Application Of Organic Geochemistry To Detect Signatures Of Organic Matter In The Haughton Impact Structure

Abstract— Organic geochemistry applied to samples of bedrock and surface sediment from the Haughton impact structure detects a range of signatures representing the impact event and the transfer of organic matter from the crater bedrock to its erosion products. The bedrock dolomite contains hydrocarbon‐bearing fluid inclusions which were incorporated before the impact event. Comparison of biomarker data from the hydrocarbons in samples inside and outside of the crater show the thermal signature of an impact. The occurrence of hydrocarbon inclusions in hydrothermal mineral samples shows that organic matter was mobilized and migrated in the immediate aftermath of the impact. The hydrocarbon signature was then transferred from bedrock to the crater‐fill lacustrine deposits and present‐day sediments in the crater, including wind‐blown detritus in snow/ice. Separate signatures are detected from modern microbial life in crater rock and sediment samples. Signatures in Haughton crater samples are readily detectable because they include hydrocarbons generated by the burial of organic matter. This type of organic matter is not expected in crater samples on other planets, but the Haughton data show that, using very high resolution detection of organic compounds, any signature of primitive life in the crater rocks could be transferred to surface detritus and so extend the sampling medium.     

Hyperspectral mapping of alteration assemblages within a hydrothermal vug at the Haughton impact structure,Canada

Meteorite impacts on Earth and Mars can generate hydrothermal systems that alter the primary mineralogies of rocks and provide suitable environments for microbial colonization. We investigate a calcite–marcasite‐bearing vug at the ~23 km diameter Haughton impact structure, Devon Island, Nunavut, Canada, using imaging spectroscopy of the outcrop in the field (0.65–1.1 μm) and samples in the laboratory (0.4–2.5 μm), point spectroscopy (0.35–2.5 μm), major element chemistry, and X‐ray diffraction analyses. The mineral assemblages mapped at the outcrop include marcasite; marcasite with minor gypsum and jarosite; fibroferrite and copiapite with minor gypsum and melanterite; gypsum, Fe³⁺ oxides, and jarosite; and calcite, gypsum, clay, microcline, and quartz. Hyperspectral mapping of alteration phases shows spatial patterns that illuminate changes in alteration conditions and formation of specific mineral phases. Marcasite formed from the postimpact hydrothermal system under reducing conditions, while subsequent weathering oxidized the marcasite at low temperatures and water/rock ratios. The acidic fluids resulting from the oxidation collected on flat‐lying portions of the outcrop, precipitating fibroferrite + copiapite. That assemblage then likely dissolved, and the changing chemistry and pH resulting from interaction with the calcite‐rich host rock formed gypsum‐bearing red coatings. These results have implications for understanding water–rock interactions and habitabilities at this site and on Mars.     

Intra‐crater sedimentary deposits at the Haughton impact structure,Devon Island,Canadian High Arctic

Abstract— Detailed field mapping has revealed the presence of a series of intra‐crater sedimentary deposits within the interior of the Haughton impact structure, Devon Island, Canadian High Arctic. Coarse‐grained, well‐sorted, pale gray lithic sandstones (reworked impact melt breccias) unconformably overlie pristine impact melt breccias and attest to an episode of erosion, during which time significant quantities of impact melt breccias were removed. The reworked impact melt breccias are, in turn, unconformably overlain by paleolacustrine sediments of the Miocene Haughton Formation. Sediments of the Haughton Formation were clearly derived from pre‐impact lower Paleozoic target rocks of the Allen Bay Formation, which form the crater rim in the northern, western, and southern regions of the Haughton structure. Collectively, these field relationships indicate that the Haughton Formation was deposited up to several million years after the formation of the Haughton crater and that they do not, therefore, represent an immediate, post‐impact crater lake deposit. This is consistent with new isotopic dating of impactites from Haughton that indicate an Eocene age for the impact event (Sherlock et al. 2005). In addition, isolated deposits of post‐Miocene intra‐crater glacigenic and fluvioglacial sediments were found lying unconformably over remnants of the Haughton Formation, impact melt breccias, and other pre‐impact target rock formations. These deposits provide clear evidence for glaciation at the Haughton crater. The wealth and complexity of geological and climatological information preserved as intra‐crater deposits at Haughton suggests that craters on Mars with intra‐crater sedimentary records might present us with similar opportunities, but also possibly significant challenges.     

