Geochemical modeling of evaporation processes on Mars: Insight from the sedimentary record at Meridiani Planum

New data returned from the Mars Exploration Rover (MER) mission have revealed abundant evaporites in the sedimentary record at Meridiani Planum. A working hypothesis for Meridiani evaporite formation involves the evaporation of fluids derived from the weathering of martian basalt and subsequent diagenesis. On Earth, evaporite formation in exclusively basaltic settings is rare. However, models of the evaporation of fluids derived from experimentally weathering synthetic martian basalt provide insight into possible formation mechanisms. The thermodynamic database assembled for this investigation includes both Fe²⁺ and Fe³⁺ in Pitzer's ion interaction equations to evaluate Fe redox disequilibrium at Meridiani Planum. Modeling results suggest that evaporation of acidic fluids derived from weathering olivine-bearing basalt should produce Mg, Ca, and Fe-sulfates such as jarosite and melanterite. Calculations that model diagenesis by fluid recharge predict the eventual breakdown of jarosite to goethite as well as the preservation of much of the initial soluble evaporite component at modeled porosity values appropriate for relevant depositional environments (< 0.30). While only one of several possible formation scenarios, this simple model is consistent with much of the chemical and mineralogical data obtained on Meridiani Planum outcrop.     

The stratospheric sulfate aerosol layer: Processes,models, observations,and simulations

After briefly reviewing the observational data on the stratospheric sulfate aerosol layer, the chemical and physical processes that are likely to fix the properties of the layer are discussed. We present appropriate continuity equations for aerosol particles, and show how to solve the equations on a digital computer. Simulations of the unperturbed aerosol layer by various published models are discussed and the sensitivity of layer characteristics to variations in several aerosol model parameters is studied. We discuss model applications to anthropogenic pollution problems and demonstrate that moderate levels of aerospace activity (supersonic transport and space shuttle operations) will probably have only a negligible effect on global climate. Finally, we evaluate the possible climatic effect of a ten-fold increase in the atmospheric abundance of carbonyl sulfide.     

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.     

东天山红山高硫型浅成低温铜-金矿床：中生代成矿与新生代氧化的K-Ar、Ar-Ar年代学证据及其古构造和古气候意义

红山铜-金矿床位于新疆吐哈盆地南缘大南湖-突苏泉晚古生代岛弧带北段的中生代上叠火山盆地中,产于卡拉塔格铜-金矿带上,是新疆近年新发现的具大型远景的高硫化物型浅成低温热液铜-金矿床。铜-金成矿作用与中生代的火山活动及次火山岩侵入相关。该矿床处于东天山极端干旱荒漠地带,是东天山最炎热的地区之一,最高温度达到60℃,降水量平均只有34.1mm/y。干旱少雨和极大的蒸发作用造成氧化带极其发育,厚达50m~60m,由一系列复杂罕见的硫酸盐矿物组成。通过对红山铜-金矿床中石英闪长岩—黑云母花岗岩—二长花岗岩中角闪石、黑云母的K-Ar年龄测定,其年龄分别为296.5±6.7Ma、232.0±3.5Ma和217.10±6.4Ma,其中黑云母花岗岩的黑云母Ar-Ar年龄为238.0±2.4Ma,相当于晚石炭世末-三叠纪。并且由于含矿火山岩含有花岗岩的角砾,表明与成矿有关的岩浆活动晚于上述花岗岩,应为中生代的产物。区域上,三亚、白石泉花岗岩、红柳构花岗岩年龄以及白山钼矿的辉钼矿Re-Os年龄均为三叠纪,表明东天山地区存在中生代成岩成矿事件。对红山矿区氧化带三种含钾硫酸盐矿物进行了K-Ar年龄测试,结果显示现今地表以下1m的绿钾铁矾K-Ar年龄为56.0±4.0Ma,地表以下1.5m的高铁叶绿矾的K-Ar年龄为8.6±1.1Ma,地表以下10m的绿钾铁矾K-Ar年龄为14.7±1.7Ma,地表以下14m的斜钾铁矾K-Ar年龄为4.1±0.4Ma。因此推测红山矿床氧化带不同硫酸盐矿物的表生年龄分布在60~3.7Ma之间。不同类型矿床的氧化带年龄亦表明氧化带氧化作用主要发生在新生代。所获得的氧化带年龄与印度—亚洲大陆碰撞及随后青藏高原的多期幕式隆升时限具有较好的对应关系,可能是青藏高原碰撞隆升远程效应的表现和记录。同时,本研究初步提出使用不同种类硫酸盐矿物作为气候变化指标的可能,对于新生代以来PETM等事件研究具有借鉴意义。     

一种改进的硫酸盐硫同位素制样方法

硫酸盐-氧化亚铜-石英砂直接热解法需要设置分离SO₂、H₂O和CO₂的冷阱。研究表明H₂O和CO₂主要来自试剂石英砂的气液包裹体。采取石英砂预处理措施能大大减少制样过程引入的H₂O和CO₂。改进后的制样系统简单、易操作,且与硫化物同位素样品制备兼容。     

Mineralogical and chemical characterization of wastes from the sulfuric acid industry in Falun, Sweden

 Wastes from the sulfuric acid industry are an environmental concern, because of the emission of acids, heavy metals, and sulfate to the environment. The wastes in Falun consist of 70–80% iron oxides, 10–20% silicates, less than 10% residual sulfides, and small amounts of secondary precipitates (iron hydroxides and Fe-, Zn- and Cu-sulfates). Due to the different behavior of sulfides during the roasting process, pyrrhotite and sphalerite are the major sulfide residues associated with lesser amounts of pyrite, chalcopyrite, and galena. The leachates are low-pH and enriched in Zn, Fe, and SO₄. The acid ferric Fe-rich solution promotes the dissolution of sphalerite and favors the formation of Pb-sulfate coatings on galena, providing an armoring effect which slows down the further oxidation of the galena. The residual sulfides are the potential source for acid generation and metal release. During the roasting process, iron oxides retain small amounts of sulfur and sphalerite forms alteration rims containing Zn-oxides. The iron oxides and Zn-oxides are important contributors to SO₄ and Zn in the leachates. The conditions in the waste deposit are favorable for the precipitation of Zn-, Cu-Fe-sulfates (e.g. gunningite, chalcanthite, Zn-copiapite). The highly soluble sulfates play important roles in controlling the concentrations of Cd, Cu, Fe, Zn, and SO₄ in the leachates. The mineralogical and geochemical data help to develop the reclamation strategies of this type of industrial wastes. Received: 26 April 1996 · Accepted: 27 July 1996