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Vessey CJ, Raudsepp MJ, Patel AS, Wilson S, Harrison AL, Chen N, Chen W. Influence of Iron Substitution and Solution Composition on Brucite Carbonation. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2024; 58:7802-7813. [PMID: 38578665 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c08708] [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: 04/06/2024]
Abstract
Carbon neutral or negative mining can potentially be achieved by integrating carbon mineralization processes into the mine design, operations, and closure plans. Brucite [Mg(OH)2] is a highly reactive mineral present in some ultramafic mine tailings with the potential to be rapidly carbonated and can contain significant amounts of ferrous iron [Fe(II)] substituted for Mg; however, the influence of this substitution on carbon mineralization reaction products and efficiency has not been thoroughly constrained. To better assess the efficiency of carbon storage in brucite-bearing tailings, we performed carbonation experiments using synthetic Fe(II)-substituted brucite (0, 6, 23, and 44 mol % Fe) slurries in oxic and anoxic conditions with 10% CO2. Additionally, the carbonation process was evaluated using different background electrolytes (NaCl, Na2SO4, and Na4SiO4). Our results indicate that carbonation efficiency decreases with increasing Fe(II) substitution. In oxic conditions, precipitation of ferrihydrite [Fe10IIIO14(OH)2] and layered double hydroxides {e.g., pyroaurite [Mg6Fe2III(OH)16CO3·4H2O]} limited carbonation efficiency. Carbonation in anoxic environments led to the formation of Fe(II)-substituted nesquehonite (MgCO3·3H2O) and dypingite [Mg5(CO3)4(OH)2·∼5H2O], as well as chukanovite [Fe2IICO3(OH)2] in the case of 23 and 44 mol % Fe(II)-brucite carbonation. Carbonation efficiencies were consistent between chloride- and sulfate-rich solutions but declined in the presence of dissolved Si due to the formation of amorphous SiO2·nH2O and Fe-Mg silicates. Overall, our results indicate that carbonation efficiency and the long-term fate of stored CO2 may depend on the amount of substituted Fe(II) in both feedstock minerals and carbonate products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colton J Vessey
- Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2E3, Canada
| | - Maija J Raudsepp
- Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2E3, Canada
| | - Avni S Patel
- Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2E3, Canada
| | - Sasha Wilson
- Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2E3, Canada
| | - Anna L Harrison
- Institute of Geological Sciences, University of Bern, Baltzerstrasse 1 + 3, Bern 3012, Switzerland
| | - Ning Chen
- Canadian Light Source, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 2 V3, Canada
| | - Weifeng Chen
- Canadian Light Source, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 2 V3, Canada
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2
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Ozturk SF, Bhowmick DK, Kapon Y, Sang Y, Kumar A, Paltiel Y, Naaman R, Sasselov DD. Chirality-induced avalanche magnetization of magnetite by an RNA precursor. Nat Commun 2023; 14:6351. [PMID: 37816811 PMCID: PMC10564924 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42130-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 10/01/2023] [Indexed: 10/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Homochirality is a hallmark of life on Earth. To achieve and maintain homochirality within a prebiotic network, the presence of an environmental factor acting as a chiral agent and providing a persistent chiral bias to prebiotic chemistry is highly advantageous. Magnetized surfaces are prebiotically plausible chiral agents due to the chiral-induced spin selectivity (CISS) effect, and they were utilized to attain homochiral ribose-aminooxazoline (RAO), an RNA precursor. However, natural magnetic minerals are typically weakly magnetized, necessitating mechanisms to enhance their magnetization for their use as effective chiral agents. Here, we report the magnetization of magnetic surfaces by crystallizing enantiopure RAO, whereby chiral molecules induce a uniform surface magnetization due to the CISS effect, which spreads across the magnetic surface akin to an avalanche. Chirality-induced avalanche magnetization enables a feedback between chiral molecules and magnetic surfaces, which can amplify a weak magnetization and allow for highly efficient spin-selective processes on magnetic minerals.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Furkan Ozturk
- Department of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA.
| | - Deb Kumar Bhowmick
- Department of Chemical and Biological Physics, Weizmann Institute, Rehovot, 76100, Israel
| | - Yael Kapon
- Department of Applied Physics, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 91904, Israel
| | - Yutao Sang
- Department of Chemical and Biological Physics, Weizmann Institute, Rehovot, 76100, Israel
| | - Anil Kumar
- Department of Chemical and Biological Physics, Weizmann Institute, Rehovot, 76100, Israel
| | - Yossi Paltiel
- Department of Applied Physics, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 91904, Israel
| | - Ron Naaman
- Department of Chemical and Biological Physics, Weizmann Institute, Rehovot, 76100, Israel
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3
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Ozturk SF, Sasselov DD, Sutherland JD. The central dogma of biological homochirality: How does chiral information propagate in a prebiotic network? J Chem Phys 2023; 159:061102. [PMID: 37551802 PMCID: PMC7615580 DOI: 10.1063/5.0156527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2023] [Accepted: 06/05/2023] [Indexed: 08/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Biological systems are homochiral, raising the question of how a racemic mixture of prebiotically synthesized biomolecules could attain a homochiral state at the network level. Based on our recent results, we aim to address a related question of how chiral information might have flowed in a prebiotic network. Utilizing the crystallization properties of the central ribonucleic acid (RNA) precursor known as ribose-aminooxazoline (RAO), we showed that its homochiral crystals can be obtained from its fully racemic solution on a magnetic mineral surface due to the chiral-induced spin selectivity (CISS) effect [Ozturk et al., arXiv:2303.01394 (2023)]. Moreover, we uncovered a mechanism facilitated by the CISS effect through which chiral molecules, such as RAO, can uniformly magnetize such surfaces in a variety of planetary environments in a persistent manner [Ozturk et al., arXiv:2304.09095 (2023)]. All this is very tantalizing because recent experiments with tRNA analogs demonstrate high stereoselectivity in the attachment of L-amino acids to D-ribonucleotides, enabling the transfer of homochirality from RNA to peptides [Wu et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc. 143, 11836 (2021)]. Therefore, the biological homochirality problem may be reduced to ensuring that a single common RNA precursor (e.g., RAO) can be made homochiral. The emergence of homochirality at RAO then allows for the chiral information to propagate through RNA, then to peptides, and ultimately through enantioselective catalysis to metabolites. This directionality of the chiral information flow parallels that of the central dogma of molecular biology-the unidirectional transfer of genetic information from nucleic acids to proteins [F. H. Crick, in Symposia of the Society for Experimental Biology, Number XII: The Biological Replication of Macromolecules, edited by F. K. Sanders (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1958), pp. 138-163; and F. Crick, Nature 227, 561 (1970)].
