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.     

Martian polar and circum-polar sulfate-bearing deposits: Sublimation tills derived from the North Polar Cap

Previous spectroscopic studies have shown the presence of hydrated minerals in various kinds of sedimentary accumulations covering and encircling the martian North Polar Cap. More specifically, gypsum, a hydrated calcium sulfate, has been detected on Olympia Planum, a restricted part of the Circum-Polar Dune Field. To further constrain the geographical distribution and the process of formation and accumulation of these hydrated minerals, we performed an integrated morphological, structural and compositional analysis of a key area where hydrated minerals were detected and where the main polar landforms are present. By the development of a spectral processing method based on spectral derivation and by the acquisition of laboratory spectra of gypsum-ice mixtures we find that gypsum-bearing sediment is not restricted to the Olympia Planum dunes but is also present in all kinds of superficial sediment covering the surface of the North Polar Cap and the Circum-Polar Dune Field. Spectral signatures consistent with perchlorates are also detected on these deposits. The interpretation of landforms reveals that this gypsum-bearing sediment was released from the ice cap by sublimation. We thus infer that gypsum crystals that are now present in the Circum-Polar Dune Field derive from the interior of the North Polar Cap. Gypsum crystals that were initially trapped in the ice cap have been released by sublimation of the ice and have accumulated in the form of ablation tills at the surface of the ice cap. These gypsum-bearing sublimation tills are reworked by winds and are transported towards the Circum-Polar Dune Field. Comparison with sulfates found in terrestrial glaciers suggests that gypsum crystals in the martian North Polar Cap have formed by weathering of dust particles, either in the atmosphere prior to their deposition during the formation of the ice cap, and/or in the ice cap after their deposition.     

Astrobiological significance of the sabkha life and environments of southern Tunisia

In high-salinity and water-scarce environments, such as in hot and dry deserts, species develop adaptive strategies that are necessary for living in such harsh conditions. Continental ephemeral salt lakes (sabkhas) with periodic flooding from subsurface groundwater followed by high salt concentrations, such as the ones of the northern Africa Chotts, rank among the geological settings wherein the combined effect of salt concentration and fluctuation of water availability make the environment unstable and can thereafter lead to extreme changes. The present study investigates the continental sabkha environments of southern Tunisia, in which ecological niches (i.e. water and salt precipitates, including halite, gypsum, and dolomite) host microbial life. Halophilic microorganisms can be trapped in the extensive saline crusts of halite and gypsum, which can be regarded as the first step of their delivery to the fossil record. The study of halophiles can provide clues for the understanding of life strategies in extreme terrestrial environments, such as sabkhas, which are potential good terrestrial analogs for evaporite-bearing Martian deposits.     

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.     

Meridiani Planum hematite deposit and the search for evidence of life on Mars—iron mineralization of microorganisms in rock varnish

The extensive hematite deposit in Meridiani Planum was selected as the landing site for the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity because the site may have been favorable to the preservation of evidence of possible prebiotic or biotic processes. One of the proposed mechanisms for formation of this deposit involves surface weathering and coatings, exemplified on Earth by rock varnish. Microbial life, including microcolonial fungi and bacteria, is documented in rock varnish matrices from the southwestern United States and Australia. Limited evidence of this life is preserved as cells and cell molds mineralized by iron oxides and hydroxides, as well as by manganese oxides. Such mineralization of microbial cells has previously been demonstrated experimentally and documented in banded iron formations, hot spring deposits, and ferricrete soils. These types of deposits are examples of the four “water-rock interaction” scenarios proposed for formation of the hematite deposit on Mars. The instrument suite on Opportunity has the capability to distinguish among these proposed formation scenarios and, possibly, to detect traces that are suggestive of preserved martian microbiota. However, the confirmation of microfossils or preserved biosignatures will likely require the return of samples to terrestrial laboratories.     

