1
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Chien SA, Visentin G, Basich C. Exploring beyond Earth using space robotics. Sci Robot 2024; 9:eadi6424. [PMID: 38896718 DOI: 10.1126/scirobotics.adi6424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2023] [Accepted: 05/21/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024]
Abstract
Robotic spacecraft enable exploration of our Solar System beyond our human presence. Although spacecraft have explored every planet in the Solar System, the frontiers of space robotics are at the cutting edge of landers, rovers, and now atmospheric explorers, where robotic spacecraft must interact intimately with their environment to explore beyond the reach of flyby and orbital remote sensing. Here, we describe the tremendous growth in space robotics missions in the past 7 years, with many new entities participating in missions to the surface of the Moon, Mars, and beyond. We also describe the recent development of aerial missions to planets and moons, as exemplified by the Ingenuity helicopter on Mars and the Dragonfly mission to Titan. We focus on suborbital robotics-landers, rovers, and aerial vehicles-with associated challenges in sensing, manipulation, mobility, and system-level autonomy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steve A Chien
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA
| | - Gianfranco Visentin
- European Space Research and Technology Centre, European Space Agency, Noordwijk, Netherlands
| | - Connor Basich
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA
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2
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Clavé E, Beyssac O, Bernard S, Royer C, Lopez-Reyes G, Schröder S, Rammelkamp K, Forni O, Fau A, Cousin A, Manrique JA, Ollila A, Madariaga JM, Aramendia J, Sharma SK, Fornaro T, Maurice S, Wiens RC. Radiation-induced alteration of apatite on the surface of Mars: first in situ observations with SuperCam Raman onboard Perseverance. Sci Rep 2024; 14:11284. [PMID: 38760365 PMCID: PMC11101483 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-61494-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2024] [Accepted: 05/06/2024] [Indexed: 05/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Planetary exploration relies considerably on mineral characterization to advance our understanding of the solar system, the planets and their evolution. Thus, we must understand past and present processes that can alter materials exposed on the surface, affecting space mission data. Here, we analyze the first dataset monitoring the evolution of a known mineral target in situ on the Martian surface, brought there as a SuperCam calibration target onboard the Perseverance rover. We used Raman spectroscopy to monitor the crystalline state of a synthetic apatite sample over the first 950 Martian days (sols) of the Mars2020 mission. We note significant variations in the Raman spectra acquired on this target, specifically a decrease in the relative contribution of the Raman signal to the total signal. These observations are consistent with the results of a UV-irradiation test performed in the laboratory under conditions mimicking ambient Martian conditions. We conclude that the observed evolution reflects an alteration of the material, specifically the creation of electronic defects, due to its exposure to the Martian environment and, in particular, UV irradiation. This ongoing process of alteration of the Martian surface needs to be taken into account for mineralogical space mission data analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Clavé
- DLR - Institute of Optical Sensor Systems, Berlin, Germany.
| | - O Beyssac
- Institut de Minéralogie, de Physique des Matériaux et de Cosmochimie, CNRS, UMR 7590, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | - S Bernard
- Institut de Minéralogie, de Physique des Matériaux et de Cosmochimie, CNRS, UMR 7590, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | - C Royer
- Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
- Laboratoire Atmosphères, Milieux, Observations Spatiales, CNRS, Univ. Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, Sorbonne Univ, Guyancourt, France
| | - G Lopez-Reyes
- Research Group ERICA, Universidad de Valladolid, Valladolid, Spain
| | - S Schröder
- DLR - Institute of Optical Sensor Systems, Berlin, Germany
| | - K Rammelkamp
- DLR - Institute of Optical Sensor Systems, Berlin, Germany
| | - O Forni
- Institut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planétologie, CNRS, CNES, Université de Toulouse, Toulouse, France
| | - A Fau
- Institut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planétologie, CNRS, CNES, Université de Toulouse, Toulouse, France
| | - A Cousin
- Institut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planétologie, CNRS, CNES, Université de Toulouse, Toulouse, France
| | - J A Manrique
- Research Group ERICA, Universidad de Valladolid, Valladolid, Spain
| | - A Ollila
- Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM, USA
| | - J M Madariaga
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, 48940, Leioa, Spain
| | - J Aramendia
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, 48940, Leioa, Spain
| | - S K Sharma
- Hawaii Institute of Geophysics and Planetology, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA
| | - T Fornaro
- INAF-Astrophysical Observatory of Arcetri, Largo E. Fermi 5, 50125, Firenze, Italy
| | - S Maurice
- Institut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planétologie, CNRS, CNES, Université de Toulouse, Toulouse, France
| | - R C Wiens
- Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
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3
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Ramkissoon NK, Macey MC, Kucukkilic-Stephens E, Barton T, Steele A, Johnson DN, Stephens BP, Schwenzer SP, Pearson VK, Olsson-Francis K. Experimental Identification of Potential Martian Biosignatures in Open and Closed Systems. ASTROBIOLOGY 2024; 24:538-558. [PMID: 38648554 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2023.0013] [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: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
NASA's Perseverance and ESA's Rosalind Franklin rovers have the scientific goal of searching for evidence of ancient life on Mars. Geochemical biosignatures that form because of microbe-mineral interactions could play a key role in achieving this, as they can be preserved for millions of years on Earth, and the same could be true for Mars. Previous laboratory experiments have explored the formation of biosignatures under closed systems, but these do not represent the open systems that are found in natural martian environments, such as channels and lakes. In this study, we have conducted environmental simulation experiments using a global regolith simulant (OUCM-1), a thermochemically modelled groundwater, and an anaerobic microbial community to explore the formation of geochemical biosignatures within plausible open and closed systems on Mars. This initial investigation showed differences in the diversity of the microbial community developed after 28 days. In an open-system simulation (flow-through experiment), the acetogenic Acetobacterium (49% relative abundance) and the sulfate reducer Desulfosporomusa (43% relative abundance) were the dominant genera. Whereas in the batch experiment, the sulfate reducers Desulfovibrio, Desulfomicrobium, and Desulfuromonas (95% relative abundance in total) were dominant. We also found evidence of enhanced mineral dissolution within the flow-through experiment, but there was little evidence of secondary deposits in the presence of biota. In contrast, SiO2 and Fe deposits formed within the batch experiment with biota but not under abiotic conditions. The results from these initial experiments indicate that different geochemical biosignatures can be generated between open and closed systems, and therefore, biosignature formation in open systems warrants further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Michael C Macey
- AstrobiologyOU, STEM Faculty, The Open University, Milton Keynes, UK
| | | | - Timothy Barton
- AstrobiologyOU, STEM Faculty, The Open University, Milton Keynes, UK
| | - Andrew Steele
- Earth and Planetary Laboratory, Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington, DC, USA
| | - David N Johnson
- AstrobiologyOU, STEM Faculty, The Open University, Milton Keynes, UK
| | - Ben P Stephens
- AstrobiologyOU, STEM Faculty, The Open University, Milton Keynes, UK
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4
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Zorzano MP, Martínez G, Polkko J, Tamppari LK, Newman C, Savijärvi H, Goreva Y, Viúdez-Moreiras D, Bertrand T, Smith M, Hausrath EM, Siljeström S, Benison K, Bosak T, Czaja AD, Debaille V, Herd CDK, Mayhew L, Sephton MA, Shuster D, Simon JI, Weiss B, Randazzo N, Mandon L, Brown A, Hecht MH, Martínez-Frías J. Present-day thermal and water activity environment of the Mars Sample Return collection. Sci Rep 2024; 14:7175. [PMID: 38532041 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-57458-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 03/28/2024] Open
Abstract
The Mars Sample Return mission intends to retrieve a sealed collection of rocks, regolith, and atmosphere sampled from Jezero Crater, Mars, by the NASA Perseverance rover mission. For all life-related research, it is necessary to evaluate water availability in the samples and on Mars. Within the first Martian year, Perseverance has acquired an estimated total mass of 355 g of rocks and regolith, and 38 μmoles of Martian atmospheric gas. Using in-situ observations acquired by the Perseverance rover, we show that the present-day environmental conditions at Jezero allow for the hydration of sulfates, chlorides, and perchlorates and the occasional formation of frost as well as a diurnal atmospheric-surface water exchange of 0.5-10 g water per m2 (assuming a well-mixed atmosphere). At night, when the temperature drops below 190 K, the surface water activity can exceed 0.5, the lowest limit for cell reproduction. During the day, when the temperature is above the cell replication limit of 245 K, water activity is less than 0.02. The environmental conditions at the surface of Jezero Crater, where these samples were acquired, are incompatible with the cell replication limits currently known on Earth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria-Paz Zorzano
