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Clark BC, Kolb VM, Steele A, House CH, Lanza NL, Gasda PJ, VanBommel SJ, Newsom HE, Martínez-Frías J. Origin of Life on Mars: Suitability and Opportunities. Life (Basel) 2021; 11:539. [PMID: 34207658 PMCID: PMC8227854 DOI: 10.3390/life11060539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2021] [Revised: 05/28/2021] [Accepted: 06/01/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Although the habitability of early Mars is now well established, its suitability for conditions favorable to an independent origin of life (OoL) has been less certain. With continued exploration, evidence has mounted for a widespread diversity of physical and chemical conditions on Mars that mimic those variously hypothesized as settings in which life first arose on Earth. Mars has also provided water, energy sources, CHNOPS elements, critical catalytic transition metal elements, as well as B, Mg, Ca, Na and K, all of which are elements associated with life as we know it. With its highly favorable sulfur abundance and land/ocean ratio, early wet Mars remains a prime candidate for its own OoL, in many respects superior to Earth. The relatively well-preserved ancient surface of planet Mars helps inform the range of possible analogous conditions during the now-obliterated history of early Earth. Continued exploration of Mars also contributes to the understanding of the opportunities for settings enabling an OoL on exoplanets. Favoring geochemical sediment samples for eventual return to Earth will enhance assessments of the likelihood of a Martian OoL.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Vera M. Kolb
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin—Parkside, Kenosha, WI 53141, USA;
| | - Andrew Steele
- Earth and Planetary Laboratory, Carnegie Institution for Science, Washington, DC 20015, USA;
| | - Christopher H. House
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA 16807, USA;
| | - Nina L. Lanza
- Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545, USA; (N.L.L.); (P.J.G.)
| | - Patrick J. Gasda
- Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545, USA; (N.L.L.); (P.J.G.)
| | - Scott J. VanBommel
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA;
| | - Horton E. Newsom
- Institute of Meteoritics, Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 88033, USA;
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Edgett KS, Banham SG, Bennett KA, Edgar LA, Edwards CS, Fairén AG, Fedo CM, Fey DM, Garvin JB, Grotzinger JP, Gupta S, Henderson MJ, House CH, Mangold N, McLennan SM, Newsom HE, Rowland SK, Siebach KL, Thompson L, VanBommel SJ, Wiens RC, Williams RME, Yingst RA. Extraformational sediment recycling on Mars. Geosphere (Boulder) 2020; 16:1508-1537. [PMID: 33304202 PMCID: PMC7116455 DOI: 10.1130/ges02244.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Extraformational sediment recycling (old sedimentary rock to new sedimentary rock) is a fundamental aspect of Earth's geological record; tectonism exposes sedimentary rock, whereupon it is weathered and eroded to form new sediment that later becomes lithified. On Mars, tectonism has been minor, but two decades of orbiter instrument-based studies show that some sedimentary rocks previously buried to depths of kilometers have been exposed, by erosion, at the surface. Four locations in Gale crater, explored using the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Curiosity rover, exhibit sedimentary lithoclasts in sedimentary rock: At Marias Pass, they are mudstone fragments in sandstone derived from strata below an erosional unconformity; at Bimbe, they are pebble-sized sandstone and, possibly, laminated, intraclast-bearing, chemical (calcium sulfate) sediment fragments in conglomerates; at Cooperstown, they are pebble-sized fragments of sandstone within coarse sandstone; at Dingo Gap, they are cobble-sized, stratified sandstone fragments in conglomerate derived from an immediately underlying sandstone. Mars orbiter images show lithified sediment fans at the termini of canyons that incise sedimentary rock in Gale crater; these, too, consist of recycled, extraformational sediment. The recycled sediments in Gale crater are compositionally immature, indicating the dominance of physical weathering processes during the second known cycle. The observations at Marias Pass indicate that sediment eroded and removed from craters such as Gale crater during the Martian Hesperian Period could have been recycled to form new rock elsewhere. Our results permit prediction that lithified deltaic sediments at the Perseverance (landing in 2021) and Rosalind Franklin (landing in 2023) rover field sites could contain extraformational recycled sediment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth S Edgett
- Malin Space Science Systems, P.O. Box 910148, San Diego, California 92191-0148, USA
| | - Steven G Banham
- Department of Earth Science and Engineering, Imperial College London, South Kensington, London SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Kristen A Bennett
- U.S. Geological Survey, Astrogeology Science Center, 2255 N. Gemini Drive, Flagstaff, Arizona 86001, USA
| | - Lauren A Edgar
- U.S. Geological Survey, Astrogeology Science Center, 2255 N. Gemini Drive, Flagstaff, Arizona 86001, USA