Manganese oxides as high-pε redox buffers on Mars

The x-ray photoelectron spectrum of Mn(VI) is closely similar to that of uv-irradiated MnO₂, previously reported to simulate the Viking gas exchange reaction. β-MnO₂ is the thermodynamically stable form of manganese on the surface of Mars, and MnO₂ abundances estimated from shergottite, nakhlite, and chassignite iron/manganese ratios are sufficient to account for the oxidant buffer capacity observed by Viking.     

Beta-carotene—A possible biomarker in the Martian evaporitic environment: Raman micro-spectroscopic study

Due to the discovery of the evaporitic environment on the Martian surface, there is a reasonable possibility that evaporites served (or still serve) as habitats for microbial life if ever present on Mars. At the very least, if no signatures of extant life exist within these rocks, it may sustain molecular remnants as evidence for living organisms in the past. β-Carotene, among other carotenoids, could be such a suitable biomarker. In this study, Raman micro-spectroscopy was tested as a nondestructive method of determining the presence of β-carotene in experimentally prepared evaporitic matrices. Samples prepared by mixing β-carotene with powdered gypsum (CaSO₄·2H₂O), halite (NaCl) and epsomite (MgSO₄·7H₂O) were analyzed using a 785 nm excitation source. Various concentrations of β-carotene in the matrices were investigated to determine the lowest β-carotene content detectable by Raman micro-spectroscopy. Mixtures were also measured with a laser beam permeating the crystals of gypsum and epsomite in order to evaluate the possibility of identifying β-carotene inside the mineral matrix.We were able to obtain a clear β-carotene signal at the 10 mg kg⁻¹ concentration level—the number of registered β-carotene Raman bands differed depending on the particular mineral matrix. Spectral signatures of β-carotene were detected even when analyzing samples containing 1 mg kg⁻¹ of this molecule. The 10-100 mg kg⁻¹ of β-carotene in mineral matrices (halite, epsomite) was detected when analyzed through the monocrystal of gypsum and epsomite, respectively. These results will aid both in-situ analyses on Mars and sample analyses on Earth.     

Spaceborne visible and thermal infrared lithologic mapping of impact‐exposed subsurface lithologies at the Haughton impact structure,Devon Island,Canadian High Arctic: Applications to Mars

Abstract— This study serves as a proof‐of‐concept for the technique of using visible‐near infrared (VNIR), short‐wavelength infrared (SWIR), and thermal infrared (TIR) spectroscopic observations to map impact‐exposed subsurface lithologies and stratigraphy on Earth or Mars. The topmost layer, three subsurface layers and undisturbed outcrops of the target sequence exposed just 10 km to the northeast of the 23 km diameter Haughton impact structure (Devon Island, Nunavut, Canada) were mapped as distinct spectral units using Landsat 7 ETM+ (VNIR/SWIR) and ASTER (VNIR/SWIR/TIR) multispectral images. Spectral mapping was accomplished by using standard image contrast‐stretching algorithms. Both spectral matching and deconvolution algorithms were applied to image‐derived ASTER TIR emissivity spectra using spectra from a library of laboratory‐measured spectra of minerals (Arizona State University) and whole‐rocks (Ward's). These identifications were made without the use of a priori knowledge from the field (i.e., a “blind” analysis). The results from this analysis suggest a sequence of dolomitic rock (in the crater rim), limestone (wall), gypsum‐rich carbonate (floor), and limestone again (central uplift). These matched compositions agree with the lithologic units and the pre‐impact stratigraphic sequence as mapped during recent field studies of the Haughton impact structure by Osinski et al. (2005a). Further conformation of the identity of image‐derived spectra was confirmed by matching these spectra with laboratory‐measured spectra of samples collected from Haughton. The results from the “blind” remote sensing methods used here suggest that these techniques can also be used to understand subsurface lithologies on Mars, where ground truth knowledge may not be generally available.     