- Centro de Astrobiología (CAB), CSIC-INTA, 28850, Torrejón de Ardoz, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Germán Martínez
- Lunar and Planetary Institute, Universities Space Research Association, Houston, TX, USA
- University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Jouni Polkko
- Finnish Meteorological Institute, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Leslie K Tamppari
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, 4800 Oak Grove Dr., Pasadena, CA, 91109, USA
| | | | | | - Yulia Goreva
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, 4800 Oak Grove Dr., Pasadena, CA, 91109, USA
| | | | - Tanguy Bertrand
- Laboratoire d'Etudes Spatiales et d'Instrumentation en Astrophysique (LESIA), Observatoire de Paris, Université PSL, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, Univ. Paris Diderot, Sorbonne, France
| | - Michael Smith
- NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, USA
| | | | | | | | - Tanja Bosak
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Andrew D Czaja
- Department of Geosciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Vinciane Debaille
- Laboratoire G-Time, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Christopher D K Herd
- Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
| | - Lisa Mayhew
- Department of Geological Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Mark A Sephton
- Department of Earth Science and Engineering, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | | | - Justin I Simon
- Center for Isotope Cosmochemistry and Geochronology, Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science, NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Benjamin Weiss
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Nicolas Randazzo
- Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
| | - Lucia Mandon
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
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5
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Clodoré L, Foucher F, Hickman-Lewis K, Sorieul S, Jouve J, Réfrégiers M, Collet G, Petoud S, Gratuze B, Westall F. Multi-Technique Characterization of 3.45 Ga Microfossils on Earth: A Key Approach to Detect Possible Traces of Life in Returned Samples from Mars. ASTROBIOLOGY 2024; 24:190-226. [PMID: 38393828 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2023.0089] [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: 02/25/2024]
Abstract
The NASA Mars 2020 Perseverance rover is actively exploring Jezero crater to conduct analyses on igneous and sedimentary rock targets from outcrops located on the crater floor (Máaz and Séítah formations) and from the delta deposits, respectively. The rock samples collected during this mission will be recovered during the Mars Sample Return mission, which plans to bring samples back to Earth in the 2030s to conduct in-depth studies using sophisticated laboratory instrumentation. Some of these samples may contain traces of ancient martian life that may be particularly difficult to detect and characterize because of their morphological simplicity and subtle biogeochemical expressions. Using the volcanic sediments of the 3.45 Ga Kitty's Gap Chert (Pilbara, Australia), containing putative early life forms (chemolithotrophs) and considered as astrobiological analogues for potential early Mars organisms, we document the steps required to demonstrate the syngenicity and biogenicity of such biosignatures using multiple complementary analytical techniques to provide information at different scales of observation. These include sedimentological, petrological, mineralogical, and geochemical analyses to demonstrate macro- to microscale habitability. New approaches, some unavailable at the time of the original description of these features, are used to verify the syngenicity and biogenicity of the purported fossil chemolithotrophs. The combination of elemental (proton-induced X-ray emission spectrometry) and molecular (deep-ultraviolet and Fourier transform infrared) analyses of rock slabs, thin sections, and focused ion beam sections reveals that the carbonaceous matter present in the samples is enriched in trace metals (e.g., V, Cr, Fe, Co) and is associated with aromatic and aliphatic molecules, which strongly support its biological origin. Transmission electron microscopy observations of the carbonaceous matter documented an amorphous nanostructure interpreted to correspond to the degraded remains of microorganisms and their by-products (extracellular polymeric substances, filaments…). Nevertheless, a small fraction of carbonaceous particles has signatures that are more metamorphosed. They probably represent either reworked detrital biological or abiotic fragments of mantle origin. This study serves as an example of the analytical protocol that would be needed to optimize the detection of fossil traces of life in martian rocks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Clodoré
- CNRS-Centre de Biophysique Moléculaire, Orléans, France
| | - Frédéric Foucher
- CNRS-Centre de Biophysique Moléculaire, Orléans, France
- CNRS-Conditions Extrêmes et Matériaux: Haute Température et Irradiation, Orléans, France
| | - Keyron Hickman-Lewis
- Natural History Museum, London, United Kingdom
- Dipartimento BiGeA, Università di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | | | - Jean Jouve
- University of Bordeaux, CNRS, IN2P3, CENBG, Gradignan, France
| | | | - Guillaume Collet
- CNRS-Centre de Biophysique Moléculaire, Orléans, France
- Chair of Cosmetology, AgroParisTech Innovation, Orléans, France
| | | | - Bernard Gratuze
- CNRS-Institut de Recherche sur les ArchéoMATériaux, Orléans, France
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6
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Paige DA, Hamran SE, Amundsen HEF, Berger T, Russell P, Kakaria R, Mellon MT, Eide S, Carter LM, Casademont TM, Nunes DC, Shoemaker ES, Plettemeier D, Dypvik H, Holm-Alwmark S, Horgan BHN. Ground penetrating radar observations of the contact between the western delta and the crater floor of Jezero crater, Mars. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadi8339. [PMID: 38277450 PMCID: PMC10816720 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adi8339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 12/26/2023] [Indexed: 01/28/2024]
Abstract
The delta deposits in Jezero crater contain sedimentary records of potentially habitable conditions on Mars. NASA's Perseverance rover is exploring the Jezero western delta with a suite of instruments that include the RIMFAX ground penetrating radar, which provides continuous subsurface images that probe up to 20 meters below the rover. As Perseverance traversed across the contact between the Jezero crater floor and the delta, RIMFAX detected a distinct discontinuity in the subsurface layer structure. Below the contact boundary are older crater floor units exhibiting discontinuous inclined layering. Above the contact boundary are younger basal delta units exhibiting regular horizontal layering. At one location, there is a clear unconformity between the crater floor and delta layers, which implies that the crater floor experienced a period of erosion before the deposition of the overlying delta strata. The regularity and horizontality of the basal delta sediments observed in the radar cross sections indicate that they were deposited in a low-energy lake environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- David A. Paige
- University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | | | | | | | | | - Reva Kakaria
- University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | | | | | | | | | - Daniel C. Nunes
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
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7
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Hart R, Cardace D. Mineral Indicators of Geologically Recent Past Habitability on Mars. Life (Basel) 2023; 13:2349. [PMID: 38137950 PMCID: PMC10744562 DOI: 10.3390/life13122349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2023] [Revised: 11/25/2023] [Accepted: 12/05/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
We provide new support for habitable microenvironments in the near-subsurface of Mars, hosted in Fe- and Mg-rich rock units, and present a list of minerals that can serve as indicators of specific water-rock reactions in recent geologic paleohabitats for follow-on study. We modeled, using a thermodynamic basis without selective phase suppression, the reactions of published Martian meteorites and Jezero Crater igneous rock compositions and reasonable planetary waters (saline, alkaline waters) using Geochemist's Workbench Ver. 12.0. Solid-phase inputs were meteorite compositions for ALH 77005, Nakhla, and Chassigny, and two rock units from the Mars 2020 Perseverance rover sites, Máaz and Séítah. Six plausible Martian groundwater types [NaClO4, Mg(ClO4)2, Ca(ClO4)2, Mg-Na2(ClO4)2, Ca-Na2(ClO4)2, Mg-Ca(ClO4)2] and a unique Mars soil-water analog solution (dilute saline solution) named "Rosy Red", related to the Phoenix Lander mission, were the aqueous-phase inputs. Geophysical conditions were tuned to near-subsurface Mars (100 °C or 373.15 K, associated with residual heat from a magmatic system, impact event, or a concentration of radionuclides, and 101.3 kPa, similar to <10 m depth). Mineral products were dominated by phyllosilicates such as serpentine-group minerals in most reaction paths, but differed in some important indicator minerals. Modeled products varied in physicochemical properties (pH, Eh, conductivity), major ion activities, and related gas fugacities, with different ecological implications. The microbial habitability of pore spaces in subsurface groundwater percolation systems was interrogated at equilibrium in a thermodynamic framework, based on Gibbs Free Energy Minimization. Models run with the Chassigny meteorite produced the overall highest H2 fugacity. Models reliant on the Rosy Red soil-water analog produced the highest sustained CH4 fugacity (maximum values observed for reactant ALH 77005). In general, Chassigny meteorite protoliths produced the best yield regarding Gibbs Free Energy, from an astrobiological perspective. Occurrences of serpentine and saponite across models are key: these minerals have been observed using CRISM spectral data, and their formation via serpentinization would be consistent with geologically recent-past H2 and CH4 production and sustained energy sources for microbial life. We list index minerals to be used as diagnostic for paleo water-rock models that could have supported geologically recent-past microbial activity, and suggest their application as criteria for future astrobiology study-site selections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roger Hart