Study of terrestrial fossils in phyllosilicate-rich soils: Implication in the search for biosignatures on Mars

The search for biosignatures in the soil of Mars is a major objective of the planet exploration, but the detection of such structures is not straightforward due to the degradation of the organic material. In a previous work our group has analyzed the spectral reaction to thermal processing of biomineral carbonate samples including fresh and fossil shells. We found that two terrestrial fossil shells collected from clay deposits preserve their biomineral characteristics much better than coeval fossils not embedded in clay layers.In the present paper we extend our analysis to a set of fossils found in three different terrestrial clay deposits. Our results confirm that the level of degradation may be much lower than the standard values if fossils are surrounded by clay minerals. As a result these fossils have a spectroscopic response to thermal treatment which make them much more distinguishable from their abiotic counterparts than coeval fossils not collected from clay deposits. This result implies that the phyllosilicates regions recently discovered on Mars may represent very interesting environments that can provide conditions favorable to preserve evidence of biomarkers, and hence can be regarded as good candidate locations for their detection.     

Evidence of widespread degraded Amazonian-aged ice-rich deposits in the transition between Elysium Rise and Utopia Planitia,Mars: Guidelines for the recognition of degraded ice-rich materials

Widespread deposits surrounding mesas, in craters and in valley systems are observed in the transition zone between the Elysium Rise and the Utopia Planitia Basin. They are characterized by their relatively high albedo, the presence of ring-mold crater (RMC) morphologies and their pitted surfaces, with textures ranging from lineations and fish-scale-patterns to widely distributed knobs. These deposits are interpreted to be modified ice-rich material in the form of degraded deposits of concentric crater fill (CCF), lineated valley fill (LVF) and lobate debris aprons (LDA). The degraded CCF deposits are observed from 31.2–40°N, 138–150°E over an elevation range of almost 9 km. This wide-ranging distribution demonstrates that degraded ice-rich deposits exist at every altitude and latitude in the study area, indicating that icy mantle materials were initially deposited over extensive areas and were stable over a long time period, allowing the deposits to coexist and interact with different processes under very different conditions. The degraded LDA deposits represent the largest unit of modified ice-rich material, with an area of ～15,700 km², and are populated with a range of ring-mold crater morphologies that is interpreted to be related to a degradational sequence between previously described RMC and newly observed RMCs that appear to be more degraded. A distinctive frequency difference in the distribution of normal and degraded RMCs permits an evaluation of different degradation stages of the LDA deposits; we show how an RMC distribution can be used as a key tool for evaluation of altered LDA, LVF and CCF deposits. Taken together, these observations suggest that ice-rich material has played a major role in shaping the present-day landscape in the transition zone between the Elysium Rise and the Utopia Planitia Basin, and they provide a link for understanding Amazonian-aged degradation processes of ice-rich deposits in an area with no significant topographic relief.     

Unusual forms of magnetite in the Orgueil carbonaceous chondrite

Abstract— The Orgueil CI carbonaceous chondrite contains magnetite (Fe₃O₄) that displays a rich and seemingly unique variety of morphologies. While many have already been described, recent images provide far greater definition and, thus, provide more unambiguous identification of trapezohedral crystals and possibly also trisoctahedral forms. Although it is an extremely abundant terrestrial mineral and commonly occurs in well-developed crystals, neither of these forms have been recognized previously from magnetite. The barrel-shaped arrays of magnetite discs (“plaquettes”) are also unique. It appears as if the circumstances for the formation of these unusual crystals were somehow exceptional. Their morphologies and association with sulfates and carbonates suggest an aqueous origin.     