Laboratory simulations of Mars aqueous geochemistry

We report on laboratory experiments in which we allowed an SNC-derived mineral mix to react with pure water under a simulated Mars atmosphere for 7 months. These experiments were performed at one bar and at three different temperatures in order to simulate the subsurface conditions that most likely exist where liquid water and rock interact on Mars today. The dominant cations dissolved in the solutions we produced, which may be characterized as dilute brines, are Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, Al³⁺, and Na⁺, while the major anions are dissolved C, F⁻, SO²⁻₄ and Cl⁻. Typical solution pH was in the range of 4.2-6.0. Abundance patterns of elements in our synthetic sulfate-chloride brines are distinctly unlike those of terrestrial ocean water or continental waters, however, they are quite similar to those measured in the martian fines at the Mars Pathfinder and Viking 1 and 2 Landing sites. This suggests that salts present in the martian regolith may have formed over time as a result of the interaction of surface or subsurface liquid water with basalts in the presence of a martian atmosphere similar in composition to that of today. If most of the mobile surface layer was formed during the Noachian when erosion rates were much higher than at present, and if this layer is homogeneous in salt composition, the total amount of salt in the martian fines is approximately the same as in the Earth's oceans. The minimum quantity of circulating water necessary to deposit this amount of salt is approximately equivalent to a global layer 625 m deep.     

Alteration of five organic compounds by glow discharge plasma and UV light under simulated Mars conditions

The Viking missions to Mars failed to detect any organic material in regolith samples. Since then, several removal mechanisms of organic material have been proposed. Two of these proposed methods are removal due to exposure to plasmas created in dust devils and exposure to UV irradiation. The experiments presented here were performed to identify similarities between the two potential removal mechanisms and to identify any compounds produced from these mechanisms that would have been difficult for the Viking instruments to detect. Five organic compounds, phenanthrene, octadecane, octadecanoic acid, decanophenone and benzoic acid, were exposed to a glow discharge plasma created in simulated martian atmospheres as might be present in dust devils, and to UV irradiation similar to that found at the surface of Mars. Glow discharge exposure was carried out in a chamber with 6.9 mbar pressure of a Mars like gas composed mostly of carbon dioxide. The plasma was characterized using emission spectroscopy and found to contain cations and excited neutral species including carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and nitrogen. UV irradiation experiments were performed in a Mars chamber which simulates the temperature, pressure, atmospheric composition, and UV fluence rates of equatorial Mars. The non-volatile residues left after each exposure were characterized by mass loss, infrared spectroscopy and high resolution mass spectrometry. Oxidized, higher molecular weight versions of the parent compounds containing carbonyl, hydroxyl and alkenyl functional groups were identified. The presence of these oxidized compounds suggests that searches for organic material in soils on Mars use instrumentation suitable for detection of compounds which contain the above functional groups. Discussions of possible reaction mechanisms are given.     

Surface erosion caused on Mars from Viking descent engine plume

During the Martian landings the descent engine plumes on Viking Lander 1 (VL-1) and Viking Lander 2 (VL-2) eroded the Martian surface materials. This had been anticipated and investigated both analytically and experimentally during the design phase of the Viking spacecraft. This paper presents data on erosion obtained during the tests of the Viking descent engine and the evidence for erosion by the descent engines of VL-1 and VL-2 on Mars. From these and other results, it is concluded that there are four distinct surface materials on Mars: (1) drift material, (2) crusty to cloddy material, (3) blocky material, and (4) rock.Work performed as part of NASA contract W 14,575.     