- Department of Physics and Engineering, Community College of Rhode Island, Lincoln, RI 02865, USA
- Department of Geosciences, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI 02881, USA;
| | - Dawn Cardace
- Department of Geosciences, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI 02881, USA;
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8
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Rempfert KR, Kraus EA, Nothaft DB, Dildar N, Spear JR, Sepúlveda J, Templeton AS. Intact polar lipidome and membrane adaptations of microbial communities inhabiting serpentinite-hosted fluids. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1198786. [PMID: 38029177 PMCID: PMC10667739 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1198786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The generation of hydrogen and reduced carbon compounds during serpentinization provides sustained energy for microorganisms on Earth, and possibly on other extraterrestrial bodies (e.g., Mars, icy satellites). However, the geochemical conditions that arise from water-rock reaction also challenge the known limits of microbial physiology, such as hyperalkaline pH, limited electron acceptors and inorganic carbon. Because cell membranes act as a primary barrier between a cell and its environment, lipids are a vital component in microbial acclimation to challenging physicochemical conditions. To probe the diversity of cell membrane lipids produced in serpentinizing settings and identify membrane adaptations to this environment, we conducted the first comprehensive intact polar lipid (IPL) biomarker survey of microbial communities inhabiting the subsurface at a terrestrial site of serpentinization. We used an expansive, custom environmental lipid database that expands the application of targeted and untargeted lipodomics in the study of microbial and biogeochemical processes. IPLs extracted from serpentinite-hosted fluid communities were comprised of >90% isoprenoidal and non-isoprenoidal diether glycolipids likely produced by archaeal methanogens and sulfate-reducing bacteria. Phospholipids only constituted ~1% of the intact polar lipidome. In addition to abundant diether glycolipids, betaine and trimethylated-ornithine aminolipids and glycosphingolipids were also detected, indicating pervasive membrane modifications in response to phosphate limitation. The carbon oxidation state of IPL backbones was positively correlated with the reduction potential of fluids, which may signify an energy conservation strategy for lipid synthesis. Together, these data suggest microorganisms inhabiting serpentinites possess a unique combination of membrane adaptations that allow for their survival in polyextreme environments. The persistence of IPLs in fluids beyond the presence of their source organisms, as indicated by 16S rRNA genes and transcripts, is promising for the detection of extinct life in serpentinizing settings through lipid biomarker signatures. These data contribute new insights into the complexity of lipid structures generated in actively serpentinizing environments and provide valuable context to aid in the reconstruction of past microbial activity from fossil lipid records of terrestrial serpentinites and the search for biosignatures elsewhere in our solar system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaitlin R. Rempfert
- Department of Geological Sciences, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, United States
| | - Emily A. Kraus
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO, United States
| | - Daniel B. Nothaft
- Department of Geological Sciences, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, United States
| | - Nadia Dildar
- Department of Geological Sciences, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, United States
| | - John R. Spear
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO, United States
- Department of Quantitative Biosciences and Engineering, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO, United States
| | - Julio Sepúlveda
- Department of Geological Sciences, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, United States
| | - Alexis S. Templeton
- Department of Geological Sciences, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, United States
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9
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Pasterski MJ, Lorenz M, Ievlev AV, Wickramasinghe RC, Hanley L, Kenig F. The Determination of the Spatial Distribution of Indigenous Lipid Biomarkers in an Immature Jurassic Sediment Using Time-of-Flight-Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry. ASTROBIOLOGY 2023; 23:936-950. [PMID: 37459147 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2022.0145] [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: 09/08/2023]
Abstract
The ability to detect and map lipids, including potential lipid biomarkers, within a sedimentary matrix using mass spectrometry (MS) imaging may be critical to determine whether potential lipids detected in samples returned from Mars are indigenous to Mars or are contaminants. Here, we use gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and time-of-flight-secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) datasets collected from an organic-rich, thermally immature Jurassic geologic sample to constrain MS imaging analysis of indigenous lipid biomarkers in geologic samples. GC-MS data show that the extractable fractions are dominated by C27-C30 steranes and sterenes as well as isorenieratene derivatives. ToF-SIMS spectra from organic matter-rich laminae contain a strong, spatially restricted signal for ions m/z 370.3, m/z 372.3, and m/z 386.3, which we assign to C27 sterenes, cholestane (C27), and 4- or 24-methyl steranes (C28), respectively, as well as characteristic fragment ions of isorenieratene derivatives, including m/z 133.1, m/z 171.1, and m/z 237.1. We observed individual steroid spatial heterogeneity at the scale of tens to hundreds of microns. The fine-scale heterogeneity observed implies that indigenous lipid biomarkers concentrated within specific regions may be detectable via ToF-SIMS in samples with even low amounts of organic carbon, including in samples returned from Mars.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Joseph Pasterski
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Matthias Lorenz
- Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA
| | - Anton V Ievlev
- Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA
| | | | - Luke Hanley
- Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Fabien Kenig
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
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10
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Sharma S, Roppel RD, Murphy AE, Beegle LW, Bhartia R, Steele A, Hollis JR, Siljeström S, McCubbin FM, Asher SA, Abbey WJ, Allwood AC, Berger EL, Bleefeld BL, Burton AS, Bykov SV, Cardarelli EL, Conrad PG, Corpolongo A, Czaja AD, DeFlores LP, Edgett K, Farley KA, Fornaro T, Fox AC, Fries MD, Harker D, Hickman-Lewis K, Huggett J, Imbeah S, Jakubek RS, Kah LC, Lee C, Liu Y, Magee A, Minitti M, Moore KR, Pascuzzo A, Rodriguez Sanchez-Vahamonde C, Scheller EL, Shkolyar S, Stack KM, Steadman K, Tuite M, Uckert K, Werynski A, Wiens RC, Williams AJ, Winchell K, Kennedy MR, Yanchilina A. Diverse organic-mineral associations in Jezero crater, Mars. Nature 2023; 619:724-732. [PMID: 37438522 PMCID: PMC10371864 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06143-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2022] [Accepted: 04/27/2023] [Indexed: 07/14/2023]
Abstract
The presence and distribution of preserved organic matter on the surface of Mars can provide key information about the Martian carbon cycle and the potential of the planet to host life throughout its history. Several types of organic molecules have been previously detected in Martian meteorites1 and at Gale crater, Mars2-4. Evaluating the diversity and detectability of organic matter elsewhere on Mars is important for understanding the extent and diversity of Martian surface processes and the potential availability of carbon sources1,5,6. Here we report the detection of Raman and fluorescence spectra consistent with several species of aromatic organic molecules in the Máaz and Séítah formations within the Crater Floor sequences of Jezero crater, Mars. We report specific fluorescence-mineral associations consistent with many classes of organic molecules occurring in different spatial patterns within these compositionally distinct formations, potentially indicating different fates of carbon across environments. Our findings suggest there may be a diversity of aromatic molecules prevalent on the Martian surface, and these materials persist despite exposure to surface conditions. These potential organic molecules are largely found within minerals linked to aqueous processes, indicating that these processes may have had a key role in organic synthesis, transport or preservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sunanda Sharma
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA.
