rover Megaripple Crossings up to Sol 710 in Gale Crater. J FIELD ROBOT 2016. [DOI: 10.1002/rob.21647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Raymond E. Arvidson
- McDonnell Center for the Space Sciences, Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences; Washington University in St. Louis; St. Louis Missouri 63130
| | - Karl D. Iagnemma
- Robotic Mobility Group; Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Cambridge Massachusetts 02139
| | - Mark Maimone
- California Institute of Technology/ Jet Propulsion Laboratory; Pasadena California 91011
| | - Abigail A. Fraeman
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences; California Institute of Technology; Pasadena California 91125
| | - Feng Zhou
- McDonnell Center for the Space Sciences, Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences; Washington University in St. Louis; St. Louis Missouri 63130
| | - Matthew C. Heverly
- California Institute of Technology/ Jet Propulsion Laboratory; Pasadena California 91011
| | - Paolo Bellutta
- California Institute of Technology/ Jet Propulsion Laboratory; Pasadena California 91011
| | - David Rubin
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences; University of California at Santa Cruz; Santa Cruz California 91125
| | - Nathan T. Stein
- McDonnell Center for the Space Sciences, Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences; Washington University in St. Louis; St. Louis Missouri 63130
| | - John P. Grotzinger
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences; California Institute of Technology; Pasadena California 91125
| | - Ashwin R. Vasavada
- California Institute of Technology/ Jet Propulsion Laboratory; Pasadena California 91011
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Treiman AH, Bish DL, Vaniman DT, Chipera SJ, Blake DF, Ming DW, Morris RV, Bristow TF, Morrison SM, Baker MB, Rampe EB, Downs RT, Filiberto J, Glazner AF, Gellert R, Thompson LM, Schmidt ME, Le Deit L, Wiens RC, McAdam AC, Achilles CN, Edgett KS, Farmer JD, Fendrich KV, Grotzinger JP, Gupta S, Morookian JM, Newcombe ME, Rice MS, Spray JG, Stolper EM, Sumner DY, Vasavada AR, Yen AS. Mineralogy, provenance, and diagenesis of a potassic basaltic sandstone on Mars: CheMin X-ray diffraction of the Windjana sample (Kimberley area, Gale Crater). JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH. PLANETS 2016; 121:75-106. [PMID: 27134806 PMCID: PMC4845591 DOI: 10.1002/2015je004932] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2015] [Revised: 12/10/2015] [Accepted: 12/21/2015] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
The Windjana drill sample, a sandstone of the Dillinger member (Kimberley formation, Gale Crater, Mars), was analyzed by CheMin X-ray diffraction (XRD) in the MSL Curiosity rover. From Rietveld refinements of its XRD pattern, Windjana contains the following: sanidine (21% weight, ~Or95); augite (20%); magnetite (12%); pigeonite; olivine; plagioclase; amorphous and smectitic material (~25%); and percent levels of others including ilmenite, fluorapatite, and bassanite. From mass balance on the Alpha Proton X-ray Spectrometer (APXS) chemical analysis, the amorphous material is Fe rich with nearly no other cations-like ferrihydrite. The Windjana sample shows little alteration and was likely cemented by its magnetite and ferrihydrite. From ChemCam Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectrometer (LIBS) chemical analyses, Windjana is representative of the Dillinger and Mount Remarkable members of the Kimberley formation. LIBS data suggest that the Kimberley sediments include at least three chemical components. The most K-rich targets have 5.6% K2O, ~1.8 times that of Windjana, implying a sediment component with >40% sanidine, e.g., a trachyte. A second component is rich in mafic minerals, with little feldspar (like a shergottite). A third component is richer in plagioclase and in Na2O, and is likely to be basaltic. The K-rich sediment component is consistent with APXS and ChemCam observations of K-rich rocks elsewhere in Gale Crater. The source of this sediment component was likely volcanic. The presence of sediment from many igneous sources, in concert with Curiosity's identifications of other igneous materials (e.g., mugearite), implies that the northern rim of Gale Crater exposes a diverse igneous complex, at least as diverse as that found in similar-age terranes on Earth.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - David L Bish
- Department of Geological Sciences Indiana University Bloomington Indiana USA
| | | | | | - David F Blake
- NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field California USA
| | - Doug W Ming
- Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science Division NASA Johnson Space Center Houston Texas USA
| | - Richard V Morris
- Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science Division NASA Johnson Space Center Houston Texas USA
| | | | | | - Michael B Baker
- Division of Geologic and Planetary Sciences California Institute of Technology Pasadena California USA
| | - Elizabeth B Rampe
- Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science Division NASA Johnson Space Center Houston Texas USA
| | - Robert T Downs
- Department of Geosciences University of Arizona Tucson Arizona USA
| | - Justin Filiberto
- Department of Geology Southern Illinois University Carbondale Illinois USA
| | - Allen F Glazner
- Department of Geological Sciences University of North Carolina Chapel Hill North Carolina USA
| | - Ralf Gellert
- Department of Physics University of Guelf Guelph Ontario Canada
| | - Lucy M Thompson
- Department of Earth Sciences University of New Brunswick Fredericton New Brunswick Canada
| | - Mariek E Schmidt
- Department of Earth Sciences Brock University St. Catharines Ontario Canada
| | - Laetitia Le Deit
- Laboratoire Planétologie et Géodynamique de Nantes, LPGN/CNRS UMR6112, and Université de Nantes Nantes France
| | - Roger C Wiens
- Space Remote Sensing Los Alamos National Laboratory Los Alamos New Mexico USA
| | - Amy C McAdam
- NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt Maryland USA
| | - Cherie N Achilles
- Department of Geological Sciences Indiana University Bloomington Indiana USA
| | | | - Jack D Farmer
- School of Earth and Space Exploration Arizona State University Tempe Arizona USA
| | - Kim V Fendrich
- Department of Geosciences University of Arizona Tucson Arizona USA
| | - John P Grotzinger
- Division of Geologic and Planetary Sciences California Institute of Technology Pasadena California USA
| | - Sanjeev Gupta
- Department of Earth Science and Engineering Imperial College London UK