Red/violet contrast reversal on Mars: Significance for eolian sediments

Albedo markings on Mars can exhibit reversed contrast with their surroudings when imaged in “red” and “violet” light. A complete search of Viking Orbiter images shows this phenomenon (on scales less than 300 km) is restricted to specific eolian features: intracrater deposits and wind streaks originating from the deposits. Contrast reversal is not found between features (such as lava flows of different ages) that might expose different materials without a largely eolian influence. Laboratory simulations suggest that iron oxides are the most likely materials involved in contrast reversal on the Martian surface. Red/violet contrast reversal is achieved easily (but not exclusively) between samples from which very fine particles (<5 μm) in diameter) have been removed, and corresponding samples in which larger grains are coated by such fine particles. Substantial particle-size-dependent albedo and color viriations exist for material which can be carried in suspension on Mars (<100 μm). Thus, all fine-grained eolian deposits on Mars need not be the same as the brighter parts of Arabia, which have colors and albedos similar to the fine (<10 μm) component of Martian dust storms. The observed contrast reversal characteristics and colors of the intracrater dunes and related sediments can be explained readily if they are essentially free of adhering dust, as would be the case if such eolian features were subject toactive saltation.     

Geochemical biosignature formation in experimental Martian fluvio-lacustrine and simulated evaporitic settings

To assess whether life existed on Mars, it is crucial to identify geochemical biosignatures that are relevant to specific Martian environments. In this paper, thermochemical modeling was used to investigate fluid chemistries and secondary minerals that would have evolved biotically over geological time scales in Martian fluvio-lacustrine and evaporitic settings, and that could be used as potential inorganic biosignatures for life detection on Mars. Modeling was performed using fluid and rock chemistries relevant to Gale crater aqueous environments. Potential inorganic biosignatures were identified investigating alteration deposits found at the surface of a simulant exposed to short-term bio-mediated weathering and comparing experimental and modeling results. In a fluvio-lacustrine setting (water/rock of 2000–278), models suggest that less complex mineral assemblages form during biotic basalt dissolution and subsequent brine evaporation compared to what would happen in an abiotic system. Mainly nontronite, kaolinite, and quartz form under biotic conditions, whereas celadonite, talc, and goethite would also precipitate abiotically. Quartz, sepiolite, and gypsum would precipitate from the evaporation of fluids evolved biotically, whereas nontronite, talc, zeolite, and gypsum would form in an abiotic evaporitic environment. These results could be used to distinguish products of abiotic and biotic processes, aiding the interpretation of data from Mars exploration missions.     

The Viking biological experiments on Mars

The essential findings of the three biological experiments aboard the two Viking Mars landers are reviewed and compared. All three of the experiments yielded significant data in repeated tests of Martian surface samples. Some of the results are consistent with a biological interpretation, although there are serious reservations in accepting this conclusion. Most of the findings, however, are inconsistent with a biological basis. The combined data suggest the presence of several classes of oxidants on Mars and these would account for the most of the observations. An explanation for the apparent small synthesis of organic matter in the pyrolytic release experiment remains obscure.     

Topography and Geologic Characteristics of Aeolian Grooves in the South Polar Layered Deposits of Mars

The topographic and geologic characteristics of grooves and groove-like features in the south polar layered deposits near the Mars Polar Lander/Deep Space 2 landing sites are evaluated using Mariner 9 images and their derived photoclinometry, normalized using Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter data. Although both Mariner 9 and Viking images of the south polar layered deposits were available at the time of this study, Mariner 9 images of the grooves were selected because they were generally of higher resolution than Viking images. The dimensions and slopes of the grooves, together with orientations that nearly match the strongest winds predicted in the Martian Global Circulation Model and directions inferred from other wind indicators, suggest that they formed by aeolian scour of an easily erodible surface. Most grooves are symmetric and V-shaped in transverse profile, inconsistent with an origin involving extensional brittle deformation. Although the grooves strike along slopes and terraces of the south polar layered deposits, the variable depths and lack of terracing within the grooves themselves indicate that any stratigraphy in the uppermost 100 m of the polar layered deposits is composed of layers of similar, and relatively low, resistance. The grooves do not represent landing hazards at the scale of the Mariner 9 images (72-86 m/pixel) and therefore probably would not have affected Mars Polar Lander and Deep Space 2, had they successfully reached the surface.     