| | - Christopher S Edwards
- Department of Astronomy and Planetary Science, Northern Arizona University, P.O. Box 6010, Flagstaff, Arizona 86011, USA
| | - Alberto G Fairén
- Department of Planetology and Habitability, Centro de Astrobiología (CSIC-INTA), M-108, km 4, 28850 Madrid, Spain
- Department of Astronomy, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA
| | - Christopher M Fedo
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, The University of Tennessee, 1621 Cumberland Avenue, 602 Strong Hall, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996-1410, USA
| | - Deirdra M Fey
- Malin Space Science Systems, P.O. Box 910148, San Diego, California 92191-0148, USA
| | - James B Garvin
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Goddard Space Flight Center, Mail Code 600, Greenbelt, Maryland 20771, USA
| | - John P Grotzinger
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91125, USA
| | - Sanjeev Gupta
- Department of Earth Science and Engineering, Imperial College London, South Kensington, London SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Marie J Henderson
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, Purdue University, 550 Stadium Mall Drive, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907, USA
| | - Christopher H House
- Department of Geosciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA
| | - Nicolas Mangold
- Laboratoire de Planétologie et Géodynamique de Nantes, CNRS UMR 6112, Université de Nantes, Université Angers, 44300 Nantes, France
| | - Scott M McLennan
- Department of Geosciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York 11794-2100, USA
| | - Horton E Newsom
- Institute of Meteoritics and Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, 1 University of New Mexico, MSC03-2050, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131, USA
| | - Scott K Rowland
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, Hawai'i 96822, USA
| | - Kirsten L Siebach
- Department of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences, Rice University, MS-126, 6100 Main Street, Houston, Texas 77005, USA
| | - Lucy Thompson
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of New Brunswick, P.O. Box 4400, Fredericton, New Brunswick E3B 5A3, Canada
| | - Scott J VanBommel
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis, 1 Brookings Drive, St. Louis, Missouri 63130, USA
| | - Roger C Wiens
- MS C331, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, USA
| | - Rebecca M E Williams
- Planetary Science Institute, 1700 East Fort Lowell, Suite 106, Tucson, Arizona 85719-2395, USA
| | - R Aileen Yingst
- Planetary Science Institute, 1700 East Fort Lowell, Suite 106, Tucson, Arizona 85719-2395, USA
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Chan MA, Bowen BB, Corsetti FA, Farrand WH, Law ES, Newsom HE, Perl SM, Spear JR, Thompson DR. Corrigendum: Exploring, Mapping, and Data Management Integration of Habitable Environments in Astrobiology. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:1190. [PMID: 31191501 PMCID: PMC6548974 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.01190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2019] [Accepted: 05/10/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Marjorie A Chan
- Department of Geology and Geophysics, The University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Brenda B Bowen
- Department of Geology and Geophysics, The University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Frank A Corsetti
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | | | - Emily S Law
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, United States
| | - Horton E Newsom
- Department Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, United States
| | - Scott M Perl
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, United States
| | - John R Spear
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO, United States
| | - David R Thompson
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, United States
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Chan MA, Bowen BB, Corsetti FA, Farrand WH, Law ES, Newsom HE, Perl SM, Spear JR, Thompson DR. Exploring, Mapping, and Data Management Integration of Habitable Environments in Astrobiology. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:147. [PMID: 30891006 PMCID: PMC6412026 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.00147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2018] [Accepted: 01/21/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