| | - Ryan D Roppel
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | | | | | | | - Andrew Steele
- Earth and Planets Laboratory, Carnegie Institution for Science, Washington, DC, USA
| | | | - Sandra Siljeström
- Department of Methodology, Textiles and Medical Technology, RISE Research Institutes of Sweden, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Francis M McCubbin
- Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science Division, NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Sanford A Asher
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - William J Abbey
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Abigail C Allwood
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Eve L Berger
- Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science Division, NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX, USA
- Texas State University, Houston, TX, USA
- Jacobs JETS II, Houston, TX, USA
| | | | - Aaron S Burton
- Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science Division, NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Sergei V Bykov
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Emily L Cardarelli
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Pamela G Conrad
- Earth and Planets Laboratory, Carnegie Institution for Science, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Andrea Corpolongo
- Department of Geosciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Andrew D Czaja
- Department of Geosciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Lauren P DeFlores
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | | | - Kenneth A Farley
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Teresa Fornaro
- Astrophysical Observatory of Arcetri, INAF, Florence, Italy
| | - Allison C Fox
- Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science Division, NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX, USA
- Texas State University, Houston, TX, USA
- Jacobs JETS II, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Marc D Fries
- Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science Division, NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - David Harker
- Malin Space Science Systems, Inc., San Diego, CA, USA
| | | | | | - Samara Imbeah
- Malin Space Science Systems, Inc., San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Ryan S Jakubek
- Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science Division, NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX, USA
- Jacobs JETS II, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Linda C Kah
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA
| | - Carina Lee
- Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science Division, NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX, USA
- Texas State University, Houston, TX, USA
- Jacobs JETS II, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Yang Liu
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Angela Magee
- Malin Space Science Systems, Inc., San Diego, CA, USA
| | | | - Kelsey R Moore
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | | | | | - Eva L Scheller
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Svetlana Shkolyar
- Department of Astronomy, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
- Planetary Geology, Geophysics and Geochemistry Lab, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, USA
- Blue Marble Space Institute of Science, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Kathryn M Stack
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Kim Steadman
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Michael Tuite
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Kyle Uckert
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | | | - Roger C Wiens
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, Purdue University, Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Amy J Williams
- Department of Geological Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Katherine Winchell
- School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
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11
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Life on Mars, can we detect it? Nat Commun 2023; 14:807. [PMID: 36810588 PMCID: PMC9944262 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-36176-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2022] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2023] Open
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12
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Scheller EL, Razzell Hollis J, Cardarelli EL, Steele A, Beegle LW, Bhartia R, Conrad P, Uckert K, Sharma S, Ehlmann BL, Abbey WJ, Asher SA, Benison KC, Berger EL, Beyssac O, Bleefeld BL, Bosak T, Brown AJ, Burton AS, Bykov SV, Cloutis E, Fairén AG, DeFlores L, Farley KA, Fey DM, Fornaro T, Fox AC, Fries M, Hickman-Lewis K, Hug WF, Huggett JE, Imbeah S, Jakubek RS, Kah LC, Kelemen P, Kennedy MR, Kizovski T, Lee C, Liu Y, Mandon L, McCubbin FM, Moore KR, Nixon BE, Núñez JI, Rodriguez Sanchez-Vahamonde C, Roppel RD, Schulte M, Sephton MA, Sharma SK, Siljeström S, Shkolyar S, Shuster DL, Simon JI, Smith RJ, Stack KM, Steadman K, Weiss BP, Werynski A, Williams AJ, Wiens RC, Williford KH, Winchell K, Wogsland B, Yanchilina A, Yingling R, Zorzano MP. Aqueous alteration processes in Jezero crater, Mars-implications for organic geochemistry. Science 2022; 378:1105-1110. [PMID: 36417498 DOI: 10.1126/science.abo5204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
The Perseverance rover landed in Jezero crater, Mars, in February 2021. We used the Scanning Habitable Environments with Raman and Luminescence for Organics and Chemicals (SHERLOC) instrument to perform deep-ultraviolet Raman and fluorescence spectroscopy of three rocks within the crater. We identify evidence for two distinct ancient aqueous environments at different times. Reactions with liquid water formed carbonates in an olivine-rich igneous rock. A sulfate-perchlorate mixture is present in the rocks, which probably formed by later modifications of the rocks by brine. Fluorescence signatures consistent with aromatic organic compounds occur throughout these rocks and are preserved in minerals related to both aqueous environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva L Scheller
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA.,Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Joseph Razzell Hollis
- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA.,The Natural History Museum, London, UK
| | - Emily L Cardarelli
- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Andrew Steele
- Earth and Planets Laboratory, Carnegie Institution for Science, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Luther W Beegle
- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | | | - Pamela Conrad
- Earth and Planets Laboratory, Carnegie Institution for Science, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Kyle Uckert
- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Sunanda Sharma
- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Bethany L Ehlmann
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA.,NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - William J Abbey
- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Sanford A Asher
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Kathleen C Benison
- Department of Geology and Geography, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA
| | - Eve L Berger
- Texas State University, San Marcos, TX, USA.,Jacobs Johnson Space Center Engineering, Technology and Science Contract, Houston, TX, USA.,NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Olivier Beyssac
- Institut de Minéralogie, de Physique des Matériaux et de Cosmochimie, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Sorbonne Université, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, 75005 Paris, France
| | | | - Tanja Bosak
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | | | | | - Sergei V Bykov
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Ed Cloutis
- Geography, The University of Winnipeg, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Alberto G Fairén
- Centro de Astrobiología, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas-Instituto Nacional de Tecnica Aeroespacial, Madrid, Spain.,Department of Astronomy, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Lauren DeFlores
- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Kenneth A Farley
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | | | - Teresa Fornaro
- Astrophysical Observatory of Arcetri, Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica, Florence, Italy
| | | | - Marc Fries
- NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Keyron Hickman-Lewis
- Department of Earth Sciences, The Natural History Museum, London, UK.,Dipartimento di Scienze Biologiche, Geologiche e Ambientali, Università di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | | | | | | | | | - Linda C Kah
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA
| | - Peter Kelemen
- Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory, Columbia University, Palisades, NY, USA
| | | | - Tanya Kizovski
- Department of Earth Sciences, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON L2S 3A1, Canada
| | - Carina Lee
- Lunar and Planetary Institute, Universities Space Research Association, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Yang Liu
- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Lucia Mandon
- Laboratoire d'Etudes Spatiales et d'Instrumentation en Astrophysique, Observatoire de Paris, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Sorbonne Université, Université Paris Diderot, 92195 Meudon, France
| | | | - Kelsey R Moore
- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | | | - Jorge I Núñez
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD, USA
| | | | - Ryan D Roppel
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Mitchell Schulte
- Mars Exploration Program, NASA Headquarters, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Mark A Sephton
- Earth Science and Engineering, South Kensington Campus, Imperial College London, SW7 2AZ London, UK
| | - Shiv K Sharma
- Hawaii Institute of Geophysics and Planetology, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI, USA
| | | | - Svetlana Shkolyar
- Department of Astronomy, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA.,NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, USA
| | - David L Shuster
- Earth and Planetary Science, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | | | - Rebecca J Smith
- Department of Geosciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | - Kathryn M Stack
- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Kim Steadman
- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Benjamin P Weiss
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | | | - Amy J Williams
- Department of Geological Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Roger C Wiens
- Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM, USA.,Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Kenneth H Williford
- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA.,Blue Marble Space Institute of Science, Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | - Brittan Wogsland
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA
| | | | | | - Maria-Paz Zorzano
- Centro de Astrobiología, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas-Instituto Nacional de Tecnica Aeroespacial, Madrid, Spain
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13
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Tice MM, Hurowitz JA, Allwood AC, Jones MWM, Orenstein BJ, Davidoff S, Wright AP, Pedersen DA, Henneke J, Tosca NJ, Moore KR, Clark BC, McLennan SM, Flannery DT, Steele A, Brown AJ, Zorzano MP, Hickman-Lewis K, Liu Y, VanBommel SJ, Schmidt ME, Kizovski TV, Treiman AH, O’Neil L, Fairén AG, Shuster DL, Gupta S. Alteration history of Séítah formation rocks inferred by PIXL x-ray fluorescence, x-ray diffraction, and multispectral imaging on Mars. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabp9084. [PMID: 36417516 PMCID: PMC9683721 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abp9084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2022] [Accepted: 09/29/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Collocated crystal sizes and mineral identities are critical for interpreting textural relationships in rocks and testing geological hypotheses, but it has been previously impossible to unambiguously constrain these properties using in situ instruments on Mars rovers. Here, we demonstrate that diffracted and fluoresced x-rays detected by the PIXL instrument (an x-ray fluorescence microscope on the Perseverance rover) provide information about the presence or absence of coherent crystalline domains in various minerals. X-ray analysis and multispectral imaging of rocks from the Séítah formation on the floor of Jezero crater shows that they were emplaced as coarsely crystalline igneous phases. Olivine grains were then partially dissolved and filled by finely crystalline or amorphous secondary silicate, carbonate, sulfate, and chloride/oxychlorine minerals. These results support the hypothesis that Séítah formation rocks represent olivine cumulates altered by fluids far from chemical equilibrium at low water-rock ratios.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael M. Tice
- Department of Geology and Geophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Joel A. Hurowitz
- Department of Geosciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-2100, USA
| | - Abigail C. Allwood
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA
| | - Michael W. M. Jones
- School of Chemistry and Physics and Central Analytical Research Facility, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD 4000, Australia
| | - Brendan J. Orenstein
- School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD 4000, Australia
| | - Scott Davidoff
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA
| | - Austin P. Wright
- School of Computational Science and Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA
| | - David A.K. Pedersen
- Technical University of Denmark, DTU Space, Department of Measurement and Instrumentation, Kongbens Lyngby, 2800, Denmark
| | - Jesper Henneke
- Technical University of Denmark, DTU Space, Department of Measurement and Instrumentation, Kongbens Lyngby, 2800, Denmark
| | - Nicholas J. Tosca
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EQ, UK
| | - Kelsey R. Moore
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | | | - Scott M. McLennan
- Department of Geosciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-2100, USA
| | - David T. Flannery
- School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD 4000, Australia
| | - Andrew Steele
- Earth and Planetary Laboratory, Carnegie Institution for Science, Washington, DC 20015, USA
| | | | - Maria-Paz Zorzano
- Centro de Astrobiologia, Instituto National de Tecnica Aerospacial, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Yang Liu
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA
| | - Scott J. VanBommel
- McDonnell Center for the Space Sciences, Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Washington University of St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Mariek E. Schmidt
- Department of Earth Sciences, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON L2S 3A1, Canada
| | - Tanya V. Kizovski
- Department of Earth Sciences, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON L2S 3A1, Canada
| | | | - Lauren O’Neil
- Department of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98052, USA
| | - Alberto G. Fairén
- Centro de Astrobiología (CSIC-INTA), Torrejón de Ardoz, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Astronomy, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
| | - David L. Shuster
- Department of Earth and Planetary Science, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Sanjeev Gupta
- Department of Earth Science and Engineering, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK
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14
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Bell JF, Maki JN, Alwmark S, Ehlmann BL, Fagents SA, Grotzinger JP, Gupta S, Hayes A, Herkenhoff KE, Horgan BHN, Johnson JR, Kinch KB, Lemmon MT, Madsen MB, Núñez JI, Paar G, Rice M, Rice JW, Schmitz N, Sullivan R, Vaughan A, Wolff MJ, Bechtold A, Bosak T, Duflot LE, Fairén AG, Garczynski B, Jaumann R, Merusi M, Million C, Ravanis E, Shuster DL, Simon J, St. Clair M, Tate C, Walter S, Weiss B, Bailey AM, Bertrand T, Beyssac O, Brown AJ, Caballo-Perucha P, Caplinger MA, Caudill CM, Cary F, Cisneros E, Cloutis EA, Cluff N, Corlies P, Crawford K, Curtis S, Deen R, Dixon D, Donaldson C, Barrington M, Ficht M, Fleron S, Hansen M, Harker D, Howson R, Huggett J, Jacob S, Jensen E, Jensen OB, Jodhpurkar M, Joseph J, Juarez C, Kah LC, Kanine O, Kristensen J, Kubacki T, Lapo K, Magee A, Maimone M, Mehall GL, Mehall L, Mollerup J, Viúdez-Moreiras D, Paris K, Powell KE, Preusker F, Proton J, Rojas C, Sallurday D, Saxton K, Scheller E, Seeger CH, Starr M, Stein N, Turenne N, Van Beek J, Winhold AG, Yingling R. Geological, multispectral, and meteorological imaging results from the Mars 2020 Perseverance rover in Jezero crater. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabo4856. [PMID: 36417517 PMCID: PMC9683734 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abo4856] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2022] [Accepted: 10/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Perseverance's Mastcam-Z instrument provides high-resolution stereo and multispectral images with a unique combination of spatial resolution, spatial coverage, and wavelength coverage along the rover's traverse in Jezero crater, Mars. Images reveal rocks consistent with an igneous (including volcanic and/or volcaniclastic) and/or impactite origin and limited aqueous alteration, including polygonally fractured rocks with weathered coatings; massive boulder-forming bedrock consisting of mafic silicates, ferric oxides, and/or iron-bearing alteration minerals; and coarsely layered outcrops dominated by olivine. Pyroxene dominates the iron-bearing mineralogy in the fine-grained regolith, while olivine dominates the coarse-grained regolith. Solar and atmospheric imaging observations show significant intra- and intersol variations in dust optical depth and water ice clouds, as well as unique examples of boundary layer vortex action from both natural (dust devil) and Ingenuity helicopter-induced dust lifting. High-resolution stereo imaging also provides geologic context for rover operations, other instrument observations, and sample selection, characterization, and confirmation.