| | | | - Megan E Newcombe
- Division of Geologic and Planetary Sciences California Institute of Technology Pasadena California USA
| | - Melissa S Rice
- Department of Earth Sciences Western Washington University Bellingham Washington USA
| | - John G Spray
- Department of Earth Sciences University of New Brunswick Fredericton New Brunswick Canada
| | - Edward M Stolper
- Division of Geologic and Planetary Sciences California Institute of Technology Pasadena California USA
| | - Dawn Y Sumner
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences University of California Davis California USA
| | - Ashwin R Vasavada
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory California Institute of Technology Pasadena California USA
| | - Albert S Yen
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory California Institute of Technology Pasadena California USA
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Adcock CT, Hausrath EM. Weathering Profiles in Phosphorus-Rich Rocks at Gusev Crater, Mars, Suggest Dissolution of Phosphate Minerals into Potentially Habitable Near-Neutral Waters. ASTROBIOLOGY 2015; 15:1060-1075. [PMID: 26684505 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2015.1291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
UNLABELLED Abundant evidence indicates that significant surface and near-surface liquid water has existed on Mars in the past. Evaluating the potential for habitable environments on Mars requires an understanding of the chemical and physical conditions that prevailed in such aqueous environments. Among the geological features that may hold evidence of past environmental conditions on Mars are weathering profiles, such as those in the phosphorus-rich Wishstone-class rocks in Gusev Crater. The weathering profiles in these rocks indicate that a Ca-phosphate mineral has been lost during past aqueous interactions. The high phosphorus content of these rocks and potential release of phosphorus during aqueous interactions also make them of astrobiological interest, as phosphorus is among the elements required for all known life. In this work, we used Mars mission data, laboratory-derived kinetic and thermodynamic data, and data from terrestrial analogues, including phosphorus-rich basalts from Idaho, to model a conceptualized Wishstone-class rock using the reactive transport code CrunchFlow. Modeling results most consistent with the weathering profiles in Wishstone-class rocks suggest a combination of chemical and physical erosion and past aqueous interactions with near-neutral waters. The modeling results also indicate that multiple Ca-phosphate minerals are likely in Wishstone-class rocks, consistent with observations of martian meteorites. These findings suggest that Gusev Crater experienced a near-neutral phosphate-bearing aqueous environment that may have been conducive to life on Mars in the past. KEY WORDS Mars-Gusev Crater-Wishstone-Reactive transport modeling-CrunchFlow-Aqueous interactions-Neutral pH-Habitability.
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Metalliferous Biosignatures for Deep Subsurface Microbial Activity. ORIGINS LIFE EVOL B 2015; 46:107-18. [PMID: 26376912 PMCID: PMC4679111 DOI: 10.1007/s11084-015-9466-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2015] [Accepted: 09/01/2015] [Indexed: 10/29/2022]
Abstract
The interaction of microbes and metals is widely assumed to have occurred in surface or very shallow subsurface environments. However new evidence suggests that much microbial activity occurs in the deep subsurface. Fluvial, lacustrine and aeolian 'red beds' contain widespread centimetre-scale reduction spheroids in which a pale reduced spheroid in otherwise red rocks contains a metalliferous core. Most of the reduction of Fe (III) in sediments is caused by Fe (III) reducing bacteria. They have the potential to reduce a range of metals and metalloids, including V, Cu, Mo, U and Se, by substituting them for Fe (III) as electron acceptors, which are all elements common in reduction spheroids. The spheroidal morphology indicates that they were formed at depth, after compaction, which is consistent with a microbial formation. Given that the consequences of Fe (III) reduction have a visual expression, they are potential biosignatures during exploration of the terrestrial and extraterrestrial geological record. There is debate about the energy available from Fe (III) reduction on Mars, but the abundance of iron in Martian soils makes it one of the most valuable prospects for life there. Entrapment of the microbes themselves as fossils is possible, but a more realistic target during the exploration of Mars would be the colour contrasts reflecting selective reduction or oxidation. This can be achieved by analysing quartz grains across a reduction spheroid using Raman spectroscopy, which demonstrates its suitability for life detection in subsurface environments. Microbial action is the most suitable explanation for the formation of reduction spheroids and may act as metalliferous biosignatures for deep subsurface microbial activity.
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Bristow TF, Bish DL, Vaniman DT, Morris RV, Blake DF, Grotzinger JP, Rampe EB, Crisp JA, Achilles CN, Ming DW, Ehlmann BL, King PL, Bridges JC, Eigenbrode JL, Sumner DY, Chipera SJ, Moorokian JM, Treiman AH, Morrison SM, Downs RT, Farmer JD, Marais DD, Sarrazin P, Floyd MM, Mischna MA, McAdam AC. The origin and implications of clay minerals from Yellowknife Bay, Gale crater, Mars. THE AMERICAN MINERALOGIST 2015; 100:824-836. [PMID: 28798492 DOI: 10.2138/am-2015-5077ccbyncn] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
The Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) rover Curiosity has documented a section of fluvio-lacustrine strata at Yellowknife Bay (YKB), an embayment on the floor of Gale crater, approximately 500 m east of the Bradbury landing site. X-ray diffraction (XRD) data and evolved gas analysis (EGA) data from the CheMin and SAM instruments show that two powdered mudstone samples (named John Klein and Cumberland) drilled from the Sheepbed member of this succession contain up to ~20 wt% clay minerals. A trioctahedral smectite, likely a ferrian saponite, is the only clay mineral phase detected in these samples. Smectites of the two samples exhibit different 001 spacing under the low partial pressures of H2O inside the CheMin instrument (relative humidity <1%). Smectite interlayers in John Klein collapsed sometime between clay mineral formation and the time of analysis to a basal spacing of 10 Å, but largely remain open in the Cumberland sample with a basal spacing of ~13.2 Å. Partial intercalation of Cumberland smectites by metal-hydroxyl groups, a common process in certain pedogenic and lacustrine settings on Earth, is our favored explanation for these differences. The relatively low abundances of olivine and enriched levels of magnetite in the Sheepbed mudstone, when compared with regional basalt compositions derived from orbital data, suggest that clay minerals formed with magnetite in situ via aqueous alteration of olivine. Mass-balance calculations are permissive of such a reaction. Moreover, the Sheepbed mudstone mineral assemblage is consistent with minimal inputs of detrital clay minerals from the crater walls and rim. Early diagenetic fabrics suggest clay mineral formation prior to lithification. Thermodynamic modeling indicates that the production of authigenic magnetite and saponite at surficial temperatures requires a moderate supply of oxidants, allowing circum-neutral pH. The kinetics of olivine alteration suggest the presence of fluids for thousands to hundreds of thousands of years. Mineralogical evidence of the persistence of benign aqueous conditions at YKB for extended periods indicates a potentially habitable environment where life could establish itself. Mediated oxidation of Fe2+ in olivine to Fe3+ in magnetite, and perhaps in smectites provided a potential energy source for organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas F Bristow
- Exobiology Branch, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California 94035, U.S.A
| | - David L Bish
- Department of Geological Sciences, Indiana University, 1001 East Tenth Street, Bloomington, Indiana, 47405, U.S.A
| | - David T Vaniman
- Planetary Science Institute, 1700 E. Fort Lowell, Tucson, Arizona 85719-2395, U.S.A
| | - Richard V Morris
- ARES Division, NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas 77058, U.S.A
| | - David F Blake
- Exobiology Branch, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California 94035, U.S.A
| | - John P Grotzinger
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, 1200 E. California Boulevard, Pasadena, California 91125, U.S.A
| | - Elizabeth B Rampe
- ARES Division, NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas 77058, U.S.A
| | - Joy A Crisp
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, California 91109, U.S.A
| | - Cherie N Achilles
- Department of Geological Sciences, Indiana University, 1001 East Tenth Street, Bloomington, Indiana, 47405, U.S.A
| | - Doug W Ming
- ARES Division, NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas 77058, U.S.A
| | - Bethany L Ehlmann
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, 1200 E. California Boulevard, Pasadena, California 91125, U.S.A
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, California 91109, U.S.A
| | - Penelope L King
- Research School of Earth Sciences, Australian National University, Canberra ACT 0200, Australia
- Department of Physics, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - John C Bridges
- Space Research Center, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH, U.K
| | | | - Dawn Y Sumner
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of California, Davis, California 95616, U.S.A
| | - Steve J Chipera
- Chesapeake Energy Corporation, 6100 N. Western Avenue, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73118, U.S.A
| | - John Michael Moorokian
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, California 91109, U.S.A
| | - Allan H Treiman
- Lunar and Planetary Institute, 3600 Bay Area Boulevard, Houston, Texas 77058, U.S.A
| | - Shaunna M Morrison
- Department of Geology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721, U.S.A
| | - Robert T Downs
- Department of Geology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721, U.S.A
| | - Jack D Farmer
- Department of Geological Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85281, U.S.A
| | - David Des Marais
- Exobiology Branch, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California 94035, U.S.A
| | | | - Melissa M Floyd
- NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland 20771, U.S.A
| | - Michael A Mischna
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, California 91109, U.S.A
| | - Amy C McAdam
- NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland 20771, U.S.A
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Sklute EC, Jensen HB, Rogers AD, Reeder RJ. Morphological, structural, and spectral characteristics of amorphous iron sulfates. JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH. PLANETS 2015; 120:809-830. [PMID: 29675340 PMCID: PMC5903680 DOI: 10.1002/2014je004784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Current or past brine hydrologic activity on Mars may provide suitable conditions for the formation of amorphous ferric sulfates. Once formed, these phases would likely be stable under current Martian conditions, particularly at low- to mid-latitudes. Therefore, we consider amorphous iron sulfates (AIS) as possible components of Martian surface materials. Laboratory AIS were created through multiple synthesis routes and characterized with total X-ray scattering, thermogravimetric analysis, scanning electron microscopy, visible/near-infrared (VNIR), thermal infrared (TIR), and Mössbauer techniques. We synthesized amorphous ferric sulfates (Fe(III)2(SO4)3 · ~ 6-8H2O) from sulfate-saturated fluids via vacuum dehydration or exposure to low relative humidity (<11%). Amorphous ferrous sulfate (Fe(II)SO4 · ~1H2O) was synthesized via vacuum dehydration of melanterite. All AIS lack structural order beyond 11 Å. The short-range (<5 Å) structural characteristics of amorphous ferric sulfates resemble all crystalline reference compounds; structural characteristics for the amorphous ferrous sulfate are similar to but distinct from both rozenite and szomolnokite. VNIR and TIR spectral data for all AIS display broad, muted features consistent with structural disorder and are spectrally distinct from all crystalline sulfates considered for comparison. Mössbauer spectra are also distinct from crystalline phase spectra available for comparison. AIS should be distinguishable from crystalline sulfates based on the position of their Fe-related absorptions in the visible range and their spectral characteristics in the TIR. In the NIR, bands associated with hydration at ~1.4 and 1.9 μm are significantly broadened, which greatly reduces their detectability in soil mixtures. AIS may contribute to the amorphous fraction of soils measured by the Curiosity rover.