New approaches to blending geoscience, planetary science, microbiology-geobiology/ecology, geoinformatics and cyberinfrastructure technology disciplines in a holistic effort can be transformative to astrobiology explorations. Over the last two decades, overwhelming orbital evidence has confirmed the abundance of authigenic (in situ, formed in place) minerals on Mars. On Earth, environments where authigenic minerals form provide a substrate for the preservation of microbial life. Similarly, extraterrestrial life is likely to be preserved where crustal minerals can record and preserve the biochemical mechanisms (i.e., biosignatures). The search for astrobiological evidence on Mars has focused on identifying past or present habitable environments - places that could support some semblance of life. Thus, authigenic minerals represent a promising habitable environment where extraterrestrial life could be recorded and potentially preserved over geologic time scales. Astrobiology research necessarily takes place over vastly different scales; from molecules to viruses and microbes to those of satellites and solar system exploration, but the differing scales of analyses are rarely connected quantitatively. The mismatch between the scales of these observations- from the macro- satellite mineralogical observations to the micro- microbial observations- limits the applicability of our astrobiological understanding as we search for records of life beyond Earth. Each-scale observation requires knowledge of the geologic context and the environmental parameters important for assessing habitability. Exploration efforts to search for extraterrestrial life should attempt to quantify both the geospatial context and the temporal/spatial relationships between microbial abundance and diversity within authigenic minerals at multiple scales, while assimilating resolutions from satellite observations to field measurements to microscopic analyses. Statistical measures, computer vision, and the geospatial synergy of Geographic Information Systems (GIS), can allow analyses of objective data-driven methods to locate, map, and predict where the "sweet spots" of habitable environments occur at multiple scales. This approach of science information architecture or an "Astrobiology Information System" can provide the necessary maps to guide researchers to discoveries via testing, visualizing, documenting, and collaborating on significant data relationships that will advance explorations for evidence of life in our solar system and beyond.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marjorie A. Chan
- Department of Geology and Geophysics, The University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Brenda B. Bowen
- Department of Geology and Geophysics, The University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States
| | - Frank A. Corsetti
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | | | - Emily S. Law
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, United States
| | - Horton E. Newsom
- Department Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, United States
| | - Scott M. Perl
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, United States
| | - John R. Spear
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO, United States
| | - David R. Thompson
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, United States
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Sorge C, Newsom HE, Hagerty JJ. Fun is Not Enough: Attitudes of Hispanic Middle School Students toward Science and Scientists. Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences 2016. [DOI: 10.1177/0739986300223004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
This article examines the impact of a Space Science Education Program (SSEP) for students enrolled in New Mexico Math, Engineering, and Science Achievement (MESA) classes in middle schools with a large Hispanic enrollment. An instrument was developed to measure the students’ attitudes toward science and scientists before and after the program. After exposure to the SSEP program, a significant and positive increase in attitudes was found. However, our study suggests that most of these students have difficulty with perceiving themselves as scientists, probably due to a lack of exposure to role models and negative media stereotypes. They also lack information on the rewards of a career in science, including opportunities in college, and they think they must be a genius at math to pursue a technical career.
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Vaniman DT, Bish DL, Ming DW, Bristow TF, Morris RV, Blake DF, Chipera SJ, Morrison SM, Treiman AH, Rampe EB, Rice M, Achilles CN, Grotzinger JP, McLennan SM, Williams J, Bell JF, Newsom HE, Downs RT, Maurice S, Sarrazin P, Yen AS, Morookian JM, Farmer JD, Stack K, Milliken RE, Ehlmann BL, Sumner DY, Berger G, Crisp JA, Hurowitz JA, Anderson R, Des Marais DJ, Stolper EM, Edgett KS, Gupta S, Spanovich N. Mineralogy of a mudstone at Yellowknife Bay, Gale crater, Mars. Science 2014. [PMID: 24324271 DOI: 10.1126/science1243480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Sedimentary rocks at Yellowknife Bay (Gale crater) on Mars include mudstone sampled by the Curiosity rover. The samples, John Klein and Cumberland, contain detrital basaltic minerals, calcium sulfates, iron oxide or hydroxides, iron sulfides, amorphous material, and trioctahedral smectites. The John Klein smectite has basal spacing of ~10 angstroms, indicating little interlayer hydration. The Cumberland smectite has basal spacing at both ~13.2 and ~10 angstroms. The larger spacing suggests a partially chloritized interlayer or interlayer magnesium or calcium facilitating H2O retention. Basaltic minerals in the mudstone are similar to those in nearby eolian deposits. However, the mudstone has far less Fe-forsterite, possibly lost with formation of smectite plus magnetite. Late Noachian/Early Hesperian or younger age indicates that clay mineral formation on Mars extended beyond Noachian time.