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Affiliation(s)
- James F. Bell
- School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA
| | - Justin N. Maki
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA
| | - Sanna Alwmark
- Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Geology, Lund University, 22362 Lund, Sweden
| | - Bethany L. Ehlmann
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA
| | - Sarah A. Fagents
- Hawai’i Institute of Geophysics and Planetology, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA
| | | | - Sanjeev Gupta
- Department of Earth Science and Engineering, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Alexander Hayes
- Department of Astronomy, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
| | | | - Briony H. N. Horgan
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | - Jeffrey R. Johnson
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD 20723, USA
| | - Kjartan B. Kinch
- Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | | | - Morten B. Madsen
- Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Jorge I. Núñez
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD 20723, USA
| | | | - Melissa Rice
- Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA 98225, USA
| | - James W. Rice
- School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA
| | | | - Robert Sullivan
- Department of Astronomy, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
| | - Alicia Vaughan
- USGS Astrogeology Science Center, Flagstaff, AZ 86001, USA
| | | | - Andreas Bechtold
- Department of Lithospheric Research, University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
- Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna 1010, Austria
| | - Tanja Bosak
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | | | - Alberto G. Fairén
- Department of Astronomy, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
- Astrobiology Center (CSIC-INTA), Madrid, Spain
| | - Brad Garczynski
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | - Ralf Jaumann
- Institute for Geological Sciences, Freie Universitaet Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Marco Merusi
- Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | | | - Eleni Ravanis
- Hawai’i Institute of Geophysics and Planetology, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA
| | - David L. Shuster
- Department of Earth and Planetary Science, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Justin Simon
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA
| | | | - Christian Tate
- Department of Astronomy, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
| | - Sebastian Walter
- Institute for Geological Sciences, Freie Universitaet Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Benjamin Weiss
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Alyssa M. Bailey
- School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA
| | | | - Olivier Beyssac
- Institut de Minéralogie, Physique des Matériaux et Cosmochimie, CNRS, Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Sorbonne University, Paris 75005, France
| | | | | | | | | | - Francesca Cary
- Hawai’i Institute of Geophysics and Planetology, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA
| | - Ernest Cisneros
- School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA
| | | | - Nathan Cluff
- School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA
| | - Paul Corlies
- Department of Astronomy, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
| | - Kelsie Crawford
- School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA
| | - Sabrina Curtis
- Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA 98225, USA
| | - Robert Deen
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA
| | - Darian Dixon
- Malin Space Science Systems Inc., San Diego, CA 92121, USA
| | | | - Megan Barrington
- Department of Astronomy, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
| | - Michelle Ficht
- Malin Space Science Systems Inc., San Diego, CA 92121, USA
| | | | | | - David Harker
- Malin Space Science Systems Inc., San Diego, CA 92121, USA
| | - Rachel Howson
- Malin Space Science Systems Inc., San Diego, CA 92121, USA
| | - Joshua Huggett
- Malin Space Science Systems Inc., San Diego, CA 92121, USA
| | - Samantha Jacob
- School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA
| | - Elsa Jensen
- Malin Space Science Systems Inc., San Diego, CA 92121, USA
| | - Ole B. Jensen
- Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Mohini Jodhpurkar
- School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA
| | - Jonathan Joseph
- Department of Astronomy, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA
| | | | - Linda C. Kah
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37916, USA
| | - Oak Kanine
- California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | | | - Tex Kubacki
- Malin Space Science Systems Inc., San Diego, CA 92121, USA
| | - Kristiana Lapo
- Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA 98225, USA
| | - Angela Magee
- Malin Space Science Systems Inc., San Diego, CA 92121, USA
| | | | - Greg L. Mehall
- School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA
| | - Laura Mehall
- School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA
| | - Jess Mollerup
- Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA 98225, USA
| | - Daniel Viúdez-Moreiras
- Astrobiology Center (CSIC-INTA), Madrid, Spain
- National Institute for Aerospace Technology, Madrid, Spain
| | - Kristen Paris
- School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA
| | - Kathryn E. Powell
- School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA
| | | | | | - Corrine Rojas
- School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA
| | | | - Kim Saxton
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA
| | - Eva Scheller
- California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | | | - Mason Starr
- Malin Space Science Systems Inc., San Diego, CA 92121, USA
| | - Nathan Stein
- California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | | | - Jason Van Beek
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA
| | - Andrew G. Winhold
- School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA
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15
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Hamran SE, Paige DA, Allwood A, Amundsen HEF, Berger T, Brovoll S, Carter L, Casademont TM, Damsgård L, Dypvik H, Eide S, Fairén AG, Ghent R, Kohler J, Mellon MT, Nunes DC, Plettemeier D, Russell P, Siegler M, Øyan MJ. Ground penetrating radar observations of subsurface structures in the floor of Jezero crater, Mars. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabp8564. [PMID: 36007008 PMCID: PMC9410267 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abp8564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The Radar Imager for Mars Subsurface Experiment instrument has conducted the first rover-mounted ground-penetrating radar survey of the Martian subsurface. A continuous radar image acquired over the Perseverance rover's initial ~3-kilometer traverse reveals electromagnetic properties and bedrock stratigraphy of the Jezero crater floor to depths of ~15 meters below the surface. The radar image reveals the presence of ubiquitous strongly reflecting layered sequences that dip downward at angles of up to 15 degrees from horizontal in directions normal to the curvilinear boundary of and away from the exposed section of the Séitah formation. The observed slopes, thicknesses, and internal morphology of the inclined stratigraphic sections can be interpreted either as magmatic layering formed in a differentiated igneous body or as sedimentary layering commonly formed in aqueous environments on Earth. The discovery of buried structures on the Jezero crater floor is potentially compatible with a history of igneous activity and a history of multiple aqueous episodes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - David A. Paige
- University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Abigail Allwood
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | | | - Tor Berger
- University of Oslo, Kjeller and Oslo, Norway
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Sigurd Eide
- University of Oslo, Kjeller and Oslo, Norway
| | - Alberto G. Fairén
- Centro de Astrobiología (CSIC-INTA), Madrid, Spain
- Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | | | | | | | - Daniel C. Nunes
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
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16
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Wiens RC, Udry A, Beyssac O, Quantin-Nataf C, Mangold N, Cousin A, Mandon L, Bosak T, Forni O, McLennan SM, Sautter V, Brown A, Benzerara K, Johnson JR, Mayhew L, Maurice S, Anderson RB, Clegg SM, Crumpler L, Gabriel TSJ, Gasda P, Hall J, Horgan BHN, Kah L, Legett C, Madariaga JM, Meslin PY, Ollila AM, Poulet F, Royer C, Sharma SK, Siljeström S, Simon JI, Acosta-Maeda TE, Alvarez-Llamas C, Angel SM, Arana G, Beck P, Bernard S, Bertrand T, Bousquet B, Castro K, Chide B, Clavé E, Cloutis E, Connell S, Dehouck E, Dromart G, Fischer W, Fouchet T, Francis R, Frydenvang J, Gasnault O, Gibbons E, Gupta S, Hausrath EM, Jacob X, Kalucha H, Kelly E, Knutsen E, Lanza N, Laserna J, Lasue J, Le Mouélic S, Leveille R, Lopez Reyes G, Lorenz R, Manrique JA, Martinez-Frias J, McConnochie T, Melikechi N, Mimoun D, Montmessin F, Moros J, Murdoch N, Pilleri P, Pilorget C, Pinet P, Rapin W, Rull F, Schröder S, Shuster DL, Smith RJ, Stott AE, Tarnas J, Turenne N, Veneranda M, Vogt DS, Weiss BP, Willis P, Stack KM, Williford KH, Farley KA. Compositionally and density stratified igneous terrain in Jezero crater, Mars. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabo3399. [PMID: 36007007 PMCID: PMC9410274 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abo3399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2022] [Accepted: 05/31/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Before Perseverance, Jezero crater's floor was variably hypothesized to have a lacustrine, lava, volcanic airfall, or aeolian origin. SuperCam observations in the first 286 Mars days on Mars revealed a volcanic and intrusive terrain with compositional and density stratification. The dominant lithology along the traverse is basaltic, with plagioclase enrichment in stratigraphically higher locations. Stratigraphically lower, layered rocks are richer in normative pyroxene. The lowest observed unit has the highest inferred density and is olivine-rich with coarse (1.5 millimeters) euhedral, relatively unweathered grains, suggesting a cumulate origin. This is the first martian cumulate and shows similarities to martian meteorites, which also express olivine disequilibrium. Alteration materials including carbonates, sulfates, perchlorates, hydrated silicates, and iron oxides are pervasive but low in abundance, suggesting relatively brief lacustrine conditions. Orbital observations link the Jezero floor lithology to the broader Nili-Syrtis region, suggesting that density-driven compositional stratification is a regional characteristic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roger C. Wiens
