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Vishnivetskaya TA, Mironov VA, Abramov AA, Shcherbakova VA, Rivkina EM. Biogeochemical Characteristics of Earth's Volcanic Permafrost: An Analog of Extraterrestrial Environments. ASTROBIOLOGY 2022; 22:812-828. [PMID: 35333595 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2021.0137] [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
This article describes a study of frozen volcanic deposits collected from volcanoes Tolbachik and Bezymianny on the Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia, and Deception Island volcano, Antarctica. In addition, we studied suprasnow ash layers deposited after the 2007 eruptions of volcanoes Shiveluch and Bezymianny on Kamchatka. The main objectives were to characterize the presence and survivability of thermophilic microorganisms in perennially frozen volcanic deposits. As opposed to permafrost from the polar regions, viable thermophiles were detected in volcanic permafrost by cultivation, microscopy, and sequencing. In the permafrost of Tolbachik volcano, we observed methane formation by both psychrophilic and thermophilic methanogenic archaea, while at 37°C, methane production was noticeably lower. Thermophilic bacteria isolated from volcanic permafrost from the Deception Island were 99.93% related to Geobacillus stearothermophilus. Our data showed biological sulfur reduction to sulfide at 85°C and even at 130°C, where hyperthermophilic archaea of the genus Thermoproteus were registered. Sequences of hyperthermophilic bacteria of the genus Caldicellulosiruptor were discovered in clone libraries from fresh volcanic ash deposited on snow. Microorganisms found in volcanic terrestrial permafrost may serve as a model for the alien inhabitants of Mars, a cryogenic planet with numerous volcanoes. Thermophiles and hyperthermophiles and their metabolic processes represent a guideline for the future exploration missions on Mars.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatiana A Vishnivetskaya
- Institute of Physicochemical and Biological Problems in Soil Science, Federal Research Center "Pushchino Scientific Center for Biological Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences," Pushchino, Russia
- Center for Environmental Biotechnology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Vasiliy A Mironov
- Institute of Physicochemical and Biological Problems in Soil Science, Federal Research Center "Pushchino Scientific Center for Biological Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences," Pushchino, Russia
| | - Andrey A Abramov
- Institute of Physicochemical and Biological Problems in Soil Science, Federal Research Center "Pushchino Scientific Center for Biological Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences," Pushchino, Russia
| | - Viktoria A Shcherbakova
- Skryabin Institute of Biochemistry and Physiology of Microorganisms, Federal Research Center "Pushchino Scientific Center for Biological Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences," Pushchino, Russia
| | - Elizaveta M Rivkina
- Institute of Physicochemical and Biological Problems in Soil Science, Federal Research Center "Pushchino Scientific Center for Biological Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences," Pushchino, Russia
- Institute of Geography, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 119017, Russia
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Raack J, Conway SJ, Herny C, Balme MR, Carpy S, Patel MR. Water induced sediment levitation enhances downslope transport on Mars. Nat Commun 2017; 8:1151. [PMID: 29075001 PMCID: PMC5658360 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-01213-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2017] [Accepted: 08/30/2017] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
On Mars, locally warm surface temperatures (~293 K) occur, leading to the possibility of (transient) liquid water on the surface. However, water exposed to the martian atmosphere will boil, and the sediment transport capacity of such unstable water is not well understood. Here, we present laboratory studies of a newly recognized transport mechanism: “levitation” of saturated sediment bodies on a cushion of vapor released by boiling. Sediment transport where this mechanism is active is about nine times greater than without this effect, reducing the amount of water required to transport comparable sediment volumes by nearly an order of magnitude. Our calculations show that the effect of levitation could persist up to ~48 times longer under reduced martian gravity. Sediment levitation must therefore be considered when evaluating the formation of recent and present-day martian mass wasting features, as much less water may be required to form such features than previously thought. Downslope sediment transport on Mars is reported, but the transport capacity of unstable water under low pressures is not well understood. Here, the authors present a newly discovered, highly reactive transportation mechanism that is only possible under low pressure environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Raack
- School of Physical Sciences, Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics, The Open University, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes, MK7 6AA, UK.
