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Escamilla-Roa E, Zorzano MP, Martin-Torres J, Sainz-Díaz CI, Cartwright JHE. Self-Assembled Structures Formed in CO 2-Enriched Atmospheres: A Case-Study for Martian Biomimetic Forms. Astrobiology 2022; 22:863-879. [PMID: 35613388 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2021.0123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The aim of this study was to investigate the biomimetic precipitation processes that follow the chemical-garden reaction of brines of CaCl2 and sulfate salts with silicate in alkaline conditions under a Mars-type CO2-rich atmosphere. We characterize the precipitates with environmental scanning electron microscope micrography, micro-Raman spectroscopy, and X-ray diffractometry. Our analysis results indicate that self-assembled carbonate structures formed with calcium chloride can have vesicular and filamentary features. With magnesium sulfate as a reactant a tentative assignment with Raman spectroscopy indicates the presence of natroxalate in the precipitate. These morphologies and compounds appear through rapid sequestration of atmospheric CO2 by alkaline solutions of silica and salts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth Escamilla-Roa
- Department of Computer Science, Electrical and Space Engineering, Luleå University of Technology, Luleå, Sweden
- Instituto Andaluz de Ciencias de la Tierra (CSIC-UGR), Granada, Spain
- International Research Centre in Critical Raw Materials-ICCRAM, Universidad de Burgos, Burgos, Spain
| | - María-Paz Zorzano
- Department of Planetology and Habitability, Centro de Astrobiología (CAB), CSIC-INTA, Torrejón de Ardoz, Madrid, Spain
| | - Javier Martin-Torres
- Instituto Andaluz de Ciencias de la Tierra (CSIC-UGR), Granada, Spain
- School of Geosciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
| | | | - Julyan H E Cartwright
- Instituto Andaluz de Ciencias de la Tierra (CSIC-UGR), Granada, Spain
- Instituto Carlos I de Física Teórica y Computacional, Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain
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2
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Vakkada Ramachandran A, Zorzano MP, Martín-Torres J. Experimental Investigation of the Atmosphere-Regolith Water Cycle on Present-Day Mars. Sensors (Basel) 2021; 21:7421. [PMID: 34770727 PMCID: PMC8588207 DOI: 10.3390/s21217421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2021] [Revised: 11/03/2021] [Accepted: 11/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The water content of the upper layers of the surface of Mars is not yet quantified. Laboratory simulations are the only feasible way to investigate this in a controlled way on Earth, and then compare it with remote and in situ observations of spacecrafts on Mars. Describing the processes that may induce changes in the water content of the surface is critical to determine the present-day habitability of the Martian surface, to understand the atmospheric water cycle, and to estimate the efficiency of future water extraction procedures from the regolith for In Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU). This paper illustrates the application of the SpaceQ facility to simulate the near-surface water cycle under Martian conditions. Rover Environmental Monitoring Station (REMS) observations at Gale crater show a non-equilibrium situation in the atmospheric H2O volume mixing ratio (VMR) at night-time, and there is a decrease in the atmospheric water content by up to 15 g/m2 within a few hours. This reduction suggests that the ground may act at night as a cold sink scavenging atmospheric water. Here, we use an experimental approach to investigate the thermodynamic and kinetics of water exchange between the atmosphere, a non-porous surface (LN2-chilled metal), various salts, Martian regolith simulant, and mixtures of salts and simulant within an environment which is close to saturation. We have conducted three experiments: the stability of pure liquid water around the vicinity of the triple point is studied in experiment 1, as well as observing the interchange of water between the atmosphere and the salts when the surface is saturated; in experiment 2, the salts were mixed with Mojave Martian Simulant (MMS) to observe changes in the texture of the regolith caused by the interaction with hydrates and liquid brines, and to quantify the potential of the Martian regolith to absorb and retain water; and experiment 3 investigates the