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Affiliation(s)
- S. Furkan Ozturk
- Department of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA
| | - Dimitar D. Sasselov
- Department of Astronomy, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA
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4
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Klaes B, Thiele-Bruhn S, Wörner G, Höschen C, Mueller CW, Marx P, Arz HW, Breuer S, Kilian R. Iron (hydr)oxide formation in Andosols under extreme climate conditions. Sci Rep 2023; 13:2818. [PMID: 36797309 PMCID: PMC9935883 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-29727-1] [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: 07/04/2022] [Accepted: 02/09/2023] [Indexed: 02/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Redox-driven biogeochemical cycling of iron plays an integral role in the complex process network of ecosystems, such as carbon cycling, the fate of nutrients and greenhouse gas emissions. We investigate Fe-(hydr)oxide (trans)formation pathways from rhyolitic tephra in acidic topsoils of South Patagonian Andosols to evaluate the ecological relevance of terrestrial iron cycling for this sensitive fjord ecosystem. Using bulk geochemical analyses combined with micrometer-scale-measurements on individual soil aggregates and tephra pumice, we document biotic and abiotic pathways of Fe released from the glassy tephra matrix and titanomagnetite phenocrysts. During successive redox cycles that are controlled by frequent hydrological perturbations under hyper-humid climate, (trans)formations of ferrihydrite-organic matter coprecipitates, maghemite and hematite are closely linked to tephra weathering and organic matter turnover. These Fe-(hydr)oxides nucleate after glass dissolution and complexation with organic ligands, through maghemitization or dissolution-(re)crystallization processes from metastable precursors. Ultimately, hematite represents the most thermodynamically stable Fe-(hydr)oxide formed under these conditions and physically accumulates at redox interfaces, whereas the ferrihydrite coprecipitates represent a so far underappreciated terrestrial source of bio-available iron for fjord bioproductivity. The insights into Fe-(hydr)oxide (trans)formation in Andosols have implications for a better understanding of biogeochemical cycling of iron in this unique Patagonian fjord ecosystem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Björn Klaes
- Geology Department, Trier University, Campus II (Geozentrum), Behringstraße 21, 54296, Trier, Germany. .,Soil Science Department, Trier University, Campus II (Geozentrum), Behringstraße 21, 54296, Trier, Germany.
| | - Sören Thiele-Bruhn
- grid.12391.380000 0001 2289 1527Soil Science Department, Trier University, Campus II (Geozentrum), Behringstraße 21, 54296 Trier, Germany
| | - Gerhard Wörner
- grid.7450.60000 0001 2364 4210Division of Geochemistry and Isotope Geology, GZG, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Goldschmidtstraße 1, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Carmen Höschen
- grid.6936.a0000000123222966Soil Science, Research Department Life Science Systems, TUM School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Emil-Ramann-Straße 2, 85354 Freising-Weihenstephan, Germany
| | - Carsten W. Mueller
- grid.6936.a0000000123222966Soil Science, Research Department Life Science Systems, TUM School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Emil-Ramann-Straße 2, 85354 Freising-Weihenstephan, Germany ,grid.5254.60000 0001 0674 042XDepartment for Geosciences and Environmental Management, University of Copenhagen, Øster Voldgade 10, 1350 København K, Denmark
| | - Philipp Marx
- grid.12391.380000 0001 2289 1527Soil Science Department, Trier University, Campus II (Geozentrum), Behringstraße 21, 54296 Trier, Germany
| | - Helge Wolfgang Arz
- grid.423940.80000 0001 2188 0463Marine Geology Section, Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research Warnemünde (IOW), Seestraße 15, 18119 Rostock, Germany
| | - Sonja Breuer
- grid.15606.340000 0001 2155 4756Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR), Stilleweg 2, 30655 Hannover, Germany
| | - Rolf Kilian
- grid.12391.380000 0001 2289 1527Geology Department, Trier University, Campus II (Geozentrum), Behringstraße 21, 54296 Trier, Germany ,grid.442242.60000 0001 2287 1761University of Magallanes, Avenida Bulnes 01855, Punta Arenas, Chile
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5
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Brady MP, Tostevin R, Tosca NJ. Marine phosphate availability and the chemical origins of life on Earth. Nat Commun 2022; 13:5162. [PMID: 36056017 PMCID: PMC9440033 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-32815-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2022] [Accepted: 08/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Prebiotic systems chemistry suggests that high phosphate concentrations were necessary to synthesise molecular building blocks and sustain primitive cellular systems. However, current understanding of mineral solubility predicts negligible phosphate concentrations for most natural waters, yet the role of Fe2+, ubiquitous on early Earth, is poorly quantified. Here we determine the solubility of Fe(II)-phosphate in synthetic seawater as a function of pH and ionic strength, integrate these observations into a thermodynamic model that predicts phosphate concentrations across a range of aquatic conditions, and validate these predictions against modern anoxic sediment pore waters. Experiments and models show that Fe2+ significantly increases the solubility of all phosphate minerals in anoxic systems, suggesting that Hadean and Archean seawater featured phosphate concentrations ~103–104 times higher than currently estimated. This suggests that seawater readily met the phosphorus requirements of emergent cellular systems and early microbial life, perhaps fueling primary production during the advent of oxygenic photosynthesis. Phosphate is critical for all life on Earth but its origins have remained enigmatic. Experiments indicate that phosphate may have been abundant in ancient Fe-rich seawater, providing a crucial ingredient for the origins of life on Earth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew P Brady
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EQ, UK
| | - Rosalie Tostevin
- Department of Geological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, 7700, South Africa
| | - Nicholas J Tosca
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EQ, UK.