Carbonates in CM chondrites: Complex formational histories and comparison to carbonates in CI chondrites

Abstract– CM chondrites are primitive solar‐system materials that have undergone high degrees of aqueous alteration, resulting in the formation of secondary minerals including carbonates. Two different carbonate minerals (calcite/aragonite and dolomite) together constitute 1.4–2.8 vol% of CM chondrites. In contrast, CI chondrites contain four different carbonate minerals: calcite/aragonite, dolomite, breunnerite, and siderite. CI chondrites have abundant dolomite, a mineral that seems to be absent in the most aqueously altered CM chondrites. In this study, carbonates in seven CM chondrites (Y‐791198, LaPaz Icefield 04796, Cold Bokkeveld, Nogoya, Queen Alexandra Range 93005, Allan Hills 83100, and Meteorite Hills 01070) were studied petrographically and by electron microprobe. The results indicate that carbonate formation in CM chondrites differs from that in CI chondrites and is more complex than previously recognized. Our studies of CM chondrites indicate that (1) carbonates formed on the parent asteroid in an aqueous environment that gradually changed in composition, (2) at some stage, Ca and Mg activities in the environment were high enough to form metastable dolomite, and (3) dolomites disappeared in the most aqueously altered CM chondrites.     

Lava tubes and basaltic caves as astrobiological targets on Earth and Mars: A review

Lava tubes and basaltic caves are common features in volcanic terrains on Earth. Lava tubes and cave-like features have also been identified on Mars based on orbital imagery and remote-sensing data. Caves are unique environments where both secondary mineral precipitation and microbial growth are enhanced by stable physico-chemical conditions. Thus, they represent excellent locations where traces of microbial life, or biosignatures, are formed and preserved in minerals. By analogy with terrestrial caves, caves on Mars may contain a record of secondary mineralization that would inform us on past aqueous activity. They may also represent the best locations to search for biosignatures. The study of caves on Earth can be used to test hypotheses and better understand biogeochemical processes, and the signatures that these processes leave in mineral deposits. Caves may also serve as test beds for the development of exploration strategies and novel technologies for future missions to Mars. Here we review recent evidence for the presence of caves or lava tubes on Mars, as well as the geomicrobiology of lava tubes and basaltic caves on Earth. We also propose future lines of investigation, including exploration strategies and relevant technologies.     

Trace element concentrations in the Mexico‐Belize ejecta layer: A link between the Chicxulub impact and the global Cretaceous‐Paleogene boundary

Abstract— Four exposures of Chicxulub impact ejecta along the Mexico‐Belize border have been sampled and analyzed for major and trace element abundances. The ejecta deposits consist of a lower spheroid bed, containing clay and dolomite spheroids, and an upper diamictite bed with boulders and clasts of limestone and dolomite. The matrix of both beds is composed of clay and micritic dolomite. The rare earth element (REE) compositions in the matrix of both units show strong similarities in concentrations and pattern. Furthermore, the Zr/TiO₂ scatter plot shows a linear correlation indicating one source. These results indicate that the basal spheroid bed has the same source and was generated during the same event as the overlying diamictite bed, which lends support to a single‐impact scenario for the Albion Formation ejecta deposits. The elevated concentrations of non‐meteoritic elements such as Sb, As, U, and Zn in the matrix of the lower spheroid bed are regarded to have been derived from the sedimentary target rocks at the Chicxulub impact site. The positive Eu and Ce anomalies in clay concretion and in the matrix of the lower part of the spheroid bed in Albion Island quarry is probably related to processes involved in the impact, such as high temperature and oxidizing conditions. Analogous trace element anomalies have been reported from the distal Cretaceous‐Paleogene (K/T) boundary clay layer at different sites. Thus, the trace element signals, reported herein, are regarded to support a genetic link between the Chicxulub impact, the ejecta deposits along the Mexico‐Belize border, and the global K/T boundary layer.     