Inorganic chemical investigation by x-ray fluorescence analysis: The Viking Mars Lander

The inorganic chemical investigation added in August 1972 to the Viking Lander scientific package will utilize an energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometer in which four sealed, gas-filled proportional counters will detect X-rays emitted from samples of the Martian surface materials irradiated by X-rays from radioisotope sources (⁵⁵Fe and ¹⁰⁹Cd). The output of the proportional counters will be subjected to pulse-height analysis by an on-board step-scanning single-channel analyzer with adjustable counting periods. The data will be returned to Earth, via the Viking Orbiter relay system, and the spectra constructed, calibrated, and interpreted here. The instrument is inside the Lander body, and samples are to be delivered to it by the Viking Lander Surface Sampler. Calibration standards are an integral part of the instrument.The results of the investigation will characterize the surface materials of Mars as to elemental composition with accuracies ranging from a few tens of parts per million (at the trace-element level) to a few percent (for major elements) depending on the element in question. Elements of atomic number 11 or less are determined only as a group, though useful estimates of their individual abundances maybe achieved by indirect means. The expected radiation environment will not seriously hamper the measurements. Based on the results, inferences can be drawn regarding (1) the surface mineralogy and lithology; (2) the nature of weathering processes, past and present, and the question of equilibrium between the atmosphere and the surface; and (3) the extent and type of differentiation that the planet has undergone.The Inorganic Chemical Investigation supports and is supported by most other Viking Science investigations.     

Methane and related trace species on Mars: Origin,loss, implications for life,and habitability

One of the most puzzling aspects of Mars is that organics have not yet been found on the surface. The simplest of organic molecules, methane, was detected in the Martian atmosphere for the first time in 2003. The existence and behavior of methane on Mars is of great significance, as methane is a potential biomarker. In this paper we review our current understanding of possible sources and sinks of methane on Mars. We also investigate the role of other trace species in the maintenance and removal of methane from the atmosphere, as well as of other organic material from the surface. In particular, we examine the exogenous, hydrogeochemical—especially serpentinization—and biological sources, for supplying methane to Mars. We suggest that comets and meteorites are the least likely, whereas low-temperature serpentinization is the most plausible of all candidates to explain the methane observations. Nevertheless, it is premature to rule out the role of biology in producing methane on Mars, in view of available data. It is important to note that the loss of methane to surface must also be factored into any “source” scenarios for methane. Ordinary heterogeneous loss process to surface tends to be very slow. On the other hand, a reactive surface could potentially accelerate the destruction of methane. If correct, it would imply that a larger source of methane is present than currently estimated on the basis of photochemical loss alone. A reactive surface can also explain why no organic material has ever been detected on the Martian surface. The surface could become reactive if some oxidizer were present. We suggest that vast quantities of a powerful oxidant, hydrogen peroxide, can be produced in electrochemistry triggered by electrostatic fields generated in the Martian dust devils and dust storms, and in normal saltation process close to the surface. Finally, current observations are inadequate to prove or disprove the existence of life on Mars, now or in the past. The question of extraterrestrial life is a fundamental one, and it should be addressed meticulously on future missions to Mars. Measurements planned on the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL), especially carbon isotopes and chirality, will go a long way in meeting this goal. A brief overview of the MSL Mission and measurements relevant to the question of life and habitability of Mars is also presented in this paper.     