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Affiliation(s)
- D T Vaniman
- Planetary Science Institute, Tucson, AZ 85719, USA
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McLennan SM, Anderson RB, Bell JF, Bridges JC, Calef F, Campbell JL, Clark BC, Clegg S, Conrad P, Cousin A, Des Marais DJ, Dromart G, Dyar MD, Edgar LA, Ehlmann BL, Fabre C, Forni O, Gasnault O, Gellert R, Gordon S, Grant JA, Grotzinger JP, Gupta S, Herkenhoff KE, Hurowitz JA, King PL, Le Mouélic S, Leshin LA, Léveillé R, Lewis KW, Mangold N, Maurice S, Ming DW, Morris RV, Nachon M, Newsom HE, Ollila AM, Perrett GM, Rice MS, Schmidt ME, Schwenzer SP, Stack K, Stolper EM, Sumner DY, Treiman AH, VanBommel S, Vaniman DT, Vasavada A, Wiens RC, Yingst RA. Elemental geochemistry of sedimentary rocks at Yellowknife Bay, Gale crater, Mars. Science 2013; 343:1244734. [PMID: 24324274 DOI: 10.1126/science.1244734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 214] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Sedimentary rocks examined by the Curiosity rover at Yellowknife Bay, Mars, were derived from sources that evolved from an approximately average martian crustal composition to one influenced by alkaline basalts. No evidence of chemical weathering is preserved, indicating arid, possibly cold, paleoclimates and rapid erosion and deposition. The absence of predicted geochemical variations indicates that magnetite and phyllosilicates formed by diagenesis under low-temperature, circumneutral pH, rock-dominated aqueous conditions. Analyses of diagenetic features (including concretions, raised ridges, and fractures) at high spatial resolution indicate that they are composed of iron- and halogen-rich components, magnesium-iron-chlorine-rich components, and hydrated calcium sulfates, respectively. Composition of a cross-cutting dike-like feature is consistent with sedimentary intrusion. The geochemistry of these sedimentary rocks provides further evidence for diverse depositional and diagenetic sedimentary environments during the early history of Mars.
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Affiliation(s)
- S M McLennan
- Department of Geosciences, State University of New York, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
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Williams RME, Grotzinger JP, Dietrich WE, Gupta S, Sumner DY, Wiens RC, Mangold N, Malin MC, Edgett KS, Maurice S, Forni O, Gasnault O, Ollila A, Newsom HE, Dromart G, Palucis MC, Yingst RA, Anderson RB, Herkenhoff KE, Le Mouélic S, Goetz W, Madsen MB, Koefoed A, Jensen JK, Bridges JC, Schwenzer SP, Lewis KW, Stack KM, Rubin D, Kah LC, Bell JF, Farmer JD, Sullivan R, Van Beek T, Blaney DL, Pariser O, Deen RG. Martian fluvial conglomerates at Gale crater. Science 2013; 340:1068-72. [PMID: 23723230 DOI: 10.1126/science.1237317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 281] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Observations by the Mars Science Laboratory Mast Camera (Mastcam) in Gale crater reveal isolated outcrops of cemented pebbles (2 to 40 millimeters in diameter) and sand grains with textures typical of fluvial sedimentary conglomerates. Rounded pebbles in the conglomerates indicate substantial fluvial abrasion. ChemCam emission spectra at one outcrop show a predominantly feldspathic composition, consistent with minimal aqueous alteration of sediments. Sediment was mobilized in ancient water flows that likely exceeded the threshold conditions (depth 0.03 to 0.9 meter, average velocity 0.20 to 0.75 meter per second) required to transport the pebbles. Climate conditions at the time sediment was transported must have differed substantially from the cold, hyper-arid modern environment to permit aqueous flows across several kilometers.
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Lanza NL, Clegg SM, Wiens RC, McInroy RE, Newsom HE, Deans MD. Examining natural rock varnish and weathering rinds with laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy for application to ChemCam on Mars. Appl Opt 2012; 51:B74-B82. [PMID: 22410929 DOI: 10.1364/ao.51.000b74] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2011] [Accepted: 01/17/2012] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
A laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) instrument is traveling to Mars as part of ChemCam on the Mars Science Laboratory rover. Martian rocks have weathered exteriors that obscure their bulk compositions. We examine weathered rocks with LIBS in a martian atmosphere to improve interpretations of ChemCam rock analyses on Mars. Profile data are analyzed using principal component analysis, and coatings and rinds are examined using scanning electron microscopy and electron probe microanalysis. Our results show that LIBS is sensitive to minor compositional changes with depth and correctly identifies rock type even if the series of laser pulses does not penetrate to unweathered material.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nina L Lanza
- Institute of Meteoritics, MSC03 2050, 1 University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131, USA.