| | - Susan J Conway
- Laboratoire de Planétologie et Géodynamique-UMR CNRS 6112, Université de Nantes, 2 rue de la Houssinière-BP 92208, 44322, Nantes Cedex 3, France
| | - Clémence Herny
- Physikalisches Institut, Universität Bern, Sidlerstrasse 5, 3012, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Matthew R Balme
- School of Physical Sciences, Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics, The Open University, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes, MK7 6AA, UK
| | - Sabrina Carpy
- Laboratoire de Planétologie et Géodynamique-UMR CNRS 6112, Université de Nantes, 2 rue de la Houssinière-BP 92208, 44322, Nantes Cedex 3, France
| | - Manish R Patel
- School of Physical Sciences, Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics, The Open University, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes, MK7 6AA, UK.,Space Science and Technology Department, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Harwell Campus, Didcot, OX11 0QX, UK
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Cockell CS. Trajectories of martian habitability. ASTROBIOLOGY 2014; 14:182-203. [PMID: 24506485 PMCID: PMC3929387 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2013.1106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2013] [Accepted: 12/29/2013] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Beginning from two plausible starting points-an uninhabited or inhabited Mars-this paper discusses the possible trajectories of martian habitability over time. On an uninhabited Mars, the trajectories follow paths determined by the abundance of uninhabitable environments and uninhabited habitats. On an inhabited Mars, the addition of a third environment type, inhabited habitats, results in other trajectories, including ones where the planet remains inhabited today or others where planetary-scale life extinction occurs. By identifying different trajectories of habitability, corresponding hypotheses can be described that allow for the various trajectories to be disentangled and ultimately a determination of which trajectory Mars has taken and the changing relative abundance of its constituent environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles S Cockell
- UK Centre for Astrobiology, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Edinburgh , Edinburgh, UK
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Talpe MJ, Zuber MT, Yang D, Neumann GA, Solomon SC, Mazarico E, Vilas F. Characterization of the morphometry of impact craters hosting polar deposits in Mercury's north polar region. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2012. [DOI: 10.1029/2012je004155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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5
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Mellon MT, Jakosky BM. Geographic variations in the thermal and diffusive stability of ground ice on Mars. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2012. [DOI: 10.1029/92je02355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 250] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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6
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Watters TR. Origin of periodically spaced wrinkle ridges on the Tharsis Plateau of Mars. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2012. [DOI: 10.1029/91je01402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 94] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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7
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Craddock RA, Maxwell TA. Geomorphic evolution of the Martian highlands through ancient fluvial processes. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2012. [DOI: 10.1029/92je02508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 194] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Musiol S, Cailleau B, Platz T, Kneissl T, Dumke A, Neukum G. Outflow activity near Hadriaca Patera, Mars: Fluid-tectonic interaction investigated with High Resolution Stereo Camera stereo data and finite element modeling. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2011. [DOI: 10.1029/2010je003791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Davila AF, Skidmore M, Fairén AG, Cockell C, Schulze-Makuch D. New priorities in the robotic exploration of Mars: the case for in situ search for extant life. ASTROBIOLOGY 2010; 10:705-710. [PMID: 20929400 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2010.0538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
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Abstract
Evidence of past liquid water on the surface of Mars suggests that this world once had habitable conditions and leads to the question of life. If there was life on Mars, it would be interesting to determine if it represented a separate origin from life on Earth. To determine the biochemistry and genetics of life on Mars requires that we have access to an organism or the biological remains of one-possibly preserved in ancient permafrost. A way to determine if organic material found on Mars represents the remains of an alien biological system could be based on the observation that biological systems select certain organic molecules over others that are chemically similar (e.g., chirality in amino acids).