Reflectance spectroscopy of ferric sulfate-bearing montmorillonites as Mars soil analog materials

Spectroscopic analyses have shown that smectites enhanced in the laboratory with additional ferric species exhibit important similarities to those of the soils on Mars. Ferrihydrite in these chemically treated smectites has features in the visible to near-infrared region that resemble the energies and band strengths of features in reflectance spectra observed for several bright regions on Mars. New samples have been prepared with sulfate as well, because S was found by Viking to be a major component in the surface material on Mars. A suite of ferrihydrite-bearing and ferric sulfate-bearing montmorillonites, prepared with variable Fe3+ and S concentrations and variable pH conditions, has been analyzed using reflectance spectroscopy in the visible and infrared regions, M?ssbauer spectroscopy at room temperature and 4 K, differential thermal analysis, and X-ray diffraction. These analyses support the formation of ferrihydrite of variable crystallinity in the ferrihydrite-bearing montmorillonites and a combination of schwertmannite and ferrihydrite in the ferric sulfate-bearing montmorillonites. Small quantities of poorly crystalline or nanophase forms of other ferric materials may also be present in these samples. The chemical formation conditions of the ferrihydrite-bearing and ferric sulfate-bearing montmorillonites influence the character of the low temperature M?ssbauer sextets and the visible reflectance spectra. An absorption minimum is observed at 0.88-0.89 micrometers in spectra of the ferric sulfate-bearing samples, and at 0.89-0.92 micrometers in spectra of the ferrihydrate-bearing montmorillonites. M?ssbauer spectra of the ferric sulfate-bearing montmorillonites indicate variable concentrations of ferrihydrite and schwertmannite in the interlaminar spaces and along grain surfaces. Dehydration under reduced atmospheric pressure conditions induces a greater effect on the adsorbed and interlayer water in ferrihydrite-bearing montmorillonite than on the water in ferric sulfate-bearing montmorillonite. Reflectance spectra of ferric sulfate-bearing montmorillonite include a strong 3-micrometers band that is more resistant to dry atmospheric conditions than the 3-micrometers band in spectra of similarly prepared ferrihydrite-bearing montmorillonites.     

A search for a nonbiological explanation of the Viking Labeled Release life detection experiment

The Viking Labeled Release (LR) data obtained on Mars satisfy the criteria established for a biological response. The importance of the issue, especially when viewed against the harsh environment on Mars, requires careful consideration of possible nonbiological reactions that may have produced false positive results. A $\text{3}\text{1}\text{2}\text{-}\text{year}$ laboratory effort to investigate possible chemical, physical, and physicochemical agents or mechanisms has been concluded. Among nonbiological possibilities, hydrogen peroxide, putatively on Mars, emerged as the principal candidate. When placed on analog Mars soils prepared to match the Viking inorganic analysis of the Mars surface material, hydrogen peroxide did not duplicate the LR Mars data. When other materials were used as substrate, hydrogen peroxide could be made to evoke the type of responses obtained by the LR Mars experiment. However, essential criteria concerning the formation, accuumulation, and preservation of hydrogen peroxide to qualify it as the active agent on Mars have not been met and new data show it to be essentially absent from the Mars atmosphere. The presence of a biological agent on Mars must still be considered. This interpretation of the LR results is strengthened by a recent report that the Viking organic analysis instrument (GCMS) failed to detect organics in an Antarctic soil in which the LR instrument had demonstrated the presence of microorganisms.     

Acid drainage generation and associated Ca-Fe-SO4 minerals in a periglacial environment, Eagle Plains, Northern Yukon, Canada: A potential analogue for low-temperature sulfate formation on Mars

