Impact-generated endolithic habitat within crystalline rocks of the haughton impact structure, Devon Island, Canada
The colonization of rocks by endolithic communities is an advantageous trait, especially in environments such as hot or cold deserts, where large temperature ranges, low water availability, and high-intensity ultraviolet radiation pose a significant challenge to survival and growth. On Mars, similar...
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Mary Ann Liebert
2014
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ftunivqespace:oai:espace.library.uq.edu.au:UQ:333839 2023-05-15T16:00:46+02:00 Impact-generated endolithic habitat within crystalline rocks of the haughton impact structure, Devon Island, Canada Pontefract, Alexandra Osinski, Gordon R. Cockell, Charles S. Moore, Casey A. Moores, John E. Southam, Gordon 2014-06-01 https://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:333839 eng eng Mary Ann Liebert doi:10.1089/ast.2013.1100 issn:1531-1074 issn:1557-8070 orcid:0000-0002-8941-1249 Not set Endoliths Gneiss ; Impact cratering 1101 Agricultural and Biological Sciences (miscellaneous) 1912 Space and Planetary Science Journal Article 2014 ftunivqespace https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2013.1100 2020-12-15T01:43:34Z The colonization of rocks by endolithic communities is an advantageous trait, especially in environments such as hot or cold deserts, where large temperature ranges, low water availability, and high-intensity ultraviolet radiation pose a significant challenge to survival and growth. On Mars, similar conditions (albeit more extreme) prevail. In these environments, meteorite impact structures could provide refuge for endolithic organisms. Though initially detrimental to biology, an impact event into a rocky body can favorably change the availability and habitability of a substrate for endolithic organisms, which are then able to (re)colonize microfractures and pore spaces created during the impact. Here, we show how shocked gneisses from the Haughton impact structure, Devon Island, Canada, offer significant refuge for endolithic communities. A total of 28 gneiss samples representing a range of shock states were analyzed, collected from in situ, stable field locations. For each sample, the top centimeter of rock was examined with confocal scanning laser microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and bright-field microscopy to investigate the relationship of biomass with shock level, which was found to correlate generally with increased shock state and particularly with increased porosity. We found that gneisses, which experienced pressures between 35 and 60 GPa, provide the most ideal habitat for endolithic organisms. Article in Journal/Newspaper Devon Island The University of Queensland: UQ eSpace Canada Devon Island ENVELOPE(-88.000,-88.000,75.252,75.252) Astrobiology 14 6 522 533 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
The University of Queensland: UQ eSpace |
op_collection_id |
ftunivqespace |
language |
English |
topic |
Endoliths Gneiss ; Impact cratering 1101 Agricultural and Biological Sciences (miscellaneous) 1912 Space and Planetary Science |
spellingShingle |
Endoliths Gneiss ; Impact cratering 1101 Agricultural and Biological Sciences (miscellaneous) 1912 Space and Planetary Science Pontefract, Alexandra Osinski, Gordon R. Cockell, Charles S. Moore, Casey A. Moores, John E. Southam, Gordon Impact-generated endolithic habitat within crystalline rocks of the haughton impact structure, Devon Island, Canada |
topic_facet |
Endoliths Gneiss ; Impact cratering 1101 Agricultural and Biological Sciences (miscellaneous) 1912 Space and Planetary Science |
description |
The colonization of rocks by endolithic communities is an