- Space and Planetary Exploration Team, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM, USA
| | - Arya Udry
- Department of Geoscience, University of Nevada Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV, USA
| | - Olivier Beyssac
- Institut de Minéralogie, de Physique des Matériaux et de Cosmochimie, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France
| | - Cathy Quantin-Nataf
- Laboratoire de Géologie de Lyon, Université de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon1, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, Université Jean Monnet Saint Etienne, CNRS, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Nicolas Mangold
- Laboratoire de Planétologie et Géosciences, CNRS UMR 6112, Nantes Université, Université d’Angers, Université du Mans, Nantes, France
| | - Agnès Cousin
- Institut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planetologie (IRAP), Université de Toulouse 3 Paul Sabatier, UPS, CNRS, CNES, Toulouse, France
| | - Lucia Mandon
- Laboratoire d’Etudes Spatiales et d’Instrumentation en Astrophysique, Observatoire de Paris-PSL, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, Université de Paris Cité, Meudon, France
| | - Tanja Bosak
- Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Olivier Forni
- Institut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planetologie (IRAP), Université de Toulouse 3 Paul Sabatier, UPS, CNRS, CNES, Toulouse, France
| | | | - Violaine Sautter
- Institut de Minéralogie, de Physique des Matériaux et de Cosmochimie, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France
| | | | - Karim Benzerara
- Institut de Minéralogie, de Physique des Matériaux et de Cosmochimie, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France
| | - Jeffrey R. Johnson
- Space Exploration Sector, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD, USA
| | - Lisa Mayhew
- Department of Geological Sciences, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Sylvestre Maurice
- Institut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planetologie (IRAP), Université de Toulouse 3 Paul Sabatier, UPS, CNRS, CNES, Toulouse, France
| | - Ryan B. Anderson
- U.S. Geological Survey Astrogeology Science Center, Flagstaff, AZ, USA
| | - Samuel M. Clegg
- Space and Planetary Exploration Team, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM, USA
| | - Larry Crumpler
- New Mexico Museum of Natural History, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | | | - Patrick Gasda
- Space and Planetary Exploration Team, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM, USA
| | - James Hall
- Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Briony H. N. Horgan
- Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Linda Kah
- Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA
| | - Carey Legett
- Space and Planetary Exploration Team, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM, USA
| | | | - Pierre-Yves Meslin
- Institut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planetologie (IRAP), Université de Toulouse 3 Paul Sabatier, UPS, CNRS, CNES, Toulouse, France
| | - Ann M. Ollila
- Space and Planetary Exploration Team, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM, USA
| | - Francois Poulet
- Institut d’Astrophysique Spatiale, CNRS, Univ. Paris-Saclay, Orsay, France
| | - Clement Royer
- Laboratoire d’Etudes Spatiales et d’Instrumentation en Astrophysique, Observatoire de Paris-PSL, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, Université de Paris Cité, Meudon, France
| | | | | | - Justin I. Simon
- Center for Isotope Cosmochemistry and Geochronology, NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | | | | | - S. Michael Angel
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA
| | - Gorka Arana
- University of Basque Country, UPV/EHU, Leioa, Bilbao, Spain
| | - Pierre Beck
- Institut de Planétologie et d’Astrophysique de Grenoble, CNRS, Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - Sylvain Bernard
- Institut de Minéralogie, de Physique des Matériaux et de Cosmochimie, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France
| | - Tanguy Bertrand
- Laboratoire d’Etudes Spatiales et d’Instrumentation en Astrophysique, Observatoire de Paris-PSL, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, Université de Paris Cité, Meudon, France
| | - Bruno Bousquet
- Centre Lasers Intenses et Applications, CNRS, CEA, Université de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
| | - Kepa Castro
- University of Basque Country, UPV/EHU, Leioa, Bilbao, Spain
| | - Baptiste Chide
- Space and Planetary Exploration Team, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM, USA
| | - Elise Clavé
- Centre Lasers Intenses et Applications, CNRS, CEA, Université de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
| | - Ed Cloutis
- University of Winnipeg, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | | | - Erwin Dehouck
- Laboratoire de Géologie de Lyon, Université de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon1, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, Université Jean Monnet Saint Etienne, CNRS, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Gilles Dromart
- Laboratoire de Géologie de Lyon, Université de Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon1, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, Université Jean Monnet Saint Etienne, CNRS, Villeurbanne, France
| | | | - Thierry Fouchet
- Laboratoire d’Etudes Spatiales et d’Instrumentation en Astrophysique, Observatoire de Paris-PSL, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, Université de Paris Cité, Meudon, France
| | - Raymond Francis
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | | | - Olivier Gasnault
- Institut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planetologie (IRAP), Université de Toulouse 3 Paul Sabatier, UPS, CNRS, CNES, Toulouse, France
| | | | - Sanjeev Gupta
- Department of Earth Science and Engineering, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | | | - Xavier Jacob
- Institut de Mécanique des Fluides, Université de Toulouse 3 Paul Sabatier, Institut National Polytechnique de Toulouse, Toulouse, France
| | | | - Evan Kelly
- University of Hawai‘i, Honolulu, HI, USA
| | - Elise Knutsen
- Laboratoire Atmosphères, Milieux, Observations Spatiales, CNRS, Université Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, Université Paris Saclay, Sorbonne Université, Guyancourt, France
| | - Nina Lanza
- Space and Planetary Exploration Team, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM, USA
| | | | - Jeremie Lasue
- Institut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planetologie (IRAP), Université de Toulouse 3 Paul Sabatier, UPS, CNRS, CNES, Toulouse, France
| | - Stéphane Le Mouélic
- Laboratoire de Planétologie et Géosciences, CNRS UMR 6112, Nantes Université, Université d’Angers, Université du Mans, Nantes, France
| | | | | | - Ralph Lorenz
- Space Exploration Sector, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD, USA
| | | | | | | | - Noureddine Melikechi
- Department of Physics and Applied Physics, Kennedy College of Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Lowell, MA, USA
| | - David Mimoun
- Institut Supérieur de l’Aéronautique et de l’Espace (ISAE-SUPAERO), Université de Toulouse, Toulouse, France
| | - Franck Montmessin
- Laboratoire Atmosphères, Milieux, Observations Spatiales, CNRS, Université Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, Université Paris Saclay, Sorbonne Université, Guyancourt, France
| | | | - Naomi Murdoch
- Institut Supérieur de l’Aéronautique et de l’Espace (ISAE-SUPAERO), Université de Toulouse, Toulouse, France
| | - Paolo Pilleri
- Institut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planetologie (IRAP), Université de Toulouse 3 Paul Sabatier, UPS, CNRS, CNES, Toulouse, France
| | - Cedric Pilorget
- Institut d’Astrophysique Spatiale, CNRS, Univ. Paris-Saclay, Orsay, France
| | - Patrick Pinet
- Institut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planetologie (IRAP), Université de Toulouse 3 Paul Sabatier, UPS, CNRS, CNES, Toulouse, France
| | - William Rapin
- Institut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planetologie (IRAP), Université de Toulouse 3 Paul Sabatier, UPS, CNRS, CNES, Toulouse, France
| | - Fernando Rull
- Research Group ERICA, Universidad de Valladolid, Valladolid, Spain
| | - Susanne Schröder
- Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR), Institute of Optical Sensor Systems, Berlin, Germany
| | - David L. Shuster
- Department of Earth and Planetary Science, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | | | - Alexander E. Stott
- Institut Supérieur de l’Aéronautique et de l’Espace (ISAE-SUPAERO), Université de Toulouse, Toulouse, France
| | - Jesse Tarnas
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | | | - Marco Veneranda
- Research Group ERICA, Universidad de Valladolid, Valladolid, Spain
| | - David S. Vogt
- Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR), Institute of Optical Sensor Systems, Berlin, Germany
