Mineralogy, chemistry and biological contingents of an early-middle Miocene Antarctic paleosol and its relevance as a Martian analogue
Fossil mesofauna and bacteria recovered from a paleosol in a moraine situated adjacent to the inland ice, Antarctica, and dating to the earliest glacial event in the Antarctic Dry Valleys opens several questions. The most important relates to understanding of the mineralogy and chemistry of the weat...
Published in: | Planetary and Space Science |
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2014
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Online Access: | https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/publications/mineralogy-chemistry-and-biological-contingents-of-an-earlymiddle-miocene-antarctic-paleosol-and-its-relevance-as-a-martian-analogue(c4679fbd-2fb8-4f6d-a13a-1ad8c906397c).html https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pss.2014.10.008 http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84915817546&partnerID=8YFLogxK |
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ftqueensubelpubl:oai:pure.qub.ac.uk/portal:publications/c4679fbd-2fb8-4f6d-a13a-1ad8c906397c 2023-05-15T13:39:42+02:00 Mineralogy, chemistry and biological contingents of an early-middle Miocene Antarctic paleosol and its relevance as a Martian analogue Mahaney, William C. Dohm, James M. Schwartz, Stephane Findling, Nathaniel Hart, Kris M. Conway, Susan J. Allen, Christopher C R Miyamoto, Hideaki Fairén, Alberto G. 2014-12-01 https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/publications/mineralogy-chemistry-and-biological-contingents-of-an-earlymiddle-miocene-antarctic-paleosol-and-its-relevance-as-a-martian-analogue(c4679fbd-2fb8-4f6d-a13a-1ad8c906397c).html https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pss.2014.10.008 http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84915817546&partnerID=8YFLogxK eng eng info:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccess Mahaney , W C , Dohm , J M , Schwartz , S , Findling , N , Hart , K M , Conway , S J , Allen , C C R , Miyamoto , H & Fairén , A G 2014 , ' Mineralogy, chemistry and biological contingents of an early-middle Miocene Antarctic paleosol and its relevance as a Martian analogue ' , Planetary and Space Science , vol. 104 , no. B , pp. 253-269 . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pss.2014.10.008 Alpine glaciation in Antarctica Antarctic paleosols Coprates rise Habitability Mars Miocene bacteria and mesofauna Mountain ranges Paleoclimate Periglacial and glacial environments of Mars Thaumasia highlands /dk/atira/pure/subjectarea/asjc/1900/1912 Space and Planetary Science /dk/atira/pure/subjectarea/asjc/3100/3103 Astronomy and Astrophysics /dk/atira/pure/sustainabledevelopmentgoals/good_health_and_well_being SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being article 2014 ftqueensubelpubl https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pss.2014.10.008 2022-02-09T22:19:06Z Fossil mesofauna and bacteria recovered from a paleosol in a moraine situated adjacent to the inland ice, Antarctica, and dating to the earliest glacial event in the Antarctic Dry Valleys opens several questions. The most important relates to understanding of the mineralogy and chemistry of the weathered substrate habitat in which Coleoptera apparently thrived at some point in the Early/Middle Miocene and perhaps earlier. Here, Coleoptera remains are only located in one of six horizons in a paleosol formed in moraine deposited during the alpine glacial event (> 15 Ma). A tendency for quartz to decrease upward in the section may be a detrital effect or a product of dissolution in the early stage of profile morphogenesis when climate was presumably milder and the depositing glacier of temperate type. Discontinuous distributions of smectite, laumontite, and hexahydrite may have provided nutrients and water to mesofauna and bacteria during the early stage of biotic colonization of the profile. Because the mesofauna were members of burrowing Coleoptera species, future work should assess the degree to which the organisms occupied other sites in the Dry Valleys in the past. Whereas there is no reasonable expectations of finding Coleoptera/insect remains on Mars, the chemistry and mineralogy of the paleosol is within a life expectancy window for the presence of microorganisms, principally bacteria and fungi. Thus, parameters discussed here within this Antarctic paleosol could provide an analogue to identifying similar fossil or life-bearing weathered regolith on Mars. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica Queen's University Belfast Research Portal Antarctic The Antarctic Planetary and Space Science 104 253 269 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Queen's University Belfast Research Portal |
op_collection_id |
ftqueensubelpubl |
language |
English |
topic |
Alpine glaciation in Antarctica Antarctic paleosols Coprates rise Habitability Mars Miocene bacteria and mesofauna Mountain ranges Paleoclimate Periglacial and glacial environments of Mars Thaumasia highlands /dk/atira/pure/subjectarea/asjc/1900/1912 Space and Planetary Science /dk/atira/pure/subjectarea/asjc/3100/3103 Astronomy and Astrophysics /dk/atira/pure/sustainabledevelopmentgoals/good_health_and_well_being SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being |
spellingShingle |