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6
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On the origins of life's homochirality: Inducing enantiomeric excess with spin-polarized electrons. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2204765119. [PMID: 35787048 PMCID: PMC9282223 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2204765119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Life as we know it is homochiral, but the origins of biological homochirality on early Earth remain elusive. Shallow closed-basin lakes are a plausible prebiotic environment on early Earth, and most are expected to have significant sedimentary magnetite deposits. We hypothesize that ultraviolet (200- to 300-nm) irradiation of magnetite deposits could generate hydrated spin-polarized electrons sufficient to induce enantioselective prebiotic chemistry. Such electrons are potent reducing agents that drive reduction reactions where the spin polarization direction can enantioselectively alter the reaction kinetics. Our estimate of this chiral bias is based on the strong effective spin-orbit coupling observed in the chiral-induced spin selectivity (CISS) effect, as applied to energy differences in reduction reactions for different isomers. In the original CISS experiments, spin-selective electron transmission through a monolayer of double-strand DNA molecules is observed at room temperature-indicating a strong coupling between molecular chirality and electron spin. We propose that the chiral symmetry breaking due to the CISS effect, when applied to reduction chemistry, can induce enantioselective synthesis on the prebiotic Earth and thus facilitate the homochiral assembly of life's building blocks.
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7
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Bae Y, Crompton NM, Sharma N, Yuan Y, Catalano JG, Giammar DE. Impact of dissolved oxygen and pH on the removal of selenium from water by iron electrocoagulation. WATER RESEARCH 2022; 213:118159. [PMID: 35172259 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2022.118159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2021] [Revised: 01/28/2022] [Accepted: 02/02/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Removing dissolved selenium (i.e., selenate and selenite) from wastewater is a challenging issue for a range of industries. Iron electrocoagulation can produce Fe(II)-containing solids that can adsorb and chemically reduce dissolved Se. In a series of bench-scale experiments we investigated the effects of dissolved oxygen (fully oxic, partially oxic, and strictly anoxic) and pH (6 and 8) on the rate and extent of dissolved selenate and selenite removal by iron electrocoagulation. These studies combined measurements of the aqueous phase with the direct characterization of the resulting solids. Among the conditions studied the rate and extent of dissolved selenium (Se) removal were highest at pH 8 and strictly anoxic conditions. X-ray absorption spectroscopy demonstrated that in the absence of oxygen, Se was primarily transformed to elemental selenium (Se0) and selenide. Green rust that formed in the suspension during electrocoagulation played a key role as a reductant and sorbent of Se. At pH 6 dissolved oxygen did not affect the rates and extents of dissolved Se removal. Under all the conditions studied, dissolved Se removal was more effective with iron electrocoagulation than with the direct addition of pre-synthesized green rust or ferrous hydroxide. The most rapid and substantial dissolved Se removal was achieved by freshly-formed green rust and ferrous hydroxide, which are both Fe(II)-bearing solids. With an improved understanding of the products and mechanisms of the process, iron electrocoagulation can be optimized for removal of Se from wastewater.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yeunook Bae
- Department of Energy, Environmental, and Chemical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, 1 Brookings Drive, Brauer Hall, Room 1023, St. Louis, MO 63130, United States; Department of Preventive Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, United States
| | - Nyssa M Crompton
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130, United States; Department of Chemistry, Joliet Junior College, Joliet, IL 60431, United States
| | - Neha Sharma
- Department of Energy, Environmental, and Chemical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, 1 Brookings Drive, Brauer Hall, Room 1023, St. Louis, MO 63130, United States
| | - Yihang Yuan
- Department of Energy, Environmental, and Chemical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, 1 Brookings Drive, Brauer Hall, Room 1023, St. Louis, MO 63130, United States
| | - Jeffrey G Catalano
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130, United States
| | - Daniel E Giammar
- Department of Energy, Environmental, and Chemical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, 1 Brookings Drive, Brauer Hall, Room 1023, St. Louis, MO 63130, United States.