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Byrne S, Dundas CM, Kennedy MR, Mellon MT, McEwen AS, Cull SC, Daubar IJ, Shean DE, Seelos KD, Murchie SL, Cantor BA, Arvidson RE, Edgett KS, Reufer A, Thomas N, Harrison TN, Posiolova LV, Seelos FP. Distribution of mid-latitude ground ice on Mars from new impact craters. Science 2009; 325:1674-6. [PMID: 19779195 DOI: 10.1126/science.1175307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
New impact craters at five sites in the martian mid-latitudes excavated material from depths of decimeters that has a brightness and color indicative of water ice. Near-infrared spectra of the largest example confirm this composition, and repeated imaging showed fading over several months, as expected for sublimating ice. Thermal models of one site show that millimeters of sublimation occurred during this fading period, indicating clean ice rather than ice in soil pores. Our derived ice-table depths are consistent with models using higher long-term average atmospheric water vapor content than present values. Craters at most of these sites may have excavated completely through this clean ice, probing the ice table to previously unsampled depths of meters and revealing substantial heterogeneity in the vertical distribution of the ice itself.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shane Byrne
- Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA.
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Lefort A, Russell PS, Thomas N, McEwen AS, Dundas CM, Kirk RL. Observations of periglacial landforms in Utopia Planitia with the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE). ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2009. [DOI: 10.1029/2008je003264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 96] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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14
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Zent AP, Hecht MH, Cobos DR, Campbell GS, Campbell CS, Cardell G, Foote MC, Wood SE, Mehta M. Thermal and Electrical Conductivity Probe (TECP) for Phoenix. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2009. [DOI: 10.1029/2007je003052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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15
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Banks ME, McEwen AS, Kargel JS, Baker VR, Strom RG, Mellon MT, Gulick VC, Keszthelyi L, Herkenhoff KE, Pelletier JD, Jaeger WL. High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) observations of glacial and periglacial morphologies in the circum-Argyre Planitia highlands, Mars. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2008. [DOI: 10.1029/2007je002994] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
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Mellon MT, Arvidson RE, Marlow JJ, Phillips RJ, Asphaug E. Periglacial landforms at the Phoenix landing site and the northern plains of Mars. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2008. [DOI: 10.1029/2007je003039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
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17
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Stoker CR, Cannon HN, Dunagan SE, Lemke LG, Glass BJ, Miller D, Gomez-Elvira J, Davis K, Zavaleta J, Winterholler A, Roman M, Rodriguez-Manfredi JA, Bonaccorsi R, Bell MS, Brown A, Battler M, Chen B, Cooper G, Davidson M, Fernández-Remolar D, Gonzales-Pastor E, Heldmann JL, Martínez-Frías J, Parro V, Prieto-Ballesteros O, Sutter B, Schuerger AC, Schutt J, Rull F. The 2005 MARTE Robotic Drilling Experiment in Río Tinto, Spain: objectives, approach, and results of a simulated mission to search for life in the Martian subsurface. ASTROBIOLOGY 2008; 8:921-945. [PMID: 19032053 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2007.0217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
The Mars Astrobiology Research and Technology Experiment (MARTE) simulated a robotic drilling mission to search for subsurface life on Mars. The drill site was on Peña de Hierro near the headwaters of the Río Tinto river (southwest Spain), on a deposit that includes massive sulfides and their gossanized remains that resemble some iron and sulfur minerals found on Mars. The mission used a fluidless, 10-axis, autonomous coring drill mounted on a simulated lander. Cores were faced; then instruments collected color wide-angle context images, color microscopic images, visible-near infrared point spectra, and (lower resolution) visible-near infrared hyperspectral images. Cores were then stored for further processing or ejected. A borehole inspection system collected panoramic imaging and Raman spectra of borehole walls. Life detection was performed on full cores with an adenosine triphosphate luciferin-luciferase bioluminescence assay and on crushed core sections with SOLID2, an antibody array-based instrument. Two remotely located science teams analyzed the remote sensing data and chose subsample locations. In 30 days of operation, the drill penetrated to 6 m and collected 21 cores. Biosignatures were detected in 12 of 15 samples analyzed by SOLID2. Science teams correctly interpreted the nature of the deposits drilled as compared to the ground truth. This experiment shows that drilling to search for subsurface life on Mars is technically feasible and scientifically rewarding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carol R Stoker
- NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California 94035, USA.
