Microbial Preservation in Sulfates in the Haughton Impact Structure Suggests Target in Search for Life on Mars
Microbes in Haughton Crater Sulfates: Impact craters are of high interest in planetary exploration because they are viewed as possible sites for evidence of life [1]. Hydrothermal systems in craters are particularly regarded as sites where primitive life could evolve. Evidence from the Miocene Haugh...
Main Authors: | , , , |
---|---|
Format: | Other/Unknown Material |
Language: | unknown |
Published: |
2005
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/2060/20050173938 |
id |
ftnasantrs:oai:casi.ntrs.nasa.gov:20050173938 |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
ftnasantrs:oai:casi.ntrs.nasa.gov:20050173938 2023-05-15T15:17:44+02:00 Microbial Preservation in Sulfates in the Haughton Impact Structure Suggests Target in Search for Life on Mars Osinski, G. R. Cockell, C. S. Lee, P. Parnell, J. Unclassified, Unlimited, Publicly available [2005] application/pdf http://hdl.handle.net/2060/20050173938 unknown Document ID: 20050173938 http://hdl.handle.net/2060/20050173938 Copyright, Distribution under U.S. Government purpose rights CASI Lunar and Planetary Science and Exploration Lunar and Planetary Science XXXVI, Part 16; LPI-Contrib-1234-Pt-16 2005 ftnasantrs 2019-08-31T23:04:36Z Microbes in Haughton Crater Sulfates: Impact craters are of high interest in planetary exploration because they are viewed as possible sites for evidence of life [1]. Hydrothermal systems in craters are particularly regarded as sites where primitive life could evolve. Evidence from the Miocene Haughton impact structure shows that crater hydrothermal deposits may also be a preferred site for subsequent colonization and hence possible extant life: Hydrothermal sulfates at Haughton are colonized by viable cyanobacteria [2]. The Haughton impact structure, Devon Island, Canadian High Arctic, is a 24 km-diameter crater of mid-Tertiary age. The structure preserves an exceptional record of impact-induced hydrothermal activity, including sulfide, and sulfate mineralization [3]. The target rocks excavated at the site included massive gypsum-bearing carbonate rocks of Ordovician age. Impact-remobilized sulfates occur as metre-scale masses of intergrown crystals of the clear form of gypsum selenite in veins and cavity fillings within the crater s impact melt breccia deposits [4]. The selenite is part of the hydrothermal assemblage as it was precipitated by cooling hot waters that were circulating as a result of the impact. Remobilization of the sulfate continues to the present day, such that it occurs in soil crusts (Fig. 1) including sandy beds with a gypsum cement. The sulfate-cemented beds make an interesting comparison with the sulfate-bearing sandy beds encountered by the Opportunity MER [5]. The selenite crystals are up to 0.3 m in width, of high purity, and transparent. They locally exhibit frayed margins where cleavage surfaces have separated. This exfoliation may be a response to freeze-thaw weathering. The selenite contains traces of rock detritus, newly precipitated gypsum, and microbial colonies. The rock detritus consists of sediment particles which penetrated the opened cleavages by up to 2cm from the crystal margins. Some of the detritus is cemented into place by gypsum, which must have been dissolved and reprecipitated from the host selenite. Other/Unknown Material Arctic Devon Island NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS) Arctic Devon Island ENVELOPE(-88.000,-88.000,75.252,75.252) |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS) |
op_collection_id |
ftnasantrs |
language |
unknown |
topic |
Lunar and Planetary Science and Exploration |
spellingShingle |
Lunar and Planetary Science and Exploration Osinski, G. R. Cockell, C. S. Lee, P. Parnell, J. Microbial Preservation in Sulfates in the Haughton Impact Structure Suggests Target in Search for Life on Mars |
topic_facet |
Lunar and Planetary Science and Exploration |
description |
Microbes in Haughton Crater Sulfates: Impact craters are of high interest in planetary exploration because they are viewed as possible sites for evidence of life [1]. Hydrothermal systems in craters are particularly regarded as sites where primitive life could evolve. Evidence from the Miocene Haughton impact structure shows that crater hydrothermal deposits may also be a preferred site for subsequent colonization and hence possible extant life: Hydrothermal sulfates at Haughton are colonized by viable cyanobacteria [2]. The Haughton impact structure, Devon Island, Canadian High Arctic, is a 24 km-diameter crater of mid-Tertiary age. The structure preserves an exceptional record of impact-induced hydrothermal activity, including sulfide, and sulfate mineralization [3]. The target rocks excavated at the site included massive gypsum-bearing carbonate rocks of Ordovician age. Impact-remobilized sulfates occur as metre-scale masses of intergrown crystals of the clear form of gypsum selenite in veins and cavity fillings within the crater s impact melt breccia deposits [4]. The selenite is part of the hydrothermal assemblage as it was precipitated by cooling hot waters that were circulating as a result of the impact. Remobilization of the sulfate continues to the present day, such that it occurs in soil crusts (Fig. 1) including sandy beds with a gypsum cement. The sulfate-cemented beds make an interesting comparison with the sulfate-bearing sandy beds encountered by the Opportunity MER [5]. The selenite crystals are up to 0.3 m in width, of high purity, and transparent. They locally exhibit frayed margins where cleavage surfaces have separated. This exfoliation may be a response to freeze-thaw weathering. The selenite contains traces of rock detritus, newly precipitated gypsum, and microbial colonies. The rock detritus consists of sediment particles which penetrated the opened cleavages by up to 2cm from the crystal margins. Some of the detritus is cemented into place by gypsum, which must have been dissolved and reprecipitated from the host selenite. |
format |
Other/Unknown Material |
author |
Osinski, G. R. Cockell, C. S. Lee, P. Parnell, J. |
author_facet |
Osinski, G. R. Cockell, C. S. Lee, P. Parnell, J. |
author_sort |
Osinski, G. R. |
title |
Microbial Preservation in Sulfates in the Haughton Impact Structure Suggests Target in Search for Life on Mars |
title_short |
Microbial Preservation in Sulfates in the Haughton Impact Structure Suggests Target in Search for Life on Mars |
title_full |
Microbial Preservation in Sulfates in the Haughton Impact Structure Suggests Target in Search for Life on Mars |
title_fullStr |
Microbial Preservation in Sulfates in the Haughton Impact Structure Suggests Target in Search for Life on Mars |
title_full_unstemmed |
Microbial Preservation in Sulfates in the Haughton Impact Structure Suggests Target in Search for Life on Mars |
title_sort |
microbial preservation in sulfates in the haughton impact structure suggests target in search for life on mars |
publishDate |
2005 |
url |
http://hdl.handle.net/2060/20050173938 |
op_coverage |
Unclassified, Unlimited, Publicly available |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-88.000,-88.000,75.252,75.252) |
geographic |
Arctic Devon Island |
geographic_facet |
Arctic Devon Island |
genre |
Arctic Devon Island |
genre_facet |
Arctic Devon Island |
op_source |
CASI |
op_relation |
Document ID: 20050173938 http://hdl.handle.net/2060/20050173938 |
op_rights |
Copyright, Distribution under U.S. Government purpose rights |
_version_ |
1766347981076824064 |