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8
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Francisco PCM, Matsumura D, Kikuchi R, Ishidera T, Tachi Y. Selenide [Se(-II)] Immobilization in Anoxic, Fe(II)-Rich Environments: Coprecipitation and Behavior during Phase Transformations. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2022; 56:3011-3020. [PMID: 35133799 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.1c04216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The radionuclide selenium-79 (Se-79) is predicted to be a key contributor to the long-term radiologic hazards associated with geological high-level waste (HLW) repositories; hence its release is of pertinent concern in the safety assessment of repositories. However, interactions of reduced Se species with aqueous Fe(II) species and solid phases arising from the corrosion of a steel overpack could play a role in mitigating its migration to the surrounding environment. In this study, we examined the immobilization mechanisms of Se(-II) during its interaction with aqueous Fe(II) and freshly precipitated Fe(OH)2 at circumneutral and alkaline conditions, respectively, its response to changes in pH, and its behavior during aging at 90 °C. Using microscopic and spectroscopic techniques, we observed β-FeSe precipitation, regardless of whether Se(-II) reacts with aqueous species or solid phases, and that modifying the pH following initial immobilization did not remobilize Se(-II). These observations indicate that Se(-II) migration beyond the overpack can be effectively and rapidly retarded via interactions with Fe(II) species arising from overpack corrosion. Thermodynamic calculations, however, showed that iron selenides became metastable at alkaline conditions and will dissolve in the long term. Aging experiments at 90 °C showed that Se(-II) can be completely retained via the crystallization of ferroselite at circumneutral conditions, while it will be largely remobilized at alkaline conditions. Our results show that Se(-II) mobility can be significantly influenced by its interactions with the corrosion products of the steel overpack and that these behaviors will have to be considered in repository safety assessments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Clarence M Francisco
- Nuclear Fuel Cycle Engineering Laboratories, Japan Atomic Energy Agency, 4-33 Muramatsu, Tokai, Ibaraki 319-1194, Japan
| | - Daiju Matsumura
- Materials Sciences Research Center, Japan Atomic Energy Agency, 1-1 Koto, Sayo, Hyogo 679-5148, Japan
| | - Ryosuke Kikuchi
- Environmental Geology Laboratory, Faculty of Engineering, Hokkaido University, Kita 13 Nishi 8, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-8628, Japan
| | - Takamitsu Ishidera
- Nuclear Fuel Cycle Engineering Laboratories, Japan Atomic Energy Agency, 4-33 Muramatsu, Tokai, Ibaraki 319-1194, Japan
| | - Yukio Tachi
- Nuclear Fuel Cycle Engineering Laboratories, Japan Atomic Energy Agency, 4-33 Muramatsu, Tokai, Ibaraki 319-1194, Japan
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9
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A Review of the Phyllosilicates in Gale Crater as Detected by the CheMin Instrument on the Mars Science Laboratory, Curiosity Rover. MINERALS 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/min11080847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Curiosity, the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) rover, landed on Mars in August 2012 to investigate the ~3.5-billion-year-old (Ga) fluvio-lacustrine sedimentary deposits of Aeolis Mons (informally known as Mount Sharp) and the surrounding plains (Aeolis Palus) in Gale crater. After nearly nine years, Curiosity has traversed over 25 km, and the Chemistry and Mineralogy (CheMin) X-ray diffraction instrument on-board Curiosity has analyzed 30 drilled rock and three scooped soil samples to date. The principal strategic goal of the mission is to assess the habitability of Mars in its ancient past. Phyllosilicates are common in ancient Martian terrains dating to ~3.5–4 Ga and were detected from orbit in some of the lower strata of Mount Sharp. Phyllosilicates on Earth are important for harboring and preserving organics. On Mars, phyllosilicates are significant for exploration as they are hypothesized to be a marker for potential habitable environments. CheMin data demonstrate that ancient fluvio-lacustrine rocks in Gale crater contain up to ~35 wt. % phyllosilicates. Phyllosilicates are key indicators of past fluid–rock interactions, and variation in the structure and composition of phyllosilicates in Gale crater suggest changes in past aqueous environments that may have been habitable to microbial life with a variety of possible energy sources.
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10
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Clark BC, Kolb VM, Steele A, House CH, Lanza NL, Gasda PJ, VanBommel SJ, Newsom HE, Martínez-Frías J. Origin of Life on Mars: Suitability and Opportunities. Life (Basel) 2021; 11:539. [PMID: 34207658 PMCID: PMC8227854 DOI: 10.3390/life11060539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2021] [Revised: 05/28/2021] [Accepted: 06/01/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Although the habitability of early Mars is now well established, its suitability for conditions favorable to an independent origin of life (OoL) has been less certain. With continued exploration, evidence has mounted for a widespread diversity of physical and chemical conditions on Mars that mimic those variously hypothesized as settings in which life first arose on Earth. Mars has also provided water, energy sources, CHNOPS elements, critical catalytic transition metal elements, as well as B, Mg, Ca, Na and K, all of which are elements associated with life as we know it. With its highly favorable sulfur abundance and land/ocean ratio, early wet Mars remains a prime candidate for its own OoL, in many respects superior to Earth. The relatively well-preserved ancient surface of planet Mars helps inform the range of possible analogous conditions during the now-obliterated history of early Earth. Continued exploration of Mars also contributes to the understanding of the opportunities for settings enabling an OoL on exoplanets. Favoring geochemical sediment samples for eventual return to Earth will enhance assessments of the likelihood of a Martian OoL.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Vera M. Kolb
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin—Parkside, Kenosha, WI 53141, USA;
| | - Andrew Steele
- Earth and Planetary Laboratory, Carnegie Institution for Science, Washington, DC 20015, USA;
| | - Christopher H. House
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA 16807, USA;
| | - Nina L. Lanza
- Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545, USA; (N.L.L.); (P.J.G.)
| | - Patrick J. Gasda
- Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545, USA; (N.L.L.); (P.J.G.)
| | - Scott J. VanBommel
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA;
| | - Horton E. Newsom
- Institute of Meteoritics, Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 88033, USA;
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11
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Scheller EL, Ehlmann BL, Hu R, Adams DJ, Yung YL. Long-term drying of Mars by sequestration of ocean-scale volumes of water in the crust. Science 2021; 372:56-62. [PMID: 33727251 DOI: 10.1126/science.abc7717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2020] [Accepted: 03/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Geological evidence shows that ancient Mars had large volumes of liquid water. Models of past hydrogen escape to space, calibrated with observations of the current escape rate, cannot explain the present-day deuterium-to-hydrogen isotope ratio (D/H). We simulated volcanic degassing, atmospheric escape, and crustal hydration on Mars, incorporating observational constraints from spacecraft, rovers, and meteorites. We found that ancient water volumes equivalent to a 100 to 1500 meter global layer are simultaneously compatible with the geological evidence, loss rate estimates, and D/H measurements. In our model, the volume of water participating in the hydrological cycle decreased by 40 to 95% over the Noachian period (~3.7 billion to 4.1 billion years ago), reaching present-day values by ~3.0 billion years ago. Between 30 and 99% of martian water was sequestered through crustal hydration, demonstrating that irreversible chemical weathering can increase the aridity of terrestrial planets.