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Formation of gullies on Mars: link to recent climate history and insolation microenvironments implicate surface water flow origin. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2008; 105:13258-63. [PMID: 18725636 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0803760105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 127] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Features seen in portions of a typical midlatitude Martian impact crater show that gully formation follows a geologically recent period of midlatitude glaciation. Geological evidence indicates that, in the relatively recent past, sufficient snow and ice accumulated on the pole-facing crater wall to cause glacial flow and filling of the crater floor with debris-covered glaciers. As glaciation waned, debris-covered glaciers ceased flowing, accumulation zones lost ice, and newly exposed wall alcoves continued as the location for limited snow/frost deposition, entrapment, and preservation. Analysis of the insolation geometry of this pole-facing crater wall, and similar occurrences in other craters at these latitudes on Mars, shows that they are uniquely favored for accumulation of snow and ice, and a relatively more rapid exposure to warmer summer temperatures. We show that, after the last glaciation, melting of residual snow and ice in alcoves could have formed the fluvial channels and sedimentary fans of the gullies. Recent modeling shows that top-down melting can occur in these microenvironments under conditions similar to those currently observed on Mars, if small amounts of snow or frost accumulate in alcoves and channels. Accumulation and melting is even more favored in the somewhat wetter, relatively recent geological past of Mars, after the period of active glaciation.
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Hauber E, van Gasselt S, Chapman MG, Neukum G. Geomorphic evidence for former lobate debris aprons at low latitudes on Mars: Indicators of the Martian paleoclimate. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2008. [DOI: 10.1029/2007je002897] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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20
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van Gasselt S, Hauber E, Neukum G. Cold-climate modification of Martian landscapes: A case study of a spatulate debris landform in the Hellas Montes Region, Mars. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2007. [DOI: 10.1029/2006je002842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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21
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Wilson SA, Howard AD, Moore JM, Grant JA. Geomorphic and stratigraphic analysis of Crater Terby and layered deposits north of Hellas basin, Mars. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2007. [DOI: 10.1029/2006je002830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 96] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sharon A. Wilson
- Center for Earth and Planetary Studies, National Air and Space Museum; Smithsonian Institution; Washington D. C. USA
| | - Alan D. Howard
- Department of Environmental Sciences; University of Virginia; Charlottesville Virginia USA
| | - Jeffrey M. Moore
- Space Sciences Division; NASA Ames Research Center; Moffett Field California USA
| | - John A. Grant
- Center for Earth and Planetary Studies, National Air and Space Museum; Smithsonian Institution; Washington D. C. USA
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Morgenstern A, Hauber E, Reiss D, van Gasselt S, Grosse G, Schirrmeister L. Deposition and degradation of a volatile-rich layer in Utopia Planitia and implications for climate history on Mars. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2007. [DOI: 10.1029/2006je002869] [Citation(s) in RCA: 100] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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23
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Chamberlain MA, Boynton WV. Response of Martian ground ice to orbit-induced climate change. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2007. [DOI: 10.1029/2006je002801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
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Malin MC, Bell JF, Cantor BA, Caplinger MA, Calvin WM, Clancy RT, Edgett KS, Edwards L, Haberle RM, James PB, Lee SW, Ravine MA, Thomas PC, Wolff MJ. Context Camera Investigation on board the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2007. [DOI: 10.1029/2006je002808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 805] [Impact Index Per Article: 47.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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McEwen AS, Eliason EM, Bergstrom JW, Bridges NT, Hansen CJ, Delamere WA, Grant JA, Gulick VC, Herkenhoff KE, Keszthelyi L, Kirk RL, Mellon MT, Squyres SW, Thomas N, Weitz CM. Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter's High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE). ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2007. [DOI: 10.1029/2005je002605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1056] [Impact Index Per Article: 62.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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26
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Shean DE, Head JW, Fastook JL, Marchant DR. Recent glaciation at high elevations on Arsia Mons, Mars: Implications for the formation and evolution of large tropical mountain glaciers. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2007. [DOI: 10.1029/2006je002761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
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van Gasselt S, Reiss D, Thorpe AK, Neukum G. Seasonal variations of polygonal thermal contraction crack patterns in a south polar trough, Mars. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2005. [DOI: 10.1029/2004je002385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- S. van Gasselt