evaporation of pure liquid water away from the triple point temperature when both the air and ground are at the same temperature and the relative humidity is near saturation. We show experimentally that frost can form spontaneously on a surface when saturation is reached and that, when the temperature is above 273.15 K (0 °C), this frost can transform into liquid water, which can persist for up to 3.5 to 4.5 h at Martian surface conditions. For comparison, we study the behavior of certain deliquescent salts that exist on the Martian surface, which can increase their mass between 32% and 85% by absorption of atmospheric water within a few hours. A mixture of these salts in a 10% concentration with simulant produces an aggregated granular structure with a water gain of approximately 18- to 50-wt%. Up to 53% of the atmospheric water was captured by the simulated ground, as pure liquid water, hydrate, or brine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abhilash Vakkada Ramachandran
- Group of Atmospheric Science, Department of Computer Science, Electrical and Space Engineering, Luleå University of Technology, 97187 Luleå, Sweden
| | - María-Paz Zorzano
- Centro de Astrobiología (CSIC-INTA), Torrejón de Ardoz, 28850 Madrid, Spain;
- School of Geosciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB24 3FX, UK;
| | - Javier Martín-Torres
- School of Geosciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB24 3FX, UK;
- Instituto Andaluz de Ciencias de la Tierra (CSIC-UGR), 18100 Granada, Spain
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Vakkada Ramachandran A, Nazarious MI, Mathanlal T, Zorzano MP, Martín-Torres J. Space Environmental Chamber for Planetary Studies. Sensors (Basel) 2020; 20:E3996. [PMID: 32708384 PMCID: PMC7412122 DOI: 10.3390/s20143996] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2020] [Revised: 07/06/2020] [Accepted: 07/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
We describe a versatile simulation chamber that operates under representative space conditions (pressures from < 10-5 mbar to ambient and temperatures from 163 to 423 K), the SpaceQ chamber. This chamber allows to test instrumentation, procedures, and materials and evaluate their performance when exposed to outgassing, thermal vacuum, low temperatures, baking, dry heat microbial reduction (DHMR) sterilization protocols, and water. The SpaceQ is a cubical stainless-steel chamber of 27,000 cm3 with a door of aluminum. The chamber has a table which can be cooled using liquid nitrogen. The chamber walls can be heated (for outgassing, thermal vacuum, or dry heat applications) using an outer jacket. The chamber walls include two viewports and 12 utility ports (KF, CF, and Swagelok connectors). It has sensors for temperature, relative humidity, and pressure, a UV-VIS-NIR spectrometer, a UV irradiation lamp that operates within the chamber as well as a stainless-steel syringe for water vapor injection, and USB, DB-25 ports to read the data from the instruments while being tested inside. This facility has been specifically designed for investigating the effect of water on the Martian surface. The core novelties of this chamber are: (1) its ability to simulate the Martian near-surface water cycle by injecting water multiple times into the chamber through a syringe which allows to control and monitor precisely the initial relative humidity inside with a sensor that can operate from vacuum to Martian pressures and (2) the availability of a high-intensity UV lamp, operating from vacuum to Martian pressures, within the chamber, which can be used to test material curation, the role of the production of atmospheric radicals, and the degradation of certain products like polymers and organics. For illustration, here we present some applications of the SpaceQ chamber at simulated Martian conditions with and without atmospheric water to (i) calibrate the ground temperature sensor of the Engineering Qualification Model of HABIT (HabitAbility: Brines, Irradiation and Temperature) instrument, which is a part of ExoMars 2022 mission. These tests demonstrate that the overall accuracy of the temperature retrieval at a temperature between -50 and 10 °C is within 1.3 °C and (ii) investigate the curation of composite materials of Martian soil simulant and binders, with added water, under Martian surface conditions under dry and humid conditions. Our studies have demonstrated that the regolith, when mixed with super absorbent polymer (SAP), water, and binders exposed to Martian conditions, can form a solid block and retain more than 80% of the added water, which may be of interest to screen radiation while maintaining a low weight.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abhilash Vakkada Ramachandran