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Ollila AM, Lasue J, Newsom HE, Multari RA, Wiens RC, Clegg SM. Comparison of two partial least squares-discriminant analysis algorithms for identifying geological samples with the ChemCam laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy instrument. Appl Opt 2012; 51:B130-B142. [PMID: 22410911 DOI: 10.1364/ao.51.00b130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2011] [Accepted: 01/06/2012] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
ChemCam, a laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) instrument on the Mars Science Laboratory rover, will analyze the chemistry of the martian surface beginning in 2012. Prior to integration on the rover, the ChemCam instrument collected data on a variety of rock types to provide a training set for analysis of data from Mars. Models based on calibration data can be used to classify rocks via multivariate statistical techniques such as partial least squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA). In this study, we employ a version of PLS-DA in which modeling is applied in a defined classification flow to a variety of geological materials and compare the results with the traditional PLS-DA technique. Results show that the modified algorithm is more effective at classifying samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ann M Ollila
- Institute of Meteoritics, Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, 1 University of New Mexico, MSC03 2050, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131, USA.
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Karunatillake S, Keller JM, Squyres SW, Boynton WV, Brückner J, Janes DM, Gasnault O, Newsom HE. Chemical compositions at Mars landing sites subject to Mars Odyssey Gamma Ray Spectrometer constraints. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2007. [DOI: 10.1029/2006je002859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - John M. Keller
- Physics Department; California Polytechnic State University; San Luis Obispo California USA
| | | | - William V. Boynton
- Lunar and Planetary Laboratory; University of Arizona; Tucson Arizona USA
| | | | - Daniel M. Janes
- Lunar and Planetary Laboratory; University of Arizona; Tucson Arizona USA
| | - Olivier Gasnault
- Centre d'Etude Spatiale des Rayonnements/Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique/Université Paul Sabatier Toulouse; Toulouse France
| | - Horton E. Newsom
- Institute of Meteoritics and Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences; University of New Mexico; Albuquerque New Mexico USA
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Newsom HE, Crumpler LS, Reedy RC, Petersen MT, Newsom GC, Evans LG, Taylor GJ, Keller JM, Janes DM, Boynton WV, Kerry KE, Karunatillake S. Geochemistry of Martian soil and bedrock in mantled and less mantled terrains with gamma ray data from Mars Odyssey. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2007. [DOI: 10.1029/2006je002680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Beaty DW, Clifford SM, Borg LE, Catling DC, Craddock RA, Des Marais DJ, Farmer JD, Frey HV, Haberle RM, McKay CP, Newsom HE, Parker TJ, Segura T, Tanaka KL. Key science questions from the second conference on early Mars: geologic, hydrologic, and climatic evolution and the implications for life. Astrobiology 2005; 5:663-89. [PMID: 16379524 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2005.5.663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
In October 2004, more than 130 terrestrial and planetary scientists met in Jackson Hole, WY, to discuss early Mars. The first billion years of martian geologic history is of particular interest because it is a period during which the planet was most active, after which a less dynamic period ensued that extends to the present day. The early activity left a fascinating geological record, which we are only beginning to unravel through direct observation and modeling. In considering this time period, questions outnumber answers, and one of the purposes of the meeting was to gather some of the best experts in the field to consider the current state of knowledge, ascertain which questions remain to be addressed, and identify the most promising approaches to addressing those questions. The purpose of this report is to document that discussion. Throughout the planet's first billion years, planetary-scale processes-including differentiation, hydrodynamic escape, volcanism, large impacts, erosion, and sedimentation-rapidly modified the atmosphere and crust. How did these processes operate, and what were their rates and interdependencies? The early environment was also characterized by both abundant liquid water and plentiful sources of energy, two of the most important conditions considered necessary for the origin of life. Where and when did the most habitable environments occur? Did life actually occupy them, and if so, has life persisted on Mars to the present? Our understanding of early Mars is critical to understanding how the planet we see today came to be.
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Affiliation(s)
- David W Beaty
- Mars Program Office, Jet Propulsion Laboratory/California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109-8099, USA.