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Affiliation(s)
- E L Scheller
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA.
| | - B L Ehlmann
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA.,Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA
| | - Renyu Hu
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA
| | - D J Adams
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Y L Yung
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA.,Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA
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12
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Thermodynamic Constraints on Smectite and Iron Oxide Formation at Gale Crater, Mars: Insights into Potential Free Energy from Aerobic Fe Oxidation in Lake Water–Groundwater Mixing Zone. MINERALS 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/min11040341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The presence of saponite and iron oxides in Sheepbed mudstone of Yellowknife Bay at Gale crater on Mars is considered as evidence of a habitable fluvio-lacustrine environment for chemolithoautotrophy. However, the energetic availability for metabolic reactions is poorly constrained. Herein, we propose the possible mixing of surface water and groundwater that (i) explains the formation of magnetite and hematite detected in Sheepbed mudstone and (ii) may work as a potential habitable zone for aerobic Fe2+-oxidizing microbes. Our thermodynamic modeling of water–rock reactions revealed that the formation of abundant saponite in Sheepbed mudstone may occur under various conditions of water-to-rock mass ratios, temperatures (5–200 °C), and initial fluid compositions. In contrast, the formation of iron oxides in the mudstone can be explained only by the mixing of Fe2+-rich groundwater and more oxidized surface waters, where the Fe2+-rich groundwater can be generated by the low-temperature water–rock reactions with a CO2-bearing initial fluid. The calculated bioavailable energy of aerobic Fe2+ oxidation in the fluid-mixing zone on Mars is similar to that estimated for a fluid-mixing zone on Earth actually inhabited by aerobic Fe2+-oxidizing microbes. The findings will contribute to a better understanding of potential habitability on Mars.
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Fraeman AA, Edgar LA, Rampe EB, Thompson LM, Frydenvang J, Fedo CM, Catalano JG, Dietrich WE, Gabriel TSJ, Vasavada AR, Grotzinger JP, L'Haridon J, Mangold N, Sun VZ, House CH, Bryk AB, Hardgrove C, Czarnecki S, Stack KM, Morris RV, Arvidson RE, Banham SG, Bennett KA, Bridges JC, Edwards CS, Fischer WW, Fox VK, Gupta S, Horgan BHN, Jacob SR, Johnson JR, Johnson SS, Rubin DM, Salvatore MR, Schwenzer SP, Siebach KL, Stein NT, Turner SMR, Wellington DF, Wiens RC, Williams AJ, David G, Wong GM. Evidence for a Diagenetic Origin of Vera Rubin Ridge, Gale Crater, Mars: Summary and Synthesis of Curiosity's Exploration Campaign. JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH. PLANETS 2020; 125:e2020JE006527. [PMID: 33520561 PMCID: PMC7818385 DOI: 10.1029/2020je006527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2020] [Revised: 07/16/2020] [Accepted: 07/20/2020] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
This paper provides an overview of the Curiosity rover's exploration at Vera Rubin ridge (VRR) and summarizes the science results. VRR is a distinct geomorphic feature on lower Aeolis Mons (informally known as Mount Sharp) that was identified in orbital data based on its distinct texture, topographic expression, and association with a hematite spectral signature. Curiosity conducted extensive remote sensing observations, acquired data on dozens of contact science targets, and drilled three outcrop samples from the ridge, as well as one outcrop sample immediately below the ridge. Our observations indicate that strata composing VRR were deposited in a predominantly lacustrine setting and are part of the Murray formation. The rocks within the ridge are chemically in family with underlying Murray formation strata. Red hematite is dispersed throughout much of the VRR bedrock, and this is the source of the orbital spectral detection. Gray hematite is also present in isolated, gray-colored patches concentrated toward the upper elevations of VRR, and these gray patches also contain small, dark Fe-rich nodules. We propose that VRR formed when diagenetic event(s) preferentially hardened rocks, which were subsequently eroded into a ridge by wind. Diagenesis also led to enhanced crystallization and/or cementation that deepened the ferric-related spectral absorptions on the ridge, which helped make them readily distinguishable from orbit. Results add to existing evidence of protracted aqueous environments at Gale crater and give new insight into how diagenesis shaped Mars' rock record.