Near Eagle Plains, northern Yukon, Canada, acidic Ca-Fe-Mg sulfate waters are discharging year-long from disturbed permafrosted sandstone bedrock overlying pyritiferous black shales. These acidic waters are precipitating gypsum with minor amounts of jarosite-K (Na), schwertmannite and hematite. This mineral assemblage is similar to that observed at Meridiani Planum (and other location on Mars), making this site a valuable analogue for low-temperature sulfate geochemistry and mineral formation on Mars. Stable O-S isotope analysis of the acidic waters near Eagle Plains revealed that the oxygen in the dissolved sulfate is mostly derived from water (ca. 70%), suggesting that the sulfide oxidation process could be in part biomediated (i.e., accelerated by acidophilic Fe-oxidizing bacteria). However, unlike the dissolved sulfate in the waters, the formation of the Ca-Fe-SO₄ minerals appears to be purely abiotic. The stable O-S isotope composition of the sulfate minerals is well within the predicted equilibrium range at low temperature, suggesting that they formed through physico-chemical processes (i.e., evaporation or freezing). Low-temperature geochemical modeling with FREZCHEM and PHREEQC suggests that the mineral assemblage at Eagle Plains precipitated mainly through the freezing of Ca-Fe-Mg-SO₄ acidic waters, rather than through evaporation during the dry summer season, although the latter is still possible. This suggests that the sulfate mineral assemblage observed on Mars could have also formed under a periglacial-type climate. Considering that the active layer in the zone affected by acid drainage does not freeze-over during winter, the residual talik offers a localized niche environment to support acidophilic microorganisms. Overall, the fact that acid drainage is presently active near Eagle Plains allows the direct observation of the low-temperature geochemical processes responsible for generating acid drainage conditions and precipitation of gypsum, schwertmannite, jarosite-K, jarosite-Na, goethite and hematite.     

Possibilities for the detection of hydrogen peroxide-water-based life on Mars by the Phoenix Lander

The Phoenix Lander landed on Mars on 25 May 2008. It has instruments on board to explore the geology and climate of subpolar Mars and to explore if life ever arose on Mars. Although the Phoenix mission is not a life detection mission per se, it will look for the presence of organic compounds and other evidence to support or discredit the notion of past or present life.The possibility of extant life on Mars has been raised by a reinterpretation of the Viking biology experiments [Houtkooper, J. M., Schulze-Makuch, D., 2007. A possible biogenic origin for hydrogen peroxide on Mars: the Viking results reinterpreted. International Journal of Astrobiology 6, 147-152]. The results of these experiments are in accordance with life based on a mixture of water and hydrogen peroxide instead of water. The near-surface conditions on Mars would give an evolutionary advantage to organisms employing a mixture of H₂O₂ and H₂O in their intracellular fluid: the mixture has a low freezing point, is hygroscopic and provides a source of oxygen. The H₂O₂-H₂O hypothesis also explains the Viking results in a logically consistent way. With regard to its compatibility with cellular contents, H₂O₂ is used for a variety of purposes in terran biochemistry. The ability of the anticipated organisms to withstand low temperatures and the relatively high water vapor content of the atmosphere in the Martian arctic, means that Phoenix will land in an area not inimical to H₂O₂-H₂O-based life. Phoenix has a suite of instruments which may be able to detect the signatures of such putative organisms.     

Spectral and thermodynamic constraints on the existence of gypsum at the Juventae Chasma on Mars

The spectral imaging of the Mars obtained with the Mars Express/OMEGA experiment demonstrates that a majority of the sulfates-rich regions are associated with the interior light-toned layered deposits within the canyon system in the equatorial zone of the planet. While all sulfates-rich deposits inside the canyons are characterized by the presence of the kieserite and hydrated magnesium sulfates, the spectral features of gypsum were detected only in the Juventae Chasma and the Iani Chaos. The detection of gypsum in the upper part of the layered deposits, stacking the erosional remnant on the floor of the Juventae Chasma (above the spectral signature of the kieserite and polyhydrated sulfates detected on the flanks of the remnant) represents a more intriguing case. To clarify the question of the presence of gypsum in the Juventae Chasma, we present reanalyzed OMEGA spectra within that area and performed the chemical equilibrium modelling of sulfates precipitation sequence at the freezing and the evaporation of a hypothetical aqueous solution which could have existed within the Chasma in the past. Our results did not confirm the presence of distinct spectral signatures of gypsum. The results of equilibrium modelling also exclude significant precipitation of gypsum during the latest stage of the aqueous sedimentation, responsible for the formation of the upper part of the erosional remnant.