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Newsom HE, Barber CA, Hare TM, Schelble RT, Sutherland VA, Feldman WC. Paleolakes and impact basins in southern Arabia Terra, including Meridiani Planum: Implications for the formation of hematite deposits on Mars. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2003. [DOI: 10.1029/2002je001993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Horton E. Newsom
- Institute of Meteoritics and Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences; University of New Mexico; Albuquerque New Mexico USA
| | - Charles A. Barber
- Institute of Meteoritics and Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences; University of New Mexico; Albuquerque New Mexico USA
| | | | - Rachel T. Schelble
- Institute of Meteoritics and Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences; University of New Mexico; Albuquerque New Mexico USA
| | - Van A. Sutherland
- Institute of Meteoritics and Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences; University of New Mexico; Albuquerque New Mexico USA
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Schuerger AC, Ming DW, Newsom HE, Ferl RJ, McKay CP. Near-term lander experiments for growing plants on Mars: requirements for information on chemical and physical properties of Mars regolith. Life Support Biosph Sci 2002; 8:137-47. [PMID: 12481805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/19/2023]
Abstract
In order to support humans for long-duration missions to Mars, bioregenerative Advanced Life Support (ALS) systems have been proposed that would use higher plants as the primary candidates for photosynthesis. Hydroponic technologies have been suggested as the primary method of plant production in ALS systems, but the use of Mars regolith as a plant growth medium may have several advantages over hydroponic systems. The advantages for using Mars regolith include the likely bioavailability of plant-essential ions, mechanical support for plants, and easy access of the material once on the surface. We propose that plant biology experiments must be included in near-term Mars lander missions in order to begin defining the optimum approach for growing plants on Mars. Second, we discuss a range of soil chemistry and soil physics tests that must be conducted prior to, or in concert with, a plant biology experiment in order to properly interpret the results of plant growth studies in Mars regolith. The recommended chemical tests include measurements on soil pH, electrical conductivity and soluble salts, redox potential, bioavailability of essential plant nutrients, and bioavailability of phytotoxic elements. In addition, a future plant growth experiment should include procedures for determining the buffering and leaching requirements of Mars regolith prior to planting. Soil physical tests useful for plant biology studies in Mars regolith include bulk density, particle size distribution, porosity, water retention, and hydraulic conductivity.
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Johnson JR, Ruff SW, Moersch J, Roush T, Horton K, Bishop J, Cabrol NA, Cockell C, Gazis P, Newsom HE, Stoker C. Geological characterization of remote field sites using visible and infrared spectroscopy: Results from the 1999 Marsokhod field test. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2001. [DOI: 10.1029/1999je001149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Abstract
Do large craters on Mars represent sites that contain aqueous and hydrothermal deposits that provide clues to astrobiological processes? Are these materials available for sampling in large craters? Several lines of evidence strongly support the exploration of large impact craters to study deposits important for astrobiology. The great depth of impact craters, up to several kilometers relative to the surrounding terrain, can allow the breaching of local aquifers, providing a source of water for lakes and hydrothermal systems. Craters can also be filled with water from outflow channels and valley networks to form large lakes with accompanying sedimentation. Impact melt and uplifted basement heat sources in craters > 50 km in diameter should be sufficient to drive substantial hydrothermal activity and keep crater lakes from freezing for thousands of years, even under cold climatic conditions. Fluid flow in hydrothermal systems is focused at the edges of large planar impact melt sheets, suggesting that the edge of the melt sheets will have experienced substantial hydrothermal alteration and mineral deposition. Hydrothermal deposits, fine-grained lacustrine sediments, and playa evaporite deposits may preserve evidence for biogeochemical processes that occurred in the aquifers and craters. Therefore, large craters may represent giant Petri dishes for culturing preexisting life on Mars and promoting biogeochemical processes. Landing sites must be identified in craters where access to the buried lacustrine sediments and impact melt deposits is provided by processes such as erosion from outflow channels, faulting, aeolian erosion, or excavation by later superimposed cratering events. Very recent gully formation and small impacts within craters may allow surface sampling of organic materials exposed only recently to the harsh oxidizing surface environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- H E Newsom
- Institute of Meteoritics and Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA.
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Newsom HE, Hagerty JJ. Chemical components of the Martian soil: Melt degassing, hydrothermal alteration, and chondritic debris. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 1997. [DOI: 10.1029/97je01687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
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Abstract
Recent studies are leading to a better understanding of the formation of the earth's metal core. This new information includes: better knowledge of the physics of metal segregation, improved geochemical data on the abundance of siderophile and chalcophile elements in the silicate part of the earth, and experimental data on the partitioning behavior of siderophile and chalcophile elements. Extensive melting of the earth as a result of giant impacts, accretion, or the presence of a dense blanketing atmosphere is thought to have led to the formation of the core. Collision between a planet-sized body and the earth may have also produced the moon. Near the end of accretion, core formation evidently ceased as upper mantle conditions became oxidizing. The accumulation of the oceans is a consequence of the change to oxidizing conditions.
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Newsom HE, Graup G, Sewards T, Keil K. Fluidization and hydrothermal alteration of the Suevite deposit at the Ries Crater, West Germany, and implications for Mars. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 1986. [DOI: 10.1029/jb091ib13p0e239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 107] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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