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Affiliation(s)
- A. A. Fraeman
- Jet Propulsion LaboratoryCalifornia Institute of TechnologyPasadenaCAUSA
| | - L. A. Edgar
- U.S. Geological Survey Astrogeology Science CenterFlagstaffAZUSA
| | | | - L. M. Thompson
- Planetary and Space Science CentreUniversity of New BrunswickFrederictonNew BrunswickCanada
| | - J. Frydenvang
- Global InstituteUniversity of CopenhagenCopenhagenDenmark
| | - C. M. Fedo
- Department of Earth and Planetary SciencesUniversity of Tennessee, KnoxvilleKnoxvilleTNUSA
| | - J. G. Catalano
- Department of Earth and Planetary SciencesWashington University in St. LouisSt. LouisMOUSA
| | - W. E. Dietrich
- Department of Earth and Planetary ScienceUniversity of CaliforniaBerkeleyCAUSA
| | - T. S. J. Gabriel
- School of Earth and Space ExplorationArizona State UniversityTempeAZUSA
| | - A. R. Vasavada
- Jet Propulsion LaboratoryCalifornia Institute of TechnologyPasadenaCAUSA
| | - J. P. Grotzinger
- Division of Geological and Planetary SciencesCalifornia Institute of TechnologyPasadenaCAUSA
| | - J. L'Haridon
- Laboratoire de Planétologie et Géodynamique de Nantes, UMR6112 CNRSUniversité de Nantes, Université d'AngersNantesFrance
| | - N. Mangold
- Laboratoire de Planétologie et Géodynamique de Nantes, UMR6112 CNRSUniversité de Nantes, Université d'AngersNantesFrance
| | - V. Z. Sun
- Jet Propulsion LaboratoryCalifornia Institute of TechnologyPasadenaCAUSA
| | - C. H. House
- Department of GeosciencesPennsylvania State UniversityUniversity ParkPAUSA
| | - A. B. Bryk
- Department of Earth and Planetary ScienceUniversity of CaliforniaBerkeleyCAUSA
| | - C. Hardgrove
- School of Earth and Space ExplorationArizona State UniversityTempeAZUSA
| | - S. Czarnecki
- School of Earth and Space ExplorationArizona State UniversityTempeAZUSA
| | - K. M. Stack
- Jet Propulsion LaboratoryCalifornia Institute of TechnologyPasadenaCAUSA
| | | | - R. E. Arvidson
- Department of Earth and Planetary SciencesWashington University in St. LouisSt. LouisMOUSA
| | - S. G. Banham
- Department of Earth Science and EngineeringImperial College LondonLondonUK
| | - K. A. Bennett
- U.S. Geological Survey Astrogeology Science CenterFlagstaffAZUSA
| | - J. C. Bridges
- Space Research Centre, School of Physics and AstronomyUniversity of LeicesterLeicesterUK
| | - C. S. Edwards
- Department of Astronomy and Planetary ScienceNorthern Arizona UniversityFlagstaffAZUSA
| | - W. W. Fischer
- Division of Geological and Planetary SciencesCalifornia Institute of TechnologyPasadenaCAUSA
| | - V. K. Fox
- Department of Earth SciencesUniversity of Minnesota, Twin CitiesMinneapolisMNUSA
| | - S. Gupta
- Department of Earth Science and EngineeringImperial College LondonLondonUK
| | - B. H. N. Horgan
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary SciencesPurdue UniversityWest LafayetteINUSA
| | - S. R. Jacob
- School of Earth and Space ExplorationArizona State UniversityTempeAZUSA
| | - J. R. Johnson
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics LaboratoryLaurelMDUSA
| | - S. S. Johnson
- Department of Biology, Science, Technology, and International Affairs ProgramGeorgetown UniversityWashingtonDCUSA
| | - D. M. Rubin
- Department of Earth and Planetary SciencesUniversity of CaliforniaSanta CruzCAUSA
| | - M. R. Salvatore
- Department of Astronomy and Planetary ScienceNorthern Arizona UniversityFlagstaffAZUSA
| | | | - K. L. Siebach
- Department of Earth, Environmental, and Planetary SciencesRice UniversityHoustonTXUSA
| | - N. T. Stein
- Division of Geological and Planetary SciencesCalifornia Institute of TechnologyPasadenaCAUSA
| | | | - D. F. Wellington
- School of Earth and Space ExplorationArizona State UniversityTempeAZUSA
| | - R. C. Wiens
- Los Alamos National LaboratoryLos AlamosNMUSA
| | - A. J. Williams
- Department of Geological SciencesUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFLUSA
| | - G. David
- L'Institut de Recherche en Astrophysique et PlanétologieToulouseFrance
| | - G. M. Wong
- Department of GeosciencesPennsylvania State UniversityUniversity ParkPAUSA
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14
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Anoxic photogeochemical oxidation of manganese carbonate yields manganese oxide. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:22698-22704. [PMID: 32868429 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2002175117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The oxidation states of manganese minerals in the geological record have been interpreted as proxies for the evolution of molecular oxygen in the Archean eon. Here we report that an Archean manganese mineral, rhodochrosite (MnCO3), can be photochemically oxidized by light under anoxic, abiotic conditions. Rhodochrosite has a calculated bandgap of about 5.4 eV, corresponding to light energy centering around 230 nm. Light at that wavelength would have been present on Earth's surface in the Archean, prior to the formation of stratospheric ozone. We show experimentally that the photooxidation of rhodochrosite in suspension with light centered at 230 nm produced H2 gas and manganite (γ-MnOOH) with an apparent quantum yield of 1.37 × 10-3 moles hydrogen per moles incident photons. Our results suggest that manganese oxides could have formed abiotically on the surface in shallow waters and on continents during the Archean eon in the absence of molecular oxygen.
