DataSheet1_Sulfur- and Iron-Rich Mineralogical Features Preserved in Permafrost in the Canadian High Arctic: Analogs for the Astrobiological Exploration of Mars.docx
Elliptical sulfate-rich features, stained red by the presence of iron oxides, are set within permafrost and carbonate rock at Borup Fiord Pass in the Canadian High Arctic. These features, which vary in diameter from ∼0.5 to 3 m, exhibit the co-localization of sulfur (S) and iron (Fe) minerals, with...
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ftfrontimediafig:oai:figshare.com:article/19530931 2023-05-15T14:55:40+02:00 DataSheet1_Sulfur- and Iron-Rich Mineralogical Features Preserved in Permafrost in the Canadian High Arctic: Analogs for the Astrobiological Exploration of Mars.docx Graham E. Lau Christopher B. Trivedi Stephen E. Grasby John R. Spear Julie Cosmidis Alexis S. Templeton 2022-04-07T04:10:45Z https://doi.org/10.3389/fspas.2022.825019.s001 https://figshare.com/articles/dataset/DataSheet1_Sulfur-_and_Iron-Rich_Mineralogical_Features_Preserved_in_Permafrost_in_the_Canadian_High_Arctic_Analogs_for_the_Astrobiological_Exploration_of_Mars_docx/19530931 unknown doi:10.3389/fspas.2022.825019.s001 https://figshare.com/articles/dataset/DataSheet1_Sulfur-_and_Iron-Rich_Mineralogical_Features_Preserved_in_Permafrost_in_the_Canadian_High_Arctic_Analogs_for_the_Astrobiological_Exploration_of_Mars_docx/19530931 CC BY 4.0 CC-BY Stellar Astronomy Cosmology Astrophysics Planetary Science Solar System Solar Physics Planets and Exoplanets Space Science High Energy Astrophysics Cosmic Rays Space and Solar Physics Astronomical and Space Sciences not elsewhere classified sulfur minerals pyrite alteration gossan Arctic Mars astrobiological Dataset 2022 ftfrontimediafig https://doi.org/10.3389/fspas.2022.825019.s001 2022-04-13T23:10:55Z Elliptical sulfate-rich features, stained red by the presence of iron oxides, are set within permafrost and carbonate rock at Borup Fiord Pass in the Canadian High Arctic. These features, which vary in diameter from ∼0.5 to 3 m, exhibit the co-localization of sulfur (S) and iron (Fe) minerals, with S and Fe both preserved in multiple oxidation states. Through application of x-ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman microspectroscopy, we find that these features appear to encapsulate central cores with abundant pyrite while S 0 , gypsum, and iron-bearing secondary minerals such as jarosite, goethite, and hematite have formed from oxidative weathering of the pyrite. These features appear similar to terrestrial gossans, mineral features representative of weathered sulfide ores in the near-surface. We use Raman microspectroscopy and scanning transmission x-ray microscopy (STXM) to show that organic carbon is associated with the minerals within these features. The origin of this carbon remains enigmatic; however, we consider the possibility that this carbon, along with etching of the pyrite grains and accumulation of encrusted filaments detected in the features, may be indicative of preserved biological activity during alteration of the pyrite. We also consider how such geological sulfide emplacements and their weathered surface expressions may provide a target for future surface and remote sensing studies of Mars and in the search for extraterrestrial life. Dataset Arctic permafrost Frontiers: Figshare Arctic Borup Fiord ENVELOPE(-83.415,-83.415,80.619,80.619) |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Frontiers: Figshare |
op_collection_id |
ftfrontimediafig |
language |
unknown |
topic |
Stellar Astronomy Cosmology Astrophysics Planetary Science Solar System Solar Physics Planets and Exoplanets Space Science High Energy Astrophysics Cosmic Rays Space and Solar Physics Astronomical and Space Sciences not elsewhere classified sulfur minerals pyrite alteration gossan Arctic Mars astrobiological |
spellingShingle |
Stellar Astronomy Cosmology Astrophysics Planetary Science Solar System Solar Physics Planets and Exoplanets Space Science High Energy Astrophysics Cosmic Rays Space and Solar Physics Astronomical and Space Sciences not elsewhere classified sulfur minerals pyrite alteration gossan Arctic Mars astrobiological Graham E. Lau Christopher B. Trivedi Stephen E. Grasby John R. Spear Julie Cosmidis Alexis S. Templeton DataSheet1_Sulfur- and Iron-Rich Mineralogical Features Preserved in Permafrost in the Canadian High Arctic: Analogs for the Astrobiological Exploration of Mars.docx |