Morphology and geology of the ILD in Capri/Eos Chasma (Mars) from visible and infrared data

Layered deposits have been observed in different locations at the surface of Mars, as crater floors and canyons systems. Their high interest relies in the fact they imply dynamical conditions in their deposition medium. Indeed, in opposition to most of the rocks of the martian surface, which have a volcanic origin, bright layered deposits seems to be sedimentary outcrops.Capri Chasma, a canyon located at the outlet of Valles Marineris, exhibits such deposits called Interior Layered Deposits (ILD). A large array of visible and infrared spacecraft data were used to build a Geographic Information System (GIS). We added HiRiSE images, from the recent MRO mission, which offer a spatial resolution of 25 cm per pixel. It allowed the mapping and the analysis of morphologies in the canyon. We highlighted that the ILD are several kilometers thick and flat-top stratified deposits. They overlap the chaotic floor. They are surrounded and cut by several flow features that imply that liquid water was still acting after the formation of these stratified deposits. The density of crater on the floor of Capri Chasma was quantified. The current topography was aged to 3 Gyr. All these morphological information allow us to suggest a plausible geological history for Capri Chasma. We propose that the Interior Layered Deposits have formed during the Hesperian, during or after the opening of the canyon. Some observations argue that water discharges have happened at several times before and just after the formation of the ILD. Liquid water must have played a major role in the formation of these deposits after 3.5 Gyr, implying that it was present in surface at least locally and temporarily. If this can be applied to ILD in others canyons of Valles Marineris, it would imply that liquid water was stable in surface or sub-surface during the Hesperian. Or in the actual conditions, with a cold and dry martian surface, long-term standing water bodies are not possible. Thus we suggest that either the climate at the Hesperian was cold, but wetter, or as warm as the Noachian climate, what is less likely. Nevertheless, the global climate change which has occurred at the beginning of Mars history may have been later than announced.     

Characterization of halophiles in natural MgSO4 salts and laboratory enrichment samples: Astrobiological implications for Mars

The presence of sulfate salts and limited subsurface water (ice) on Mars suggests that any liquid water on Mars today will occur as (magnesium) sulfate-rich brines in regions containing sources of magnesium and sulfur. The Basque Lakes of British Columbia, Canada, represent a hypersaline terrestrial analogue site, which possesses chemical and physical properties similar to those observed on Mars. The Basque Lakes also contain diverse halophilic organisms representing all three Kingdoms of life, growing in surface and near-subsurface environments. Of interest from an astrobiological perspective, crushed magnesium sulfate samples that were analyzed using a modified Lowry protein assay contained biomass in every crystal inspected, with biomass values from 0.078 to 4.21 mg_biomass/g_salt; average=0.74±0.7 mg_biomass/g_salt. Bacteria and Archaea cells were easily observed even in low-biomass samples using light microscopy, and bacteria trapped within magnesium sulfate crystals were observed using confocal microscopy. Regions within the salt also contained bacterial pigments, e.g., carotenoids, which were separate from the cells, indicating that cell lysis might have occurred during entrapment within the salt matrix. These biosignatures, cells, and any ‘soluble’ organic constituents were primarily found trapped within fluid inclusions or fluid-filled void spaces between intergrown crystals. Diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (reflectance IR) analysis of enrichment cultures, containing cyanobacteria, Archaea, or dissimilatory sulfate-reducing bacteria, highlighted molecular biosignature features between 550-1650 and 2400-3000 cm⁻¹. Spectra from natural salts demonstrated that we can detect biomass within salt crystals using the most sensitive biosignatures, which are the 1530-1570 cm⁻¹, C-N, N-H, -COOH absorptions and the 1030-1050 cm⁻¹ C-OH, C-N, PO₄³⁻ bond features. The lowest detection limit for a biosignature absorption feature using reflectance IR was with a natural sample that possessed 0.78 mg_biomass/g_salt. In a model cell, i.e., a 0.5 by 1 μm bacillus, this biomass value corresponds to approximately 7.8×10⁸ cells/g_salt. Based on its ability to detect biomass entrapped within natural sulfate salts, reflectance IR may make an effective remote-sensing tool for finding enrichments of organic carbon within outcrops and surficial sedimentary deposits on Mars.     