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Affiliation(s)
- E. C. Sklute
- Department of Geosciences, State University of New York at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, New York, USA
- Now at Department of Astronomy, Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley, Massachusetts, USA
| | - H. B. Jensen
- Department of Geosciences, State University of New York at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, New York, USA
| | - A. D. Rogers
- Department of Geosciences, State University of New York at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, New York, USA
| | - R. J. Reeder
- Department of Geosciences, State University of New York at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, New York, USA
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43
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Bristow TF, Bish DL, Vaniman DT, Morris RV, Blake DF, Grotzinger JP, Rampe EB, Crisp JA, Achilles CN, Ming DW, Ehlmann BL, King PL, Bridges JC, Eigenbrode JL, Sumner DY, Chipera SJ, Moorokian JM, Treiman AH, Morrison SM, Downs RT, Farmer JD, Marais DD, Sarrazin P, Floyd MM, Mischna MA, McAdam AC. The origin and implications of clay minerals from Yellowknife Bay, Gale crater, Mars. THE AMERICAN MINERALOGIST 2015. [PMID: 28798492 DOI: 10.2138/am-2014-5077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
The Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) rover Curiosity has documented a section of fluvio-lacustrine strata at Yellowknife Bay (YKB), an embayment on the floor of Gale crater, approximately 500 m east of the Bradbury landing site. X-ray diffraction (XRD) data and evolved gas analysis (EGA) data from the CheMin and SAM instruments show that two powdered mudstone samples (named John Klein and Cumberland) drilled from the Sheepbed member of this succession contain up to ~20 wt% clay minerals. A trioctahedral smectite, likely a ferrian saponite, is the only clay mineral phase detected in these samples. Smectites of the two samples exhibit different 001 spacing under the low partial pressures of H2O inside the CheMin instrument (relative humidity <1%). Smectite interlayers in John Klein collapsed sometime between clay mineral formation and the time of analysis to a basal spacing of 10 Å, but largely remain open in the Cumberland sample with a basal spacing of ~13.2 Å. Partial intercalation of Cumberland smectites by metal-hydroxyl groups, a common process in certain pedogenic and lacustrine settings on Earth, is our favored explanation for these differences. The relatively low abundances of olivine and enriched levels of magnetite in the Sheepbed mudstone, when compared with regional basalt compositions derived from orbital data, suggest that clay minerals formed with magnetite in situ via aqueous alteration of olivine. Mass-balance calculations are permissive of such a reaction. Moreover, the Sheepbed mudstone mineral assemblage is consistent with minimal inputs of detrital clay minerals from the crater walls and rim. Early diagenetic fabrics suggest clay mineral formation prior to lithification. Thermodynamic modeling indicates that the production of authigenic magnetite and saponite at surficial temperatures requires a moderate supply of oxidants, allowing circum-neutral pH. The kinetics of olivine alteration suggest the presence of fluids for thousands to hundreds of thousands of years. Mineralogical evidence of the persistence of benign aqueous conditions at YKB for extended periods indicates a potentially habitable environment where life could establish itself. Mediated oxidation of Fe2+ in olivine to Fe3+ in magnetite, and perhaps in smectites provided a potential energy source for organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas F Bristow
- Exobiology Branch, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California 94035, U.S.A
| | - David L Bish
- Department of Geological Sciences, Indiana University, 1001 East Tenth Street, Bloomington, Indiana, 47405, U.S.A
| | - David T Vaniman
- Planetary Science Institute, 1700 E. Fort Lowell, Tucson, Arizona 85719-2395, U.S.A
| | - Richard V Morris
- ARES Division, NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas 77058, U.S.A
| | - David F Blake
- Exobiology Branch, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California 94035, U.S.A
| | - John P Grotzinger
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, 1200 E. California Boulevard, Pasadena, California 91125, U.S.A
| | - Elizabeth B Rampe
- ARES Division, NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas 77058, U.S.A
| | - Joy A Crisp
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, California 91109, U.S.A
| | - Cherie N Achilles
- Department of Geological Sciences, Indiana University, 1001 East Tenth Street, Bloomington, Indiana, 47405, U.S.A
| | - Doug W Ming
- ARES Division, NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas 77058, U.S.A
| | - Bethany L Ehlmann
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, 1200 E. California Boulevard, Pasadena, California 91125, U.S.A
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, California 91109, U.S.A
| | - Penelope L King
- Research School of Earth Sciences, Australian National University, Canberra ACT 0200, Australia
- Department of Physics, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - John C Bridges
- Space Research Center, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH, U.K
| | | | - Dawn Y Sumner
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of California, Davis, California 95616, U.S.A
| | - Steve J Chipera
- Chesapeake Energy Corporation, 6100 N. Western Avenue, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73118, U.S.A
| | - John Michael Moorokian
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, California 91109, U.S.A
| | - Allan H Treiman
- Lunar and Planetary Institute, 3600 Bay Area Boulevard, Houston, Texas 77058, U.S.A
| | - Shaunna M Morrison
- Department of Geology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721, U.S.A
| | - Robert T Downs
- Department of Geology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721, U.S.A
| | - Jack D Farmer
- Department of Geological Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85281, U.S.A
| | - David Des Marais
- Exobiology Branch, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California 94035, U.S.A
| | | | - Melissa M Floyd
- NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland 20771, U.S.A
| | - Michael A Mischna
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, California 91109, U.S.A
| | - Amy C McAdam
- NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland 20771, U.S.A
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Bristow TF, Bish DL, Vaniman DT, Morris RV, Blake DF, Grotzinger JP, Rampe EB, Crisp JA, Achilles CN, Ming DW, Ehlmann BL, King PL, Bridges JC, Eigenbrode JL, Sumner DY, Chipera SJ, Moorokian JM, Treiman AH, Morrison SM, Downs RT, Farmer JD, Marais DD, Sarrazin P, Floyd MM, Mischna MA, McAdam AC. The origin and implications of clay minerals from Yellowknife Bay, Gale crater, Mars. THE AMERICAN MINERALOGIST 2015; 100:824-836. [PMID: 28798492 PMCID: PMC5548523 DOI: 10.2138/am-2015-5077ccbyncnd] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
The Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) rover Curiosity has documented a section of fluvio-lacustrine strata at Yellowknife Bay (YKB), an embayment on the floor of Gale crater, approximately 500 m east of the Bradbury landing site. X-ray diffraction (XRD) data and evolved gas analysis (EGA) data from the CheMin and SAM instruments show that two powdered mudstone samples (named John Klein and Cumberland) drilled from the Sheepbed member of this succession contain up to ~20 wt% clay minerals. A trioctahedral smectite, likely a ferrian saponite, is the only clay mineral phase detected in these samples. Smectites of the two samples exhibit different 001 spacing under the low partial pressures of H2O inside the CheMin instrument (relative humidity <1%). Smectite interlayers in John Klein collapsed sometime between clay mineral formation and the time of analysis to a basal spacing of 10 Å, but largely remain open in the Cumberland sample with a basal spacing of ~13.2 Å. Partial intercalation of Cumberland smectites by metal-hydroxyl groups, a common process in certain pedogenic and lacustrine settings on Earth, is our favored explanation for these differences. The relatively low abundances of olivine and enriched levels of magnetite in the Sheepbed mudstone, when compared with regional basalt compositions derived from orbital data, suggest that clay minerals formed with magnetite in situ via aqueous alteration of olivine. Mass-balance calculations are permissive of such a reaction. Moreover, the Sheepbed mudstone mineral assemblage is consistent with minimal inputs of detrital clay minerals from the crater walls and rim. Early diagenetic fabrics suggest clay mineral formation prior to lithification. Thermodynamic modeling indicates that the production of authigenic magnetite and saponite at surficial temperatures requires a moderate supply of oxidants, allowing circum-neutral pH. The kinetics of olivine alteration suggest the presence of fluids for thousands to hundreds of thousands of years. Mineralogical evidence of the persistence of benign aqueous conditions at YKB for extended periods indicates a potentially habitable environment where life could establish itself. Mediated oxidation of Fe2+ in olivine to Fe3+ in magnetite, and perhaps in smectites provided a potential energy source for organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas F. Bristow
- Exobiology Branch, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California 94035, U.S.A
| | - David L. Bish
- Department of Geological Sciences, Indiana University, 1001 East Tenth Street, Bloomington, Indiana, 47405, U.S.A
| | - David T. Vaniman
- Planetary Science Institute, 1700 E. Fort Lowell, Tucson, Arizona 85719-2395, U.S.A
| | - Richard V. Morris
- ARES Division, NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas 77058, U.S.A
| | - David F. Blake
- Exobiology Branch, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California 94035, U.S.A
| | - John P. Grotzinger
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, 1200 E. California Boulevard, Pasadena, California 91125, U.S.A
| | | | - Joy A. Crisp
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, California 91109, U.S.A
| | - Cherie N. Achilles
- Department of Geological Sciences, Indiana University, 1001 East Tenth Street, Bloomington, Indiana, 47405, U.S.A
| | - Doug W. Ming
- ARES Division, NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas 77058, U.S.A
| | - Bethany L. Ehlmann
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, 1200 E. California Boulevard, Pasadena, California 91125, U.S.A
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, California 91109, U.S.A
| | - Penelope L. King
- Research School of Earth Sciences, Australian National University, Canberra ACT 0200, Australia
- Department of Physics, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - John C. Bridges
- Space Research Center, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH, U.K
| | | | - Dawn Y. Sumner
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of California, Davis, California 95616, U.S.A
| | - Steve J. Chipera
- Chesapeake Energy Corporation, 6100 N. Western Avenue, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73118, U.S.A
| | - John Michael Moorokian
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, California 91109, U.S.A
| | - Allan H. Treiman
- Lunar and Planetary Institute, 3600 Bay Area Boulevard, Houston, Texas 77058, U.S.A
| | | | - Robert T. Downs
- Department of Geology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721, U.S.A
| | - Jack D. Farmer
- Department of Geological Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85281, U.S.A
| | - David Des Marais
- Exobiology Branch, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California 94035, U.S.A
| | | | - Melissa M. Floyd
- NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland 20771, U.S.A
| | - Michael A. Mischna
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, California 91109, U.S.A
| | - Amy C. McAdam
- NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland 20771, U.S.A
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Evidence for indigenous nitrogen in sedimentary and aeolian deposits from the Curiosity rover investigations at Gale crater, Mars. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2015; 112:4245-50. [PMID: 25831544 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1420932112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 145] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) investigation on the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) Curiosity rover has detected oxidized nitrogen-bearing compounds during pyrolysis of scooped aeolian sediments and drilled sedimentary deposits within Gale crater. Total N concentrations ranged from 20 to 250 nmol N per sample. After subtraction of known N sources in SAM, our results support the equivalent of 110-300 ppm of nitrate in the Rocknest (RN) aeolian samples, and 70-260 and 330-1,100 ppm nitrate in John Klein (JK) and Cumberland (CB) mudstone deposits, respectively. Discovery of indigenous martian nitrogen in Mars surface materials has important implications for habitability and, specifically, for the potential evolution of a nitrogen cycle at some point in martian history. The detection of nitrate in both wind-drifted fines (RN) and in mudstone (JK, CB) is likely a result of N2 fixation to nitrate generated by thermal shock from impact or volcanic plume lightning on ancient Mars. Fixed nitrogen could have facilitated the development of a primitive nitrogen cycle on the surface of ancient Mars, potentially providing a biochemically accessible source of nitrogen.
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Freissinet C, Glavin DP, Mahaffy PR, Miller KE, Eigenbrode JL, Summons RE, Brunner AE, Buch A, Szopa C, Archer PD, Franz HB, Atreya SK, Brinckerhoff WB, Cabane M, Coll P, Conrad PG, Des Marais DJ, Dworkin JP, Fairén AG, François P, Grotzinger JP, Kashyap S, ten Kate IL, Leshin LA, Malespin CA, Martin MG, Martin-Torres FJ, McAdam AC, Ming DW, Navarro-González R, Pavlov AA, Prats BD, Squyres SW, Steele A, Stern JC, Sumner DY, Sutter B, Zorzano MP. Organic molecules in the Sheepbed Mudstone, Gale Crater, Mars. JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH. PLANETS 2015; 120:495-514. [PMID: 26690960 PMCID: PMC4672966 DOI: 10.1002/2014je004737] [Citation(s) in RCA: 155] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2014] [Revised: 01/12/2015] [Accepted: 02/13/2015] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