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Shang H, Daye M, Sivan O, Borlina CS, Tamura N, Weiss BP, Bosak T. Formation of Zerovalent Iron in Iron-Reducing Cultures of Methanosarcina barkeri. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2020; 54:7354-7365. [PMID: 32379434 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.0c01595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Methanogenic archaea have been shown to reduce iron from ferric [Fe(III)] to ferrous [Fe(II)] state, but minerals that form during iron reduction by different methanogens remain to be characterized. Here, we show that zerovalent iron (ZVI) minerals, ferrite [α-Fe(0)] and austenite [γ-Fe(0)], appear in the X-ray diffraction spectra minutes after the addition of ferrihydrite to the cultures of a methanogenic archaeon, Methanosarcina barkeri (M. barkeri). M. barkeri cells and redox-active, nonenzymatic soluble organic compounds in organic-rich spent culture supernatants can promote the formation of ZVI; the latter compounds also likely stabilize ZVI. Methanogenic microbes that inhabit organic- and Fe(III)-rich anaerobic environments may similarly reduce Fe(III) to Fe(II) and ZVI, with implications for the preservation of paleomagnetic signals during sediment diagenesis and potential applications in the protection of iron metals against corrosion and in the green synthesis of ZVI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haitao Shang
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Mirna Daye
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Orit Sivan
- Department of Geological and Environmental Sciences, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva 84105, Israel
| | - Caue S Borlina
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Nobumichi Tamura
- Advanced Light Source, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720, United States
| | - Benjamin P Weiss
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Tanja Bosak
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
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Templeton AS, Ellison ET. Formation and loss of metastable brucite: does Fe(II)-bearing brucite support microbial activity in serpentinizing ecosystems? PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. SERIES A, MATHEMATICAL, PHYSICAL, AND ENGINEERING SCIENCES 2020; 378:20180423. [PMID: 31902337 PMCID: PMC7015309 DOI: 10.1098/rsta.2018.0423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/30/2019] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Ultramafic rocks undergo successive stages of hydration and oxidation during water/rock interaction, giving rise to secondary minerals such as brucite, serpentine, magnetite and the production of H2(g). Ferroan brucite (MgxFe(1-x)2+(OH)2) often forms under low water/rock ratios early during the 'serpentinization' process. The formation of ferroan brucite sequesters Fe(II) and suppresses the production of H2, thereby limiting the flux of reductants suitable for sustaining microbial metabolism. Yet ferroan brucite is a relatively soluble mineral 'reservoir' for reactive Fe(II). Brucite is often metastable and can be lost at later stages of peridotite hydration when there is a significant increase in the water/rock ratio or the activity of SiO2 or CO2. The Fe(OH)2 component of brucite has the thermodynamic potential to reduce most aqueous oxidants. Therefore, ferroan brucite may reduce water and/or dissolved carbon, nitrogen and sulfur species, while the Fe(II) is converted into more stable secondary minerals such as Fe(II/III)-oxides and hydroxides (e.g. green-rust, magnetite, iowaite and pyroaurite) and ferric serpentine. The reactivity of ferroan brucite, and the associated rate of Fe solubilization and oxidation in subsurface fluids, could be a key regulator on the rate of electron transfer from serpentinites to the rock-hosted biosphere. Aqueous alteration of ferroan brucite may significantly modulate the H2 activity in fluids circulating within partially serpentinized rocks, and buffer H2 as it is lost by advection or in situ consumption by a hydrogenotrophic microbial community. Moreover, there may be microbial organisms that specifically colonize and use ferroan brucite as an electron donor for their metabolism. The energy fluxes sustained by localized brucite oxidation may often be sufficiently large to sustain abundant microbial communities; water/rock reaction zones where brucite is consumed could serve as environments to search for extant or fossil serpentinite-hosted life. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'Serpentinite in the Earth System'.
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Sasselov DD, Grotzinger JP, Sutherland JD. The origin of life as a planetary phenomenon. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2020; 6:eaax3419. [PMID: 32076638 PMCID: PMC7002131 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aax3419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2019] [Accepted: 11/22/2019] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
We advocate an integrative approach between laboratory experiments in prebiotic chemistry and geologic, geochemical, and astrophysical observations to help assemble a robust chemical pathway to life that can be reproduced in the laboratory. The cyanosulfidic chemistry scenario described here was developed by such an integrative iterative process. We discuss how it maps onto evolving planetary surface environments on early Earth and Mars and the value of comparative planetary evolution. The results indicate that Mars can offer direct evidence for geochemical conditions similar to prebiotic Earth, whose early record has been erased. The Jezero crater is now the chosen landing site for NASA's Mars 2020 rover, making this an extraordinary opportunity for a breakthrough in understanding life's origins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dimitar D. Sasselov
- Department of Astronomy, Harvard University, 60 Garden St., Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Corresponding author.
| | - John P. Grotzinger
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - John D. Sutherland
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Ave., Cambridge CB2 0QH, UK
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18
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Fukushi K, Sekine Y, Sakuma H, Morida K, Wordsworth R. Semiarid climate and hyposaline lake on early Mars inferred from reconstructed water chemistry at Gale. Nat Commun 2019; 10:4896. [PMID: 31653859 PMCID: PMC6814795 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-12871-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2018] [Accepted: 10/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Salinity, pH, and redox states are fundamental properties that characterize natural waters. These properties of surface waters on early Mars reflect palaeoenvironments, and thus provide clues on the palaeoclimate and habitability. Here we constrain these properties of pore water within lacustrine sediments of Gale Crater, Mars, using smectite interlayer compositions. Regardless of formation conditions of smectite, the pore water that last interacted with the sediments was of Na-Cl type with mild salinity (~0.1-0.5 mol/kg) and circumneutral pH. To interpret this, multiple scenarios for post-depositional alterations are considered. The estimated Na-Cl concentrations would reflect hyposaline, early lakes developed in 104-106-year-long semiarid climates. Assuming that post-depositional sulfate-rich fluids interacted with the sediments, the redox disequilibria in secondary minerals suggest infiltration of oxidizing fluids into reducing sediments. Assuming no interactions, the redox disequilibria could have been generated by interactions of upwelling groundwater with oxidized sediments in early post-depositional stages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keisuke Fukushi
- Institute of Nature and Environmental Technology, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Ishikawa, Japan.