- Institute for Geosciences; Freie Universitaet Berlin; Berlin Germany
| | - D. Reiss
- Institute of Planetary Research; German Aerospace Center; Berlin Germany
| | | | - G. Neukum
- Institute for Geosciences; Freie Universitaet Berlin; Berlin Germany
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29
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Crown DA, Bleamaster LF, Mest SC. Styles and timing of volatile-driven activity in the eastern Hellas region of Mars. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2005. [DOI: 10.1029/2005je002496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
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Ivanov MA, Korteniemi J, Kostama VP, Aittola M, Raitala J, Glamoclija M, Marinangeli L, Neukum G. Major episodes of the hydrologic history in the region of Hesperia Planum, Mars. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2005. [DOI: 10.1029/2005je002420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
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31
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Degenhardt JJ. Subsurface investigation of a rock glacier using ground-penetrating radar: Implications for locating stored water on Mars. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2003. [DOI: 10.1029/2002je001888] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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32
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Mangold N. Geomorphic analysis of lobate debris aprons on Mars at Mars Orbiter Camera scale: Evidence for ice sublimation initiated by fractures. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2003. [DOI: 10.1029/2002je001885] [Citation(s) in RCA: 146] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Milliken RE. Viscous flow features on the surface of Mars: Observations from high-resolution Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) images. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2003. [DOI: 10.1029/2002je002005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 219] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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35
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Tanaka KL. Resurfacing history of the northern plains of Mars based on geologic mapping of Mars Global Surveyor data. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2003. [DOI: 10.1029/2002je001908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 155] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Head JW. Northern lowlands of Mars: Evidence for widespread volcanic flooding and tectonic deformation in the Hesperian Period. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2002. [DOI: 10.1029/2000je001445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 204] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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37
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Williams RME, Phillips RJ. Morphometric measurements of martian valley networks from Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA) data. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2001. [DOI: 10.1029/2000je001409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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39
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Malin MC, Edgett KS. Mars Global Surveyor Mars Orbiter Camera: Interplanetary cruise through primary mission. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2001. [DOI: 10.1029/2000je001455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 671] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
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40
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Thomson BJ, Head JW. Utopia Basin, Mars: Characterization of topography and morphology and assessment of the origin and evolution of basin internal structure. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2001. [DOI: 10.1029/2000je001355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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41
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Jakosky BM, Mellon MT. High-resolution thermal inertia mapping of Mars: Sites of exobiological interest. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2001. [DOI: 10.1029/2000je001311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Mustard JF, Cooper CD, Rifkin MK. Evidence for recent climate change on Mars from the identification of youthful near-surface ground ice. Nature 2001; 412:411-4. [PMID: 11473309 DOI: 10.1038/35086515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 451] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Ground ice in the crust and soil may be one of the largest reservoirs of water on Mars. Near-surface ground ice is predicted to be stable at latitudes higher than 40 degrees (ref. 4), where a number of geomorphologic features indicative of viscous creep and hence ground ice have been observed. Mid-latitude soils have also been implicated as a water-ice reservoir, the capacity of which is predicted to vary on a 100,000-year timescale owing to orbitally driven variations in climate. It is uncertain, however, whether near-surface ground ice currently exists at these latitudes, and how it is changing with time. Here we report observational evidence for a mid-latitude reservoir of near-surface water ice occupying the pore space of soils. The thickness of the ice-occupied soil reservoir (1-10 m) and its distribution in the 30 degrees to 60 degrees latitude bands indicate a reservoir of (1.5-6.0) x 104 km3, equivalent to a global layer of water 10-40 cm thick. We infer that the reservoir was created during the last phase of high orbital obliquity less than 100,000 years ago, and is now being diminished.