UNLABELLED The Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument on board the Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover is designed to conduct inorganic and organic chemical analyses of the atmosphere and the surface regolith and rocks to help evaluate the past and present habitability potential of Mars at Gale Crater. Central to this task is the development of an inventory of any organic molecules present to elucidate processes associated with their origin, diagenesis, concentration, and long-term preservation. This will guide the future search for biosignatures. Here we report the definitive identification of chlorobenzene (150-300 parts per billion by weight (ppbw)) and C2 to C4 dichloroalkanes (up to 70 ppbw) with the SAM gas chromatograph mass spectrometer (GCMS) and detection of chlorobenzene in the direct evolved gas analysis (EGA) mode, in multiple portions of the fines from the Cumberland drill hole in the Sheepbed mudstone at Yellowknife Bay. When combined with GCMS and EGA data from multiple scooped and drilled samples, blank runs, and supporting laboratory analog studies, the elevated levels of chlorobenzene and the dichloroalkanes cannot be solely explained by instrument background sources known to be present in SAM. We conclude that these chlorinated hydrocarbons are the reaction products of Martian chlorine and organic carbon derived from Martian sources (e.g., igneous, hydrothermal, atmospheric, or biological) or exogenous sources such as meteorites, comets, or interplanetary dust particles. KEY POINTS First in situ evidence of nonterrestrial organics in Martian surface sediments Chlorinated hydrocarbons identified in the Sheepbed mudstone by SAM Organics preserved in sample exposed to ionizing radiation and oxidative condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Freissinet
- Solar System Exploration Division, NASA Goddard Space Flight CenterGreenbelt, Maryland, USA
- NASA Postdoctoral Program, Oak Ridge Associated UniversitiesOak Ridge, Tennessee, USA
- Correspondence to:
C. Freissinet and P. R. Mahaffy,, ,
| | - D P Glavin
- Solar System Exploration Division, NASA Goddard Space Flight CenterGreenbelt, Maryland, USA
| | - P R Mahaffy
- Solar System Exploration Division, NASA Goddard Space Flight CenterGreenbelt, Maryland, USA
- Correspondence to:
C. Freissinet and P. R. Mahaffy,, ,
| | - K E Miller
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - J L Eigenbrode
- Solar System Exploration Division, NASA Goddard Space Flight CenterGreenbelt, Maryland, USA
| | - R E Summons
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - A E Brunner
- Solar System Exploration Division, NASA Goddard Space Flight CenterGreenbelt, Maryland, USA
- Center for Research and Exploration in Space Science & Technology, University of MarylandCollege Park, Maryland, USA
| | - A Buch
- Laboratoire de Génie des Procédés et Matériaux, Ecole Centrale ParisChâtenay-Malabry, France
| | - C Szopa
- Laboratoire Atmosphères, Milieux, Observations Spatiales, Pierre and Marie Curie University, Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, and CNRSParis, France
| | - P D Archer
- Jacobs, NASA Johnson Space CenterHouston, Texas, USA
| | - H B Franz
- Solar System Exploration Division, NASA Goddard Space Flight CenterGreenbelt, Maryland, USA
- Center for Research and Exploration in Space Science & Technology, University of Maryland, Baltimore CountyBaltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - S K Atreya
- Department of Atmospheric, Oceanic and Space Sciences, University of MichiganAnn Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - W B Brinckerhoff
- Solar System Exploration Division, NASA Goddard Space Flight CenterGreenbelt, Maryland, USA
| | - M Cabane
- Laboratoire Atmosphères, Milieux, Observations Spatiales, Pierre and Marie Curie University, Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, and CNRSParis, France
| | - P Coll
- Laboratoire Interuniversitaire des Systèmes Atmosphériques, Université Paris-Est Créteil, Paris VII–Denis Diderot University, and CNRSCréteil, France
| | - P G Conrad
- Solar System Exploration Division, NASA Goddard Space Flight CenterGreenbelt, Maryland, USA
| | - D J Des Marais
- Exobiology Branch, NASA Ames Research CenterMoffett Field, California, USA
| | - J P Dworkin
- Solar System Exploration Division, NASA Goddard Space Flight CenterGreenbelt, Maryland, USA
| | - A G Fairén
- Department of Astronomy, Cornell UniversityIthaca, New York, USA
- Centro de Astrobiología, INTA-CSICMadrid, Spain
| | - P François
- Department of Atmospheric, Oceanic and Space Sciences, University of MichiganAnn Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - J P Grotzinger
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of TechnologyPasadena, California, USA
| | - S Kashyap
- Solar System Exploration Division, NASA Goddard Space Flight CenterGreenbelt, Maryland, USA
- Center for Research and Exploration in Space Science & Technology, University of Maryland, Baltimore CountyBaltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - I L ten Kate
- Earth Sciences Department, Utrecht UniversityUtrecht, Netherlands
| | - L A Leshin
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences and School of Science, Rensselaer Polytechnic InstituteTroy, New York, USA
| | - C A Malespin
- Solar System Exploration Division, NASA Goddard Space Flight CenterGreenbelt, Maryland, USA
- Goddard Earth Sciences and Technologies and Research, Universities Space Research AssociationColumbia, Maryland, USA
| | - M G Martin
- Solar System Exploration Division, NASA Goddard Space Flight CenterGreenbelt, Maryland, USA
- Department of Chemistry, Catholic University of AmericaWashington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - F J Martin-Torres
- Instituto Andaluz de Ciencias de la Tierra (CSIC-UGR)Granada, Spain
- Division of Space Technology, Department of Computer Science, Electrical and Space Engineering, Luleå University of TechnologyKiruna, Sweden
| | - A C McAdam
- Solar System Exploration Division, NASA Goddard Space Flight CenterGreenbelt, Maryland, USA
| | - D W Ming
- Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science Directorate, NASA Johnson Space CenterHouston, Texas, USA
| | - R Navarro-González
- Instituto de Ciencias Nucleares, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad UniversitariaMéxico City, Mexico
| | - A A Pavlov
- Solar System Exploration Division, NASA Goddard Space Flight CenterGreenbelt, Maryland, USA
| | - B D Prats
- Solar System Exploration Division, NASA Goddard Space Flight CenterGreenbelt, Maryland, USA
| | - S W Squyres
- Department of Astronomy, Cornell UniversityIthaca, New York, USA
| | - A Steele
- Geophysical Laboratory, Carnegie Institution of WashingtonWashington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - J C Stern
- Solar System Exploration Division, NASA Goddard Space Flight CenterGreenbelt, Maryland, USA
| | - D Y Sumner
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of CaliforniaDavis, California, USA
| | - B Sutter
- Jacobs, NASA Johnson Space CenterHouston, Texas, USA
| | - M-P Zorzano
- Centro de Astrobiologia (INTA-CSIC)Madrid, Spain
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47
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Freissinet C, Glavin DP, Mahaffy PR, Miller KE, Eigenbrode JL, Summons RE, Brunner AE, Buch A, Szopa C, Archer PD, Franz HB, Atreya SK, Brinckerhoff WB, Cabane M, Coll P, Conrad PG, Des Marais DJ, Dworkin JP, Fairén AG, François P, Grotzinger JP, Kashyap S, Ten Kate IL, Leshin LA, Malespin CA, Martin MG, Martin-Torres FJ, McAdam AC, Ming DW, Navarro-González R, Pavlov AA, Prats BD, Squyres SW, Steele A, Stern JC, Sumner DY, Sutter B, Zorzano MP. Organic molecules in the Sheepbed Mudstone, Gale Crater, Mars. JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH. PLANETS 2015; 120:495-514. [PMID: 26690960 DOI: 10.1002/2015je004884.received] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2014] [Revised: 01/12/2015] [Accepted: 02/13/2015] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