topic_facet |
Stellar Astronomy Cosmology Astrophysics Planetary Science Solar System Solar Physics Planets and Exoplanets Space Science High Energy Astrophysics Cosmic Rays Space and Solar Physics Astronomical and Space Sciences not elsewhere classified sulfur minerals pyrite alteration gossan Arctic Mars astrobiological |
description |
Elliptical sulfate-rich features, stained red by the presence of iron oxides, are set within permafrost and carbonate rock at Borup Fiord Pass in the Canadian High Arctic. These features, which vary in diameter from ∼0.5 to 3 m, exhibit the co-localization of sulfur (S) and iron (Fe) minerals, with S and Fe both preserved in multiple oxidation states. Through application of x-ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman microspectroscopy, we find that these features appear to encapsulate central cores with abundant pyrite while S 0 , gypsum, and iron-bearing secondary minerals such as jarosite, goethite, and hematite have formed from oxidative weathering of the pyrite. These features appear similar to terrestrial gossans, mineral features representative of weathered sulfide ores in the near-surface. We use Raman microspectroscopy and scanning transmission x-ray microscopy (STXM) to show that organic carbon is associated with the minerals within these features. The origin of this carbon remains enigmatic; however, we consider the possibility that this carbon, along with etching of the pyrite grains and accumulation of encrusted filaments detected in the features, may be indicative of preserved biological activity during alteration of the pyrite. We also consider how such geological sulfide emplacements and their weathered surface expressions may provide a target for future surface and remote sensing studies of Mars and in the search for extraterrestrial life. |
format |
Dataset |
author |
Graham E. Lau Christopher B. Trivedi Stephen E. Grasby John R. Spear Julie Cosmidis Alexis S. Templeton |
author_facet |
Graham E. Lau Christopher B. Trivedi Stephen E. Grasby John R. Spear Julie Cosmidis Alexis S. Templeton |
author_sort |
Graham E. Lau |
title |
DataSheet1_Sulfur- and Iron-Rich Mineralogical Features Preserved in Permafrost in the Canadian High Arctic: Analogs for the Astrobiological Exploration of Mars.docx |
title_short |
DataSheet1_Sulfur- and Iron-Rich Mineralogical Features Preserved in Permafrost in the Canadian High Arctic: Analogs for the Astrobiological Exploration of Mars.docx |
title_full |
DataSheet1_Sulfur- and Iron-Rich Mineralogical Features Preserved in Permafrost in the Canadian High Arctic: Analogs for the Astrobiological Exploration of Mars.docx |
title_fullStr |
DataSheet1_Sulfur- and Iron-Rich Mineralogical Features Preserved in Permafrost in the Canadian High Arctic: Analogs for the Astrobiological Exploration of Mars.docx |
title_full_unstemmed |
DataSheet1_Sulfur- and Iron-Rich Mineralogical Features Preserved in Permafrost in the Canadian High Arctic: Analogs for the Astrobiological Exploration of Mars.docx |
title_sort |
datasheet1_sulfur- and iron-rich mineralogical features preserved in permafrost in the canadian high arctic: analogs for the astrobiological exploration of mars.docx |
publishDate |
2022 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.3389/fspas.2022.825019.s001 https://figshare.com/articles/dataset/DataSheet1_Sulfur-_and_Iron-Rich_Mineralogical_Features_Preserved_in_Permafrost_in_the_Canadian_High_Arctic_Analogs_for_the_Astrobiological_Exploration_of_Mars_docx/19530931 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-83.415,-83.415,80.619,80.619) |
geographic |
Arctic Borup Fiord |
geographic_facet |
Arctic Borup Fiord |
genre |
Arctic permafrost |
genre_facet |
Arctic permafrost |
op_relation |
doi:10.3389/fspas.2022.825019.s001 https://figshare.com/articles/dataset/DataSheet1_Sulfur-_and_Iron-Rich_Mineralogical_Features_Preserved_in_Permafrost_in_the_Canadian_High_Arctic_Analogs_for_the_Astrobiological_Exploration_of_Mars_docx/19530931 |
op_rights |
CC BY 4.0 |
op_rightsnorm |
CC-BY |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.3389/fspas.2022.825019.s001 |
_version_ |
1766327694636613632 |