- Department of Computer Science, Electrical and Space Engineering, Luleå University of Technology, 97187 Luleå, Sweden
| | - Miracle Israel Nazarious
- Department of Computer Science, Electrical and Space Engineering, Luleå University of Technology, 97187 Luleå, Sweden
| | - Thasshwin Mathanlal
- Department of Computer Science, Electrical and Space Engineering, Luleå University of Technology, 97187 Luleå, Sweden
| | - María-Paz Zorzano
- Department of Computer Science, Electrical and Space Engineering, Luleå University of Technology, 97187 Luleå, Sweden
- Centro de Astrobiología (CSIC-INTA), Torrejón de Ardoz, 28850 Madrid, Spain
- School of Geosciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, AB24 3FX, UK
| | - Javier Martín-Torres
- Department of Computer Science, Electrical and Space Engineering, Luleå University of Technology, 97187 Luleå, Sweden
- School of Geosciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, AB24 3FX, UK
- Instituto Andaluz de Ciencias de la Tierra (CSIC-UGR), 18100 Granada, Spain
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Mateo-Marti E, Galvez-Martinez S, Gil-Lozano C, Zorzano MP. Pyrite-induced uv-photocatalytic abiotic nitrogen fixation: implications for early atmospheres and Life. Sci Rep 2019; 9:15311. [PMID: 31653928 PMCID: PMC6814809 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-51784-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2019] [Accepted: 10/08/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The molecular form of nitrogen, N2, is universally available but is biochemically inaccessible for life due to the strength of its triple bond. Prior to the emergence of life, there must have been an abiotic process that could fix nitrogen in a biochemically usable form. The UV photo-catalytic effects of minerals such as pyrite on nitrogen fixation have to date been overlooked. Here we show experimentally, using X-ray photoemission and infrared spectroscopies that, under a standard earth atmosphere containing nitrogen and water vapour at Earth or Martian pressures, nitrogen is fixed to pyrite as ammonium iron sulfate after merely two hours of exposure to 2,3 W/m 2 of ultraviolet irradiance in the 200-400 nm range. Our experiments show that this process exists also in the absence of UV, although about 50 times slower. The experiments also show that carbonates species are fixed on pyrite surface.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Mateo-Marti
- Centro de Astrobiología (CSIC-INTA), Ctra. Ajalvir, Km. 4, 28850-Torrejón de Ardoz, Madrid, Spain.
| | - S Galvez-Martinez
- Centro de Astrobiología (CSIC-INTA), Ctra. Ajalvir, Km. 4, 28850-Torrejón de Ardoz, Madrid, Spain
| | - C Gil-Lozano
- Centro de Astrobiología (CSIC-INTA), Ctra. Ajalvir, Km. 4, 28850-Torrejón de Ardoz, Madrid, Spain
| | - María-Paz Zorzano
- Centro de Astrobiología (CSIC-INTA), Ctra. Ajalvir, Km. 4, 28850-Torrejón de Ardoz, Madrid, Spain.,Department of Computer Science, Electrical and Space Engineering, Luleå Universit of Technology, 97187, Luleå, Sweden
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5
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Azua-Bustos A, González-Silva C, Fernández-Martínez MÁ, Arenas-Fajardo C, Fonseca R, Martín-Torres FJ, Fernández-Sampedro M, Fairén AG, Zorzano MP. Aeolian transport of viable microbial life across the Atacama Desert, Chile: Implications for Mars. Sci Rep 2019; 9:11024. [PMID: 31439858 PMCID: PMC6706390 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-47394-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2019] [Accepted: 07/16/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Here we inspect whether microbial life may disperse using dust transported by wind in the Atacama Desert in northern Chile, a well-known Mars analog model. By setting a simple experiment across the hyperarid core of the Atacama we found that a number of viable bacteria and fungi are in fact able to traverse the driest and most UV irradiated desert on Earth unscathed using wind-transported dust, particularly in the later afternoon hours. This finding suggests that microbial life on Mars, extant or past, may have similarly benefited from aeolian transport to move across the planet and find suitable habitats to thrive and evolve.