The clay mineralogy of sediments related to the marine Mjølnir impact crater

Abstract— The 40 km diameter Mjølnir Crater is located on the central Barents Sea shelf, north of Norway. It was formed about 142 ± 2.6 Myr ago by the impact of a 1–2 km asteroid into the shallow shelf clays of the Hekkingen Formation and the underlying Triassic to Jurassic sedimentary strata. A core recovered from the central high within the crater contains slump and avalanche deposits from the collapse of the transient crater and central high. These beds are overlain by gravity flow conglomerates, with laminated shales and marls on top. Here, impact and post‐impact deposits in this core are studied with focus on clay mineralogy obtained from XRD decomposition and simulation analysis methods. The clay‐sized fractions are dominated by kaolinite, illite, mixed‐layered clay minerals and quartz. Detailed analyses showed rather similar composition throughout the core, but some noticeable differences were detected, including varying crystal size of kaolinite and different types of illites and illite/smectite. These minerals may have been formed by diagenetic changes in the more porous/fractured beds in the crater compared to time‐equivalent beds outside the crater rim. Long‐term post‐impact changes in clay mineralogy are assumed to have been minor, due to the shallow burial depth and minor thermal influence from impact‐heated target rocks. Instead, the clay mineral assemblages, especially the abundance of chlorite, reflect the impact and post‐impact reworking of older material. Previously, an ejecta layer (the Sindre Bed) was recognized in a nearby well outside the crater, represented by an increase in smectite‐rich clay minerals, genetically equivalent to the smectite occurring in proximal ejecta deposits of the Chicxulub crater. Such alteration products from impact glasses were not detected in this study, indicating that little, if any, impact glass was deposited within the upper part of the crater fill. Crater‐fill deposits inherited their mineral composition from Triassic and Jurassic sediments underlying the impact site.     

Chronostratigraphy,composition, and origin of Ni‐rich spinel from the Late Eocene Fuente Caldera section in Spain: One impact or more?

Abstract— Here we report on the stratigraphic distribution and chemical composition of Ni‐rich spinel, a specific mineral tracer of meteorite impacts, in the Fuente Caldera section in Spain. A major peak in spinel abundance is observed in a biostratigraphic interval defined by the last occurrence of the planktic foraminifera Porticulasphaera semiinvoluta and the first occurrence of the planktic foraminifera Turborotalia cunialensis. Two other peaks of lower abundances are observed higher up in the same biostratigraphic interval, but geochemical considerations suggest that they likely originate from redeposition by turbiditic currents. Biostratigraphic correlations with the global stratotype section and point for the Eocene/Oligocene boundary of Massignano in Italy give an age of 35.4 ± 0.2 Ma (1s?) for the major peak. This age is indistinguishable from the age of the impact horizon at Massignano (35.5 ± 0.2 Ma) and within the age uncertainties for the Popigai (35.7 ± 0.2 Ma) and Chesapeake Bay (35.5 ± 0.5 Ma) craters. The Fuente Caldera spinel, as the Massignano spinel, is assumed to be a relic mineral of microkrystites, which are believed to derive from a unique source related to the Popigai impact crater. The morphologies and Cr compositions of the Fuente Caldera and Massignano spinel crystals are markedly different, however: the Fuente Caldera spinel occurs mostly as octahedral and skeletal crystals with 85% of the grains belonging to the Cr‐rich magnetite series and 15% to the Fe‐rich chromite series, whereas the Massignano spinel occurs mostly as dendritic crystals with 90% of the grains belonging to the Cr‐poor magnetite series. It is unlikely that these differences are the result of post‐depositional alteration processes because the compositions of the crystals, as well as their morphologies, are in general very similar to those reported for primary spinel crystals, i.e., spinel crystals present in meteorite fusion crust or synthetized from meteoritic material. In addition, spinel crystals have quite homogeneous compositions except for a few grains (<10%) showing Cr zonations, but these are assigned to primary crystallization processes. One possible explanation that is consistent with a single impact event producing spatial variations in spinel compositions and morphologies is that microkrystites are locally generated by the ablation in the atmosphere of impact debris. An alternative explanation is that Fuente Caldera and Massignano microkrystites derive from two closely spaced impact events, which however requires another, so‐far unknown source crater for microkrystites.     