Alpine glaciation in Antarctica Antarctic paleosols Coprates rise Habitability Mars Miocene bacteria and mesofauna Mountain ranges Paleoclimate Periglacial and glacial environments of Mars Thaumasia highlands /dk/atira/pure/subjectarea/asjc/1900/1912 Space and Planetary Science /dk/atira/pure/subjectarea/asjc/3100/3103 Astronomy and Astrophysics /dk/atira/pure/sustainabledevelopmentgoals/good_health_and_well_being SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being Mahaney, William C. Dohm, James M. Schwartz, Stephane Findling, Nathaniel Hart, Kris M. Conway, Susan J. Allen, Christopher C R Miyamoto, Hideaki Fairén, Alberto G. Mineralogy, chemistry and biological contingents of an early-middle Miocene Antarctic paleosol and its relevance as a Martian analogue |
topic_facet |
Alpine glaciation in Antarctica Antarctic paleosols Coprates rise Habitability Mars Miocene bacteria and mesofauna Mountain ranges Paleoclimate Periglacial and glacial environments of Mars Thaumasia highlands /dk/atira/pure/subjectarea/asjc/1900/1912 Space and Planetary Science /dk/atira/pure/subjectarea/asjc/3100/3103 Astronomy and Astrophysics /dk/atira/pure/sustainabledevelopmentgoals/good_health_and_well_being SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being |
description |
Fossil mesofauna and bacteria recovered from a paleosol in a moraine situated adjacent to the inland ice, Antarctica, and dating to the earliest glacial event in the Antarctic Dry Valleys opens several questions. The most important relates to understanding of the mineralogy and chemistry of the weathered substrate habitat in which Coleoptera apparently thrived at some point in the Early/Middle Miocene and perhaps earlier. Here, Coleoptera remains are only located in one of six horizons in a paleosol formed in moraine deposited during the alpine glacial event (> 15 Ma). A tendency for quartz to decrease upward in the section may be a detrital effect or a product of dissolution in the early stage of profile morphogenesis when climate was presumably milder and the depositing glacier of temperate type. Discontinuous distributions of smectite, laumontite, and hexahydrite may have provided nutrients and water to mesofauna and bacteria during the early stage of biotic colonization of the profile. Because the mesofauna were members of burrowing Coleoptera species, future work should assess the degree to which the organisms occupied other sites in the Dry Valleys in the past. Whereas there is no reasonable expectations of finding Coleoptera/insect remains on Mars, the chemistry and mineralogy of the paleosol is within a life expectancy window for the presence of microorganisms, principally bacteria and fungi. Thus, parameters discussed here within this Antarctic paleosol could provide an analogue to identifying similar fossil or life-bearing weathered regolith on Mars. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Mahaney, William C. Dohm, James M. Schwartz, Stephane Findling, Nathaniel Hart, Kris M. Conway, Susan J. Allen, Christopher C R Miyamoto, Hideaki Fairén, Alberto G. |
author_facet |
Mahaney, William C. Dohm, James M. Schwartz, Stephane Findling, Nathaniel Hart, Kris M. Conway, Susan J. Allen, Christopher C R Miyamoto, Hideaki Fairén, Alberto G. |
author_sort |
Mahaney, William C. |
title |
Mineralogy, chemistry and biological contingents of an early-middle Miocene Antarctic paleosol and its relevance as a Martian analogue |
title_short |
Mineralogy, chemistry and biological contingents of an early-middle Miocene Antarctic paleosol and its relevance as a Martian analogue |
title_full |
Mineralogy, chemistry and biological contingents of an early-middle Miocene Antarctic paleosol and its relevance as a Martian analogue |
title_fullStr |
Mineralogy, chemistry and biological contingents of an early-middle Miocene Antarctic paleosol and its relevance as a Martian analogue |
title_full_unstemmed |
Mineralogy, chemistry and biological contingents of an early-middle Miocene Antarctic paleosol and its relevance as a Martian analogue |
title_sort |
mineralogy, chemistry and biological contingents of an early-middle miocene antarctic paleosol and its relevance as a martian analogue |
publishDate |
2014 |
url |
https://pure.qub.ac.uk/en/publications/mineralogy-chemistry-and-biological-contingents-of-an-earlymiddle-miocene-antarctic-paleosol-and-its-relevance-as-a-martian-analogue(c4679fbd-2fb8-4f6d-a13a-1ad8c906397c).html https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pss.2014.10.008 http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84915817546&partnerID=8YFLogxK |
geographic |
Antarctic The Antarctic |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic The Antarctic |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica |
op_source |
Mahaney , W C , Dohm , J M , Schwartz , S , Findling , N , Hart , K M , Conway , S J , Allen , C C R , Miyamoto , H & Fairén , A G 2014 , ' Mineralogy, chemistry and biological contingents of an early-middle Miocene Antarctic paleosol and its relevance as a Martian analogue ' , Planetary and Space Science , vol. 104 , no. B , pp. 253-269 . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pss.2014.10.008 |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccess |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pss.2014.10.008 |
container_title |
Planetary and Space Science |
container_volume |
104 |
container_start_page |
253 |
op_container_end_page |
269 |
_version_ |
1766122356946763776 |