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Affiliation(s)
- Armando Azua-Bustos
- Centro de Astrobiología (CSIC-INTA), 28850, Madrid, Spain. .,Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Autónoma de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
| | | | | | | | - Ricardo Fonseca
- Division of Space Technology, Department of Computer Science, Electrical and Space Engineering, Luleå University of Technology, Luleå, Sweden
| | - F Javier Martín-Torres
- Division of Space Technology, Department of Computer Science, Electrical and Space Engineering, Luleå University of Technology, Luleå, Sweden.,Instituto Andaluz de Ciencias de la Tierra (UGR-CSIC), Armilla, Granada, Spain
| | | | - Alberto G Fairén
- Centro de Astrobiología (CSIC-INTA), 28850, Madrid, Spain.,Department of Astronomy, Cornell University, Ithaca, 14853, NY, USA
| | - María-Paz Zorzano
- Centro de Astrobiología (CSIC-INTA), 28850, Madrid, Spain.,Division of Space Technology, Department of Computer Science, Electrical and Space Engineering, Luleå University of Technology, Luleå, Sweden
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Bhardwaj A, Sam L, Martín-Torres FJ, Zorzano MP. Discovery of recurring slope lineae candidates in Mawrth Vallis, Mars. Sci Rep 2019; 9:2040. [PMID: 30765841 PMCID: PMC6376049 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-39599-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2018] [Accepted: 01/28/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Several interpretations of recurring slope lineae (RSL) have related RSL to the potential presence of transient liquid water on Mars. Such probable signs of liquid water have implications for Mars exploration in terms of rover safety, planetary protection during rover operations, and the current habitability of the planet. Mawrth Vallis has always been a prime target to be considered for Mars rover missions due to its rich mineralogy. Most recently, Mawrth Vallis was one of the two final candidates selected by the European Space Agency as a landing site for the ExoMars 2020 mission. Therefore, all surface features and landforms in Mawrth Vallis that may be of special interest in terms of scientific goals, rover safety, and operations must be scrutinised to better assess it for future Mars missions. Here, we report on the initial detection of RSL candidates in two craters of Mawrth Vallis. The new sightings were made outside of established RSL regions and further prompt the inclusion of a new geographical region within the RSL candidate group. Our inferences on the RSL candidates are based on several morphological and geophysical evidences and analogies: (i) the dimensions of the RSL candidates are consistent with confirmed mid-latitude RSL; (ii) albedo and thermal inertia values are comparable to those of other mid-latitude RSL sites; and (iii) features are found in a summer season image and on the steep and warmest slopes. These results denote the plausible presence of transient liquid brines close to the previously proposed landing ellipse of the ExoMars rover, rendering this site particularly relevant to the search of life. Further investigations of Mawrth Vallis carried out at higher spatial and temporal resolutions are needed to identify more of such features at local scales to maximize the scientific return from the future Mars rovers, to prevent probable biological contamination during rover operations, to evade damage to rover components as brines can be highly corrosive, and to quantify the ability of the regolith at mid-latitudes to capture atmospheric water which is relevant for in-situ-resource utilization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anshuman Bhardwaj
- Division of Space Technology, Department of Computer Science, Electrical and Space Engineering, Luleå University of Technology, Luleå, Sweden.