UNLABELLED The Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument on board the Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover is designed to conduct inorganic and organic chemical analyses of the atmosphere and the surface regolith and rocks to help evaluate the past and present habitability potential of Mars at Gale Crater. Central to this task is the development of an inventory of any organic molecules present to elucidate processes associated with their origin, diagenesis, concentration, and long-term preservation. This will guide the future search for biosignatures. Here we report the definitive identification of chlorobenzene (150-300 parts per billion by weight (ppbw)) and C2 to C4 dichloroalkanes (up to 70 ppbw) with the SAM gas chromatograph mass spectrometer (GCMS) and detection of chlorobenzene in the direct evolved gas analysis (EGA) mode, in multiple portions of the fines from the Cumberland drill hole in the Sheepbed mudstone at Yellowknife Bay. When combined with GCMS and EGA data from multiple scooped and drilled samples, blank runs, and supporting laboratory analog studies, the elevated levels of chlorobenzene and the dichloroalkanes cannot be solely explained by instrument background sources known to be present in SAM. We conclude that these chlorinated hydrocarbons are the reaction products of Martian chlorine and organic carbon derived from Martian sources (e.g., igneous, hydrothermal, atmospheric, or biological) or exogenous sources such as meteorites, comets, or interplanetary dust particles. KEY POINTS First in situ evidence of nonterrestrial organics in Martian surface sediments Chlorinated hydrocarbons identified in the Sheepbed mudstone by SAM Organics preserved in sample exposed to ionizing radiation and oxidative condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Freissinet
- Solar System Exploration Division, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, Maryland, USA ; NASA Postdoctoral Program, Oak Ridge Associated Universities Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA
| | - D P Glavin
- Solar System Exploration Division, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, Maryland, USA
| | - P R Mahaffy
- Solar System Exploration Division, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, Maryland, USA
| | - K E Miller
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - J L Eigenbrode
- Solar System Exploration Division, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, Maryland, USA
| | - R E Summons
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - A E Brunner
- Solar System Exploration Division, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, Maryland, USA ; Center for Research and Exploration in Space Science & Technology, University of Maryland College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - A Buch
- Laboratoire de Génie des Procédés et Matériaux, Ecole Centrale Paris Châtenay-Malabry, France
| | - C Szopa
- Laboratoire Atmosphères, Milieux, Observations Spatiales, Pierre and Marie Curie University, Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, and CNRS Paris, France
| | - P D Archer
- Jacobs, NASA Johnson Space Center Houston, Texas, USA
| | - H B Franz
- Solar System Exploration Division, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, Maryland, USA ; Center for Research and Exploration in Space Science & Technology, University of Maryland, Baltimore County Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - S K Atreya
- Department of Atmospheric, Oceanic and Space Sciences, University of Michigan Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - W B Brinckerhoff
- Solar System Exploration Division, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, Maryland, USA
| | - M Cabane
- Laboratoire Atmosphères, Milieux, Observations Spatiales, Pierre and Marie Curie University, Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, and CNRS Paris, France
| | - P Coll
- Laboratoire Interuniversitaire des Systèmes Atmosphériques, Université Paris-Est Créteil, Paris VII-Denis Diderot University, and CNRS Créteil, France
| | - P G Conrad
- Solar System Exploration Division, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, Maryland, USA
| | - D J Des Marais
- Exobiology Branch, NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, California, USA
| | - J P Dworkin
- Solar System Exploration Division, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, Maryland, USA
| | - A G Fairén
- Department of Astronomy, Cornell University Ithaca, New York, USA ; Centro de Astrobiología, INTA-CSIC Madrid, Spain
| | - P François
- Department of Atmospheric, Oceanic and Space Sciences, University of Michigan Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - J P Grotzinger
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology Pasadena, California, USA
| | - S Kashyap
- Solar System Exploration Division, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, Maryland, USA ; Center for Research and Exploration in Space Science & Technology, University of Maryland, Baltimore County Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - I L Ten Kate
- Earth Sciences Department, Utrecht University Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - L A Leshin
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences and School of Science, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Troy, New York, USA
| | - C A Malespin
- Solar System Exploration Division, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, Maryland, USA ; Goddard Earth Sciences and Technologies and Research, Universities Space Research Association Columbia, Maryland, USA
| | - M G Martin
- Solar System Exploration Division, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, Maryland, USA ; Department of Chemistry, Catholic University of America Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - F J Martin-Torres
- Instituto Andaluz de Ciencias de la Tierra (CSIC-UGR) Granada, Spain ; Division of Space Technology, Department of Computer Science, Electrical and Space Engineering, Luleå University of Technology Kiruna, Sweden
| | - A C McAdam
- Solar System Exploration Division, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, Maryland, USA
| | - D W Ming
- Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science Directorate, NASA Johnson Space Center Houston, Texas, USA
| | - R Navarro-González
- Instituto de Ciencias Nucleares, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad Universitaria México City, Mexico
| | - A A Pavlov
- Solar System Exploration Division, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, Maryland, USA
| | - B D Prats
- Solar System Exploration Division, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, Maryland, USA
| | - S W Squyres
- Department of Astronomy, Cornell University Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - A Steele
- Geophysical Laboratory, Carnegie Institution of Washington Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - J C Stern
- Solar System Exploration Division, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, Maryland, USA
| | - D Y Sumner
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of California Davis, California, USA
| | - B Sutter
- Jacobs, NASA Johnson Space Center Houston, Texas, USA
| | - M-P Zorzano
- Centro de Astrobiologia (INTA-CSIC) Madrid, Spain
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Gasda PJ, Acosta-Maeda TE, Lucey PG, Misra AK, Sharma SK, Taylor GJ. Next generation laser-based standoff spectroscopy techniques for Mars exploration. APPLIED SPECTROSCOPY 2015; 69:173-92. [PMID: 25587811 DOI: 10.1366/14-07483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