Impacts into non-polar ice-rich paleodeposits on Mars: Excess ejecta craters, perched craters and pedestal craters as clues to Amazonian climate history

We compare three previously independently studied crater morphologies - excess ejecta craters, perched craters, and pedestal craters - each of which has been proposed to form from impacts into an ice-rich surface layer. Our analysis identifies the specific similarities and differences between the crater types; the commonalities provide significant evidence for a genetic relationship among the morphologies. We use new surveys of excess ejecta and perched craters in the southern hemisphere in conjunction with prior studies of all of the morphologies to create a comprehensive overview of their geographic distributions and physical characteristics. From these analyses, we conclude that excess ejecta craters and perched craters are likely to have formed from the same mechanism, with excess ejecta craters appearing fresh while perched craters have experienced post-impact modification and infilling. Impacts that led to these two morphologies overwhelmed the ice-rich layer, penetrating into the underlying martian regolith, resulting in the excavation of rock that formed the blocky ejecta necessary to armor the surface and preserve the ice-rich deposits. Pedestal craters, which tend to be smaller in diameter, have the same average deposit thickness as excess ejecta and perched craters, and form in the same geographic regions. They rarely have ejecta around their crater rims, instead exhibiting a smooth pedestal surface. We interpret this to mean that they form from impacts into the same type of ice-rich paleodeposit, but that they do not penetrate through the icy surface layer, and thus do not generate a blocky ejecta covering. Instead, a process related to the impact event appears to produce a thin, indurated surface lag deposit that serves to preserve the ice-rich material. These results provide a new basis to identify the presence of Amazonian non-polar ice-rich deposits, to map their distribution in space and time, and to assess Amazonian climate history. Specifically, the ages, distribution and physical attributes of the crater types suggest that tens to hundreds of meters of ice-rich material has been episodically emplaced at mid latitudes in both hemispheres throughout the Amazonian due to obliquity-driven climate variations. These deposits likely accumulated more frequently in the northern lowlands, resulting in a larger population of all three crater morphologies in the northern hemisphere.     

High‐resolution studies of double‐layered ejecta craters: Morphology,inherent structure,and a phenomenological formation model

The ejecta blankets of impact craters in volatile‐rich environments often possess characteristic layered ejecta morphologies. The so‐called double‐layered ejecta (DLE) craters are characterized by two ejecta layers with distinct morphologies. The analysis of high‐resolution image data, especially HiRISE and CTX, provides new insights into the formation of DLE craters. A new phenomenological excavation and ejecta emplacement model for DLE craters is proposed based on a detailed case study of the Martian crater Steinheim—a well‐preserved DLE crater—and studies of other DLE craters. The observations show that the outer ejecta layer is emplaced as medial and distal ejecta that propagate outwards in a debris avalanche or (if saturated with water) a debris flow mode after landing, overrunning previously formed secondary craters. In contrast, the inner ejecta layer is formed by a translational slide of the proximal ejecta deposits during the emplacement stage that overrun and superimpose parts of the outer ejecta layer. Based on our model, DLE craters on Mars are the result of an impact event into a rock/ice mixture that produces large amounts of shock‐induced vaporization and melting of ground ice, leading to high ejection angles, proximal landing positions, and an ejecta curtain with relatively wet (in terms of water in liquid form) composition in the distal part versus dryer composition in the proximal part. As a consequence, basal melting of ice components in the ejecta at the transient crater rim, which is induced by frictional heating and the enhanced pressure at depth, initiates an outwards directed collapse of crater rim material in a translational slide mode. Our results indicate that similar processes may also be applicable for other planetary bodies with volatile‐rich environments, such as Ganymede, Europa, and the Earth.     