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Affiliation(s)
- J F Mustard
- Department of Geological Sciences, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02912, USA.
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McKay CP, Marinova MM. The physics, biology, and environmental ethics of making mars habitable. ASTROBIOLOGY 2001; 1:89-109. [PMID: 12448997 DOI: 10.1089/153110701750137477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
The considerable evidence that Mars once had a wetter, more clement, environment motivates the search for past or present life on that planet. This evidence also suggests the possibility of restoring habitable conditions on Mars. While the total amounts of the key molecules--carbon dioxide, water, and nitrogen--needed for creating a biosphere on Mars are unknown, estimates suggest that there may be enough in the subsurface. Super greenhouse gases, in particular, perfluorocarbons, are currently the most effective and practical way to warm Mars and thicken its atmosphere so that liquid water is stable on the surface. This process could take approximately 100 years. If enough carbon dioxide is frozen in the South Polar Cap and absorbed in the regolith, the resulting thick and warm carbon dioxide atmosphere could support many types of microorganisms, plants, and invertebrates. If a planet-wide martian biosphere converted carbon dioxide into oxygen with an average efficiency equal to that for Earth's biosphere, it would take > 100,000 years to create Earth-like oxygen levels. Ethical issues associated with bringing life to Mars center on the possibility of indigenous martian life and the relative value of a planet with or without a global biosphere.
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Affiliation(s)
- C P McKay
- Space Science Division, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA.
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Newsom HE, Hagerty JJ, Thorsos IE. Location and sampling of aqueous and hydrothermal deposits in martian impact craters. ASTROBIOLOGY 2001; 1:71-88. [PMID: 12448996 DOI: 10.1089/153110701750137459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
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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Kreslavsky MA, Head JW. Kilometer-scale roughness of Mars: Results from MOLA data analysis. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2000. [DOI: 10.1029/2000je001259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 278] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Farmer JD, Des Marais DJ. Exploring for a record of ancient Martian life. JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH 1999; 104:26977-95. [PMID: 11543200 DOI: 10.1029/1998je000540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 245] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
The immediate task facing exopaleontology is to define a strategy to explore Mars for a fossil record during the decade-long exploration program that lies ahead. Consideration of the quality of paleontological information preserved under different geological conditions is important if we are to develop a strategy with broad applicability. The preservation of microbial fossils is strongly influenced by the physical, chemical, and biological factors of the environment which, acting together, determine the types of information that will be captured and retained in the rock record. In detrital sedimentary systems, preservation is favored by rapid burial in fine-grained, clay-rich sediments. In chemical sedimentary systems, preservation is enhanced by rapid entombment in fine-grained chemical precipitates. For long-term preservation, host rocks must be composed of stable minerals that are resistant to chemical weathering and that form an impermeable matrix and closed chemical system to protect biosignatures from alteration during subsequent diagenesis or metamorphism. In this context, host rocks composed of highly ordered, chemically stable mineral phases, like silica (e.g., cherts) or phosphate (e.g., phosphorites), are especially favored. Such lithologies tend to have very long crustal residence times and, along with carbonates and shales, are the most common host rocks for the Precambrian microfossil record on Earth. Although we make the defensible assumption that Mars was more like the Earth early in its history, clearly, the geological and historical differences between the two planets are many. Such differences must be carefully considered when adapting an Earth-based strategy to Mars.
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Affiliation(s)
- J D Farmer
- Department of Geology, Arizona State University, Tempe, USA.
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Carruthers MW, McGill GE. Evidence for igneous activity and implications for the origin of a fretted channel in southern Ismenius Lacus, Mars. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 1998. [DOI: 10.1029/98je02494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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