| | - Yasuhito Sekine
- Institute of Nature and Environmental Technology, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Ishikawa, Japan
- Earth-Life Science Institute, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Sakuma
- National Institute for Materials Science, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Koki Morida
- Division of Natural System, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Ishikawa, Japan
| | - Robin Wordsworth
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
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19
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Tosca NJ, Jiang CZ, Rasmussen B, Muhling J. Products of the iron cycle on the early Earth. Free Radic Biol Med 2019; 140:138-153. [PMID: 31071438 DOI: 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2019.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2018] [Revised: 04/18/2019] [Accepted: 05/02/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Traditional models for pre-GOE oceans commonly view iron as a critical link to multiple biogeochemical cycles, and an important source of electrons to primary producers. However, an accurate and detailed understanding of the ancient iron cycle has been limited by: (1) our ability to constrain primary depositional processes through observations of the ancient sedimentary rock record, and (2) a quantitative understanding of the aqueous geochemistry of ferrous iron. Recent advances in high resolution petrography and experimental geochemistry, however, have contributed to a new understanding of certain aspects of the early Fe cycle. Most importantly, high resolution petrographic studies of late Archean/early Paleoproterozoic iron formation have documented the prolific deposition of Fe(II)-silicate-rich chemical muds from a dominantly anoxic ocean. At the same time, recent experimental work has shed new light on processes likely to have controlled steady state Fe concentrations in Archean oceans. These studies suggest that spontaneous precipitation of Fe(II)-carbonate was probably rare in Archean oceans, and that Fe(II)-carbonate would have more commonly precipitated on the surfaces of suitable mineral substrates within clastic and chemical sediments, consistent with petrographic observations. In addition, although experimental investigations suggest that maximum Fe concentrations in Archean oceans would have been limited by authigenic Fe(II)-silicate production (rather than Fe(II)-carbonate), the rock record indicates that this process was rarely operative. Instead, sedimentology, stratigraphy, and geochemical modelling suggest that much of the precursor sediment to late Archean iron formation was produced as hydrothermal effluent interacted with seawater in close proximity to seafloor vents. Together, these observations help define a new topology for the ancient Fe cycle. In this view, hydrothermal effluent-seawater mixing would have strongly attenuated the flux of dissolved Fe2+ to Archean oceans, and early diagenetic siderite formation may have balanced globally averaged riverine and hydrothermal Fe2+ input fluxes. In contrast to previous models, this emerging picture of the early Fe cycle suggests that Fe played only a negligible role in supporting anoxygenic phototrophs, reinforcing the concept that electron donors were in comparatively limited supply before the advent of oxygenic photosynthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas J Tosca
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3AN, UK.
| | - Clancy Zhijian Jiang
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3AN, UK
| | - Birger Rasmussen
- School of Earth Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, 6009, Australia
| | - Janet Muhling
- School of Earth Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, 6009, Australia
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20
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Aeolian abrasion of rocks as a mechanism to produce methane in the Martian atmosphere. Sci Rep 2019; 9:8229. [PMID: 31160623 PMCID: PMC6546745 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-44616-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2018] [Accepted: 05/16/2019] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Seasonal changes in methane background levels and methane spikes have been detected in situ a metre above the Martian surface, and larger methane plumes detected via ground-based remote sensing, however their origin have not yet been adequately explained. Proposed methane sources include the UV irradiation of meteoritic-derived organic matter, hydrothermal reactions with olivine, organic breakdown via meteoroid impact, release from gas hydrates, biological production, or the release of methane from fluid inclusions in basalt during aeolian erosion. Here we quantify for the first time the potential importance of aeolian abrasion as a mechanism for releasing trapped methane from within rocks, by coupling estimates of present day surface wind abrasion with the methane contents of a variety of Martian meteorites, analogue terrestrial basalts and analogue terrestrial sedimentary rocks. We demonstrate that the abrasion of basalt under present day Martian rates of aeolian erosion is highly unlikely to produce detectable changes in methane concentrations in the atmosphere. We further show that, although there is a greater potential for methane production from the aeolian abrasion of certain sedimentary rocks, to produce the magnitude of methane concentrations analysed by the Curiosity rover they would have to contain methane in similar concentrations as economic reserved of biogenic/thermogenic deposits on Earth. Therefore we suggest that aeolian abrasion is an unlikely origin of the methane detected in the Martian atmosphere, and that other methane sources are required.
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21
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Salese F, Pondrelli M, Neeseman A, Schmidt G, Ori GG. Geological Evidence of Planet-Wide Groundwater System on Mars. JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH. PLANETS 2019; 124:374-395. [PMID: 31007995 PMCID: PMC6472477 DOI: 10.1029/2018je005802] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2018] [Revised: 01/12/2019] [Accepted: 01/15/2019] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
The scale of groundwater upwelling on Mars, as well as its relation to sedimentary systems, remains an ongoing debate. Several deep craters (basins) in the northern equatorial regions show compelling signs that large amounts of water once existed on Mars at a planet-wide scale. The presence of water-formed features, including fluvial Gilbert and sapping deltas fed by sapping valleys, constitute strong evidence of groundwater upwelling resulting in long term standing bodies of water inside the basins. Terrestrial field evidence shows that sapping valleys can occur in basalt bedrock and not only in unconsolidated sediments. A hypothesis that considers the elevation differences between the observed morphologies and the assumed basal groundwater level is presented and described as the "dike-confined water" model, already present on Earth and introduced for the first time in the Martian geological literature. Only the deepest basins considered in this study, those with bases deeper than -4000 m in elevation below the Mars datum, intercepted the water-saturated zone and exhibit evidence of groundwater fluctuations. The discovery of these groundwater discharge sites on a planet-wide scale strongly suggests a link between the putative Martian ocean and various configurations of sedimentary deposits that were formed as a result of groundwater fluctuations during the Hesperian period. This newly recognized evidence of water-formed features significantly increases the chance that biosignatures could be buried in the sediment. These deep basins (groundwater-fed lakes) will be of interest to future exploration missions as they might provide evidence of geological conditions suitable for life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Salese
- Faculty of GeosciencesUtrecht UniversityUtrechtThe Netherlands
- International Research School of Planetary SciencesUniversità Gabriele D'AnnunzioPescaraItaly
| | - Monica Pondrelli
- International Research School of Planetary SciencesUniversità Gabriele D'AnnunzioPescaraItaly
| | - Alicia Neeseman
- Institute of Geological Sciences, Planetary Sciences and Remote Sensing GroupFreie Universität BerlinBerlinGermany
| | - Gene Schmidt
- International Research School of Planetary SciencesUniversità Gabriele D'AnnunzioPescaraItaly
| | - Gian Gabriele Ori
- International Research School of Planetary SciencesUniversità Gabriele D'AnnunzioPescaraItaly
- Ibn Battuta CentreUniversité Cadi AyyadMarrakeshMorocco
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