In the recent Mars 2020 Rover Science Definition Team Report, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has sought the capability to detect and identify elements, minerals, and most importantly, biosignatures, at fine scales for the preparation of a retrievable cache of samples. The current Mars rover, the Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity, has a remote laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) instrument, a type of quantitative elemental analysis, called the Chemistry Camera (ChemCam) that has shown that laser-induced spectroscopy instruments are not only feasible for space exploration, but are reliable and complementary to traditional elemental analysis instruments such as the Alpha Particle X-Ray Spectrometer. The superb track record of ChemCam has paved the way for other laser-induced spectroscopy instruments, such as Raman and fluorescence spectroscopy. We have developed a prototype remote LIBS-Raman-fluorescence instrument, Q-switched laser-induced time-resolved spectroscopy (QuaLITy), which is approximately 70 000 times more efficient at recording signals than a commercially available LIBS instrument. The increase in detection limits and sensitivity is due to our development of a directly coupled system, the use of an intensified charge-coupled device image detector, and a pulsed laser that allows for time-resolved measurements. We compare the LIBS capabilities of our system with an Ocean Optics spectrometer instrument at 7 m and 5 m distance. An increase in signal-to-noise ratio of at least an order of magnitude allows for greater quantitative analysis of the elements in a LIBS spectrum with 200-300 μm spatial resolution at 7 m, a Raman instrument capable of 1 mm spatial resolution at 3 m, and bioorganic fluorescence detection at longer distances. Thus, the new QuaLITy instrument fulfills all of the NASA expectations for proposed instruments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick J Gasda
- Hawai'i Institute for Geophysics and Planetology, University of Hawai'i, Mānoa, 1680 East West Road, Honolulu, Hawai'i 96822 USA
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Hutchinson IB, Ingley R, Edwards HGM, Harris L, McHugh M, Malherbe C, Parnell J. Raman spectroscopy on Mars: identification of geological and bio-geological signatures in Martian analogues using miniaturized Raman spectrometers. PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. SERIES A, MATHEMATICAL, PHYSICAL, AND ENGINEERING SCIENCES 2014; 372:rsta.2014.0204. [PMID: 25368350 DOI: 10.1098/rsta.2014.0204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
The first Raman spectrometers to be used for in situ analysis of planetary material will be launched as part of powerful, rover-based analytical laboratories within the next 6 years. There are a number of significant challenges associated with building spectrometers for space applications, including limited volume, power and mass budgets, the need to operate in harsh environments and the need to operate independently and intelligently for long periods of time (due to communication limitations). Here, we give an overview of the technical capabilities of the Raman instruments planned for future planetary missions and give a review of the preparatory work being pursued to ensure that such instruments are operated successfully and optimally. This includes analysis of extremophile samples containing pigments associated with biological processes, synthetic materials which incorporate biological material within a mineral matrix, planetary analogues containing low levels of reduced carbon and samples coated with desert varnish that incorporate both geo-markers and biomarkers. We discuss the scientific importance of each sample type and the challenges using portable/flight-prototype instrumentation. We also report on technical development work undertaken to enable the next generation of Raman instruments to reach higher levels of sensitivity and operational efficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian B Hutchinson
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Space Research Centre, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK
| | - Richard Ingley
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Space Research Centre, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK
| | - Howell G M Edwards
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Space Research Centre, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK
| | - Liam Harris
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Space Research Centre, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK
| | - Melissa McHugh
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Space Research Centre, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK
| | - Cedric Malherbe
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Space Research Centre, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK Department of Inorganic Analytical Chemistry, Chemistry Institute (B6c), University of Liège, 4000 Liège, Belgium
| | - J Parnell
- Department of Geology & Petroleum Geology, University of Aberdeen, King's College, Aberdeen AB24 3UE, UK
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Elsaesser A, Quinn RC, Ehrenfreund P, Mattioda AL, Ricco AJ, Alonzo J, Breitenbach A, Chan YK, Fresneau A, Salama F, Santos O. Organics Exposure in Orbit (OREOcube): A next-generation space exposure platform. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2014; 30:13217-13227. [PMID: 24851720 DOI: 10.1021/la501203g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
The OREOcube (ORganics Exposure in Orbit cube) experiment on the International Space Station (ISS) will investigate the effects of solar and cosmic radiation on organic thin films supported on inorganic substrates. Probing the kinetics of structural changes and photomodulated organic-inorganic interactions with real-time in situ UV-visible spectroscopy, this experiment will investigate the role played by solid mineral surfaces in the (photo)chemical evolution, transport, and distribution of organics in our solar system and beyond. In preparation for the OREOcube ISS experiment, we report here laboratory measurements of the photostability of thin films of the 9,10-anthraquinone derivative anthrarufin (51 nm thick) layered upon ultrathin films of iron oxides magnetite and hematite (4 nm thick), as well as supported directly on fused silica. During irradiation with UV and visible light simulating the photon flux and spectral distribution on the surface of Mars, anthrarufin/iron oxide bilayer thin films were exposed to CO2 (800 Pa), the main constituent (and pressure) of the martian atmosphere. The time-dependent photodegradation of anthrarufin thin films revealed the inhibition of degradation by both types of underlying iron oxides relative to anthrarufin on bare fused silica. Interactions between the organic and inorganic thin films, apparent in spectral shifts of the anthrarufin bands, are consistent with presumed free-electron quenching of semiquinone anion radicals by the iron oxide layers, effectively protecting the organic compound from photodegradation. Combining such in situ real-time kinetic measurements of thin films in future space exposure experiments on the ISS with postflight sample return and analysis will provide time-course studies complemented by in-depth chemical analysis. This will facilitate the characterization and modeling of the chemistry of organic species associated with mineral surfaces in astrobiological contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Elsaesser
- Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University , Leiden 2333CC, The Netherlands
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