| | - Lydia Sam
- Division of Space Technology, Department of Computer Science, Electrical and Space Engineering, Luleå University of Technology, Luleå, Sweden
- Institut für Kartographie, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - F Javier Martín-Torres
- Division of Space Technology, Department of Computer Science, Electrical and Space Engineering, Luleå University of Technology, Luleå, Sweden
- Instituto Andaluz de Ciencias de la Tierra (CSIC-UGR), Armilla, Granada, Spain
- UK Centre for Astrobiology, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - María-Paz Zorzano
- Division of Space Technology, Department of Computer Science, Electrical and Space Engineering, Luleå University of Technology, Luleå, Sweden
- Centro de Astrobiología (INTA-CSIC), 28850, Torrejón de Ardoz, Madrid, Spain
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Affiliation(s)
- Javier Martín-Torres
- Division of Space Technology, Department of Computer Science, Electrical and Space Engineering, Luleå University of Technology, Kiruna, Sweden
- Instituto Andaluz de Ciencias de la Tierra (CSIC-UGR), Granada, Spain
| | - María-Paz Zorzano
- Division of Space Technology, Department of Computer Science, Electrical and Space Engineering, Luleå University of Technology, Kiruna, Sweden
- Centro de Astrobiología (CSIC-INTA), Madrid, Spain
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Cockell CS, Bush T, Bryce C, Direito S, Fox-Powell M, Harrison JP, Lammer H, Landenmark H, Martin-Torres J, Nicholson N, Noack L, O'Malley-James J, Payler SJ, Rushby A, Samuels T, Schwendner P, Wadsworth J, Zorzano MP. Habitability: A Review. Astrobiology 2016; 16:89-117. [PMID: 26741054 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2015.1295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 94] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Habitability is a widely used word in the geoscience, planetary science, and astrobiology literature, but what does it mean? In this review on habitability, we define it as the ability of an environment to support the activity of at least one known organism. We adopt a binary definition of "habitability" and a "habitable environment." An environment either can or cannot sustain a given organism. However, environments such as entire planets might be capable of supporting more or less species diversity or biomass compared with that of Earth. A clarity in understanding habitability can be obtained by defining instantaneous habitability as the conditions at any given time in a given environment required to sustain the activity of at least one known organism, and continuous planetary habitability as the capacity of a planetary body to sustain habitable conditions on some areas of its surface or within its interior over geological timescales. We also distinguish between surface liquid water worlds (such as Earth) that can sustain liquid water on their surfaces and interior liquid water worlds, such as icy moons and terrestrial-type rocky planets with liquid water only in their interiors. This distinction is important since, while the former can potentially sustain habitable conditions for oxygenic photosynthesis that leads to the rise of atmospheric oxygen and potentially complex multicellularity and intelligence over geological timescales, the latter are unlikely to. Habitable environments do not need to contain life. Although the decoupling of habitability and the presence of life may be rare on Earth, it may be important for understanding the habitability of other planetary bodies.
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Affiliation(s)
- C S Cockell
- 1 UK Centre for Astrobiology, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Edinburgh , Edinburgh, UK
| | - T Bush
- 1 UK Centre for Astrobiology, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Edinburgh , Edinburgh, UK
| | - C Bryce
- 1 UK Centre for Astrobiology, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Edinburgh , Edinburgh, UK
| | - S Direito
- 1 UK Centre for Astrobiology, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Edinburgh , Edinburgh, UK
| | - M Fox-Powell
- 1 UK Centre for Astrobiology, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Edinburgh , Edinburgh, UK
| | - J P Harrison
- 1 UK Centre for Astrobiology, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Edinburgh , Edinburgh, UK
| | - H Lammer
- 2 Austrian Academy of Sciences, Space Research Institute , Graz, Austria
| | - H Landenmark
- 1 UK Centre for Astrobiology, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Edinburgh , Edinburgh, UK
| | - J Martin-Torres
- 3 Division of Space Technology, Department of Computer Science, Electrical and Space Engineering, Luleå University of Technology , Kiruna, Sweden; and Instituto Andaluz de Ciencias de la Tierra (CSIC-UGR), Armilla, Granada, Spain
| | - N Nicholson
- 1 UK Centre for Astrobiology, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Edinburgh , Edinburgh, UK
| | - L Noack
- 4 Department of Reference Systems and Planetology, Royal Observatory of Belgium , Brussels, Belgium
| | - J O'Malley-James
- 5 School of Physics and Astronomy, University of St Andrews , St Andrews, UK; now at the Carl Sagan Institute, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - S J Payler
- 1 UK Centre for Astrobiology, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Edinburgh , Edinburgh, UK
| | - A Rushby
- 6 Centre for Ocean and Atmospheric Science (COAS), School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia , Norwich, UK
| | - T Samuels
- 1 UK Centre for Astrobiology, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Edinburgh , Edinburgh, UK
| | - P Schwendner