Preservation of Late Amazonian Mars ice and water-related deposits in a unique crater environment in Noachis Terra: Age relationships between lobate debris tongues and gullies

The Amazonian period of Mars has been described as static, cold, and dry. Recent analysis of high-resolution imagery of equatorial and mid-latitude regions has revealed an array of young landforms produced in association with ice and liquid water; because near-surface ice in these regions is currently unstable, these ice-and-water-related landforms suggest one or more episodes of martian climate change during the Amazonian. Here we report on the origin and evolution of valley systems within a degraded crater in Noachis Terra, Asimov Crater. The valleys have produced a unique environment in which to study the geomorphic signals of Amazonian climate change. New high-resolution images reveal Hesperian-aged layered basalt with distinctive columnar jointing capping interior crater fill and providing debris, via mass wasting, for the surrounding annular valleys. The occurrence of steep slopes (>20°), relatively narrow (sheltered) valleys, and a source of debris have provided favorable conditions for the preservation of shallow-ice deposits. Detailed mapping reveals morphological evidence for viscous ice flow, in the form of several lobate debris tongues (LDT). Superimposed on LDT are a series of fresh-appearing gullies, with typical alcove, channel, and fan morphologies. The shift from ice-rich viscous-flow formation to gully erosion is best explained as a shift in martian climate, from one compatible with excess snowfall and flow of ice-rich deposits, to one consistent with minor snow and gully formation. Available dating suggests that the climate transition occurred >8 Ma, prior to the formation of other small-scale ice-rich flow features identified elsewhere on Mars that have been interpreted to have formed during the most recent phases of high obliquity. Taken together, these older deposits suggest that multiple climatic shifts have occurred over the last tens of millions of years of martian history.     

The petrography,mineralogy and origins of calcium sulphate within the Cold Bokkeveld CM carbonaceous chondrite

Abstract— A detailed scanning and transmission electron microscopy study of Cold Bokkeveld has shown that calcium sulphate is widespread, occluding ～30 μm wide matrix-cutting fractures in addition to μm-sized veins and irregular dissolution pores within calcitized chondrules, matrix calcite grains and Ca- and Al-rich inclusions (CAI). The majority of calcium sulphate crystals have fibrous habits, especially those which have grown within straight-sided fractures and veins. Mineralogically, the calcium sulphate is composed of a fine-scale mixture of hemihydrate and anhydrite which have probably formed by the dehydration of primary gypsum during sample preparation. In all contexts, calcium sulphate precipitation was the last identifiable diagenetic event in the pre-terrestrial history of Cold Bokkeveld and followed pervasive aqueous alteration of the meteorite matrix to phyllosilicates. The fibrous fracture- and vein-filling calcium sulphates are morphologically similar to a terrestrial form of gypsum termed “satinspar” and so may have formed in a similar manner by precipitation from supersaturated aqueous solutions during fracture and vein dilation. The aqueous solutions were most probably generated by melting of water ice due to internal heating and/or post-accretional impact heating of the parent body. Although impact-produced fractures and veins may have provided conduits for fluid advection, the dissolution of calcite, alteration of metal sulphides and precipitation of gypsum probably took place when aqueous solutions were more-or-less static. Despite their similarity to late-stage mineralized fractures in CI meteorites, the calcium sulphate-filled fractures in Cold Bokkeveld probably do not have any significance regarding a shared CM-CI parent body.     

VUGS IN ORDINARY CHONDRITES

Large vugs occur in the ordinary chondrite, Farmington. They contain the same phases present in the body of the meteorite, either as vug wall lining or as crystals attached to linings. The morphologies of these phases indicate a history of melting and vapor deposition. These vugs are compared with vugs in the ordinary chondrites, Orvinio and Tadjera, and with published reports of vugs in Rose City and Shaw. It is concluded that although shock events may not cause heating above the liquidus for the body of the meteorite, local pockets of melting and vapor formation do occur due to inhomogenieties in the shock wave pattern. Vugs represent such pockets. Vug formation, as a consequence of shock processing, is widespread among ordinary chondrites and shows no correlation with the average temperature of shock heating, subsequent average cooling rate (as indicated by metallurgical criteria), or blackening of body color.