| | - Benjamin P. Weiss
- Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Peter Willis
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Kathryn M. Stack
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Kenneth H. Williford
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
- Blue Marble Space Institute of Science, Seattle, WA, USA
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17
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Liu Y, Tice MM, Schmidt ME, Treiman AH, Kizovski TV, Hurowitz JA, Allwood AC, Henneke J, Pedersen DAK, VanBommel SJ, Jones MWM, Knight AL, Orenstein BJ, Clark BC, Elam WT, Heirwegh CM, Barber T, Beegle LW, Benzerara K, Bernard S, Beyssac O, Bosak T, Brown AJ, Cardarelli EL, Catling DC, Christian JR, Cloutis EA, Cohen BA, Davidoff S, Fairén AG, Farley KA, Flannery DT, Galvin A, Grotzinger JP, Gupta S, Hall J, Herd CDK, Hickman-Lewis K, Hodyss RP, Horgan BHN, Johnson JR, Jørgensen JL, Kah LC, Maki JN, Mandon L, Mangold N, McCubbin FM, McLennan SM, Moore K, Nachon M, Nemere P, Nothdurft LD, Núñez JI, O'Neil L, Quantin-Nataf CM, Sautter V, Shuster DL, Siebach KL, Simon JI, Sinclair KP, Stack KM, Steele A, Tarnas JD, Tosca NJ, Uckert K, Udry A, Wade LA, Weiss BP, Wiens RC, Williford KH, Zorzano MP. An olivine cumulate outcrop on the floor of Jezero crater, Mars. Science 2022; 377:1513-1519. [PMID: 36007094 DOI: 10.1126/science.abo2756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
The geological units on the floor of Jezero crater, Mars, are part of a wider regional stratigraphy of olivine-rich rocks, which extends well beyond the crater. We investigate the petrology of olivine and carbonate-bearing rocks of the Séítah formation in the floor of Jezero. Using multispectral images and x-ray fluorescence data, acquired by the Perseverance rover, we performed a petrographic analysis of the Bastide and Brac outcrops within this unit. We find that these outcrops are composed of igneous rock, moderately altered by aqueous fluid. The igneous rocks are mainly made of coarse-grained olivine, similar to some Martian meteorites. We interpret them as an olivine cumulate, formed by settling and enrichment of olivine through multi-stage cooling of a thick magma body.
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Affiliation(s)
- Y Liu
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA
| | - M M Tice
- Department of Geology and Geophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - M E Schmidt
- Department of Earth Sciences, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON L2S 3A1, Canada
| | - A H Treiman
- Lunar and Planetary Institute, Universities Space Research Association, Houston TX 77058, USA
| | - T V Kizovski
- Department of Earth Sciences, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON L2S 3A1, Canada
| | - J A Hurowitz
- Department of Geosciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | - A C Allwood
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA
| | - J Henneke
- Department of Space, Measurement and Instrumentation, Technical University of Denmark,, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - D A K Pedersen
- Department of Space, Measurement and Instrumentation, Technical University of Denmark,, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - S J VanBommel
- McDonnell Center for the Space Sciences, Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - M W M Jones
- Central Analytical Research Facility, and School of Chemistry and Physics, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD 4000, Australia
| | - A L Knight
- McDonnell Center for the Space Sciences, Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - B J Orenstein
- School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD 4000, Australia
| | - B C Clark
- Space Science Institute, Boulder, CO 80301, USA
| | - W T Elam
- Applied Physics Lab and Department of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98052, USA
| | - C M Heirwegh
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA
| | - T Barber
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA
| | - L W Beegle
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA
| | - K Benzerara
- Institut de Minéralogie, Physique des Matériaux et Cosmochimie, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Sorbonne Université, Paris 75005, France
| | - S Bernard
- Institut de Minéralogie, Physique des Matériaux et Cosmochimie, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Sorbonne Université, Paris 75005, France
| | - O Beyssac
- Institut de Minéralogie, Physique des Matériaux et Cosmochimie, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Sorbonne Université, Paris 75005, France
| | - T Bosak
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | | | - E L Cardarelli
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA
| | - D C Catling
- Department of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle WA 98195, USA
| | - J R Christian
- McDonnell Center for the Space Sciences, Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - E A Cloutis
- Department of Geography, University of Winnipeg, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3B 2E9, Canada
| | - B A Cohen
- NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA
| | - S Davidoff
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA
| | - A G Fairén
- Centro de Astrobiología, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas - Instituto Nacional de Tecnica Aeroespacial, Madrid 28850, Spain.,Dept. of Astronomy, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - K A Farley
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - D T Flannery
- School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD 4000, Australia
| | - A Galvin
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA
| | - J P Grotzinger
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - S Gupta
- Department of Earth Science and Engineering, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - J Hall
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - C D K Herd
- Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2E3, Canada
| | - K Hickman-Lewis
- Department of Earth Sciences, The Natural History Museum, South Kensington, London, SW7 5BD, UK.,Dipartimento di Scienze Biologiche, Geologiche e Ambientali, Università di Bologna, via Zamboni 67, I-40126 Bologna, Italy
| | - R P Hodyss
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA
| | - B H N Horgan
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | - J R Johnson
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory Laurel, MD 20723, USA
| | - J L Jørgensen
- Department of Space, Measurement and Instrumentation, Technical University of Denmark,, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - L C Kah
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of Tennessee, Knoxville TN 37996, USA
| | - J N Maki
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA
| | - L Mandon
- Laboratoire d'Etudes Spatiales et d'Instrumentation en Astrophysique, Observatoire de Paris-Université Paris Sciences et Lettres, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, Université de Paris Cité, Meudon 92190, France
| | - N Mangold
- Laboratoire Planetologie et Geosciences, Centre National de Recherches Scientifiques, Universite Nantes, Universite Angers, Unite Mixte de Recherche 6112, Nantes 44322, France
| | - F M McCubbin
- NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX 77058, USA
| | - S M McLennan
- Department of Geosciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | - K Moore
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - M Nachon
- Department of Geology and Geophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - P Nemere
- School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD 4000, Australia
| | - L D Nothdurft
- School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD 4000, Australia
| | - J I Núñez
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory Laurel, MD 20723, USA
| | - L O'Neil
- Applied Physics Lab and Department of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98052, USA
| | - C M Quantin-Nataf
- Laboratoire de Geologie de Lyon-Terre Planetes Environnement, Univ Lyon, Universite Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Ecole Normale Superieure Lyon, Centre National de Recherches Scientifiques, 69622 Villeurbanne, France
| | - V Sautter
- Institut de Minéralogie, Physique des Matériaux et Cosmochimie, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Sorbonne Université, Paris 75005, France
| | - D L Shuster
- Dept. Earth and Planetary Science, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - K L Siebach
- Department of Earth, Environmental, and Planetary Sciences, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005, USA
| | - J I Simon
- NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX 77058, USA
| | - K P Sinclair
- Applied Physics Lab and Department of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98052, USA
| | - K M Stack
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA
| | - A Steele
- Earth and Planets Laboratory, Carnegie Institution for Science, Washington, DC 20015, USA
| | - J D Tarnas
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA
| | - N J Tosca
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EQ, UK
| | - K Uckert
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA
| | - A Udry
- Department of Geosciences University of Nevada Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV 89154, USA
| | - L A Wade
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA
| | - B P Weiss
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - R C Wiens
- Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545, USA
| | - K H Williford
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA.,Blue Marble Space Institute of Science, 600 1st Ave. Seattle, WA 98104, USA
| | - M-P Zorzano
- Centro de Astrobiología, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas - Instituto Nacional de Tecnica Aeroespacial, Madrid 28850, Spain
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