- 1 UK Centre for Astrobiology, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Edinburgh , Edinburgh, UK
| | - J Wadsworth
- 1 UK Centre for Astrobiology, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Edinburgh , Edinburgh, UK
| | - M P Zorzano
- 3 Division of Space Technology, Department of Computer Science, Electrical and Space Engineering, Luleå University of Technology , Kiruna, Sweden; and Instituto Andaluz de Ciencias de la Tierra (CSIC-UGR), Armilla, Granada, Spain
- 7 Centro de Astrobiología (CSIC-INTA) , Torrejón de Ardoz, Madrid, Spain
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Webster CR, Mahaffy PR, Atreya SK, Flesch GJ, Mischna MA, Meslin PY, Farley KA, Conrad PG, Christensen LE, Pavlov AA, Martín-Torres J, Zorzano MP, McConnochie TH, Owen T, Eigenbrode JL, Glavin DP, Steele A, Malespin CA, Archer PD, Sutter B, Coll P, Freissinet C, McKay CP, Moores JE, Schwenzer SP, Bridges JC, Navarro-Gonzalez R, Gellert R, Lemmon MT. Mars atmosphere. Mars methane detection and variability at Gale crater. Science 2014; 347:415-7. [PMID: 25515120 DOI: 10.1126/science.1261713] [Citation(s) in RCA: 327] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Reports of plumes or patches of methane in the martian atmosphere that vary over monthly time scales have defied explanation to date. From in situ measurements made over a 20-month period by the tunable laser spectrometer of the Sample Analysis at Mars instrument suite on Curiosity at Gale crater, we report detection of background levels of atmospheric methane of mean value 0.69 ± 0.25 parts per billion by volume (ppbv) at the 95% confidence interval (CI). This abundance is lower than model estimates of ultraviolet degradation of accreted interplanetary dust particles or carbonaceous chondrite material. Additionally, in four sequential measurements spanning a 60-sol period (where 1 sol is a martian day), we observed elevated levels of methane of 7.2 ± 2.1 ppbv (95% CI), implying that Mars is episodically producing methane from an additional unknown source.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher R Webster
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA.
| | - Paul R Mahaffy
- NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA
| | | | - Gregory J Flesch
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA
| | - Michael A Mischna
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA
| | - Pierre-Yves Meslin
- Institut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planétologie, UPS-OMP, CNRS, 31028 Toulouse, France
| | | | | | - Lance E Christensen
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA
| | | | - Javier Martín-Torres
- Instituto Andaluz de Ciencias de la Tierra [Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)-Universidad de Granada], Granada, Spain. Division of Space Technology, Luleå University of Technology, Kiruna, Sweden
| | - María-Paz Zorzano
- Centro de Astrobiologia, Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial-CSIC, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Tobias Owen
- University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA
| | | | | | - Andrew Steele
- Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington, DC 20015, USA
| | | | - P Douglas Archer
- Jacobs Technology, NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX 77058, USA
| | - Brad Sutter
- Jacobs Technology, NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX 77058, USA
| | - Patrice Coll
- Laboratoire Inter-Universitaires Des Systèmes Atmosphériques (LISA), UMR CNRS 7583, Paris, France
| | | | | | | | | | - John C Bridges
- Space Research Centre, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK
| | - Rafael Navarro-Gonzalez
- Instituto de Ciencias Nucleares, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Mexico City 04510, Mexico
| | - Ralf Gellert
- University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Mark T Lemmon
- Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
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Ruiz-Bermejo M, Osuna-Esteban S, Zorzano MP. Role of ferrocyanides in the prebiotic synthesis of α-amino acids. ORIGINS LIFE EVOL B 2013; 43:191-206. [PMID: 23780697 DOI: 10.1007/s11084-013-9336-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2013] [Accepted: 05/21/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
We investigated the synthesis of α-amino acids under possible prebiotic terrestrial conditions in the presence of dissolved iron (II) in a simulated prebiotic ocean. An aerosol-liquid cycle with a prebiotic atmosphere is shown to produce amino acids via Strecker synthesis with relatively high yields. However, in the presence of iron, the HCN was captured in the form of a ferrocyanide, partially inhibiting the formation of amino acids. We showed how HCN captured as Prussian Blue (or another complex compound) may, in turn, have served as the HCN source when exposed to UV radiation, allowing for the sustained production of amino acids in conjunction with the production of oxyhydroxides that precipitate as by-products. We conclude that ferrocyanides and related compounds may have played a significant role as intermediate products in the prebiotic formation of amino acids and oxyhydroxides, such as those that are found in iron-containing soils and that the aerosol cycle of the primitive ocean may have enhanced the yield of the amino acid production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Ruiz-Bermejo
- Departamento de Evolución Molecular, Centro de Astrobiología Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas INTA-CSIC), Carretera Torrejón-Ajalvir, Km 4, 28850, Torrejón de Ardoz, Madrid, Spain.
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Vázquez L, Zorzano MP, Jimenez S. Spectral information retrieval from integrated broadband photodiode Martian ultraviolet measurements. Opt Lett 2007; 32:2596-8. [PMID: 17767317 DOI: 10.1364/ol.32.002596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
We propose an algorithm to retrieve the global features of the spectral dependence of the ultraviolet (UV) irradiance from integrated, broadband UV measurements performed with a set of photodiodes with different UV filters. This fit, when applied to ground-based measurements and compared with the incident Solar spectral irradiance on the top of the atmosphere, may be used to extract the spectral dependence of the UV opacity and the most relevant parameters characterizing the scattering with atmospheric aerosol (Angstrom exponent, etc.) as well as the biological effective doses. In this way, using a set of photodiodes instead of a spectrophotometer, one may get spectral information within very low mass, package, and weight constraints, which is particularly useful for space missions. We consider its application for the rover-based exploration of the Martian ground, which is subject to daily and seasonal opacity variations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis Vázquez
- Departamento de Matemática Aplicada, Facultad de Informática, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
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Abstract
We propose a simple pyrometric algorithm to retrieve the temperature from a radiating body during heating or cooling with no prior knowledge of the spectral emissivity. We ratio the measured fluxes at two different temperatures in two narrow bands. The error budget of this method is calculated. We consider its application for the rover-based exploration of the Martian ground, which is subjected to daily and seasonal temperature variations. The method is optimized to increase accuracy in the retrieval of temperature variation, which is the most interesting parameter for ground heat-flux studies.
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Abstract
The biologically damaging solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation (quantified by the DNA-weighted dose) reaches the martian surface in extremely high levels. Searching for potentially habitable UV-protected environments on Mars, we considered the polar ice caps that consist of a seasonally varying CO2 ice cover and a permanent H2O ice layer. It was found that, though the CO2 ice is insufficient by itself to screen the UV radiation, at approximately 1 m depth within the perennial H2O ice the DNA-weighted dose is reduced to terrestrial levels. This depth depends strongly on the optical properties of the H2O ice layers (for instance snow-like layers). The Earth-like DNA-weighted dose and Photosynthetically Active Radiation (PAR) requirements were used to define the upper and lower limits of the northern and southern polar Radiative Habitable Zone (RHZ) for which a temporal and spatial mapping was performed. Based on these studies we conclude that photosynthetic life might be possible within the ice layers of the polar regions. The thickness varies along each martian polar spring and summer between approximately 1.5 and 2.4 m for H2O ice-like layers, and a few centimeters for snow-like covers. These martian Earth-like radiative habitable environments may be primary targets for future martian astrobiological missions. Special attention should be paid to planetary protection, since the polar RHZ may also be subject to terrestrial contamination by probes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carmen Córdoba-Jabonero
- Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial (INTA), Area de Investigación e Instrumentación Atmosférica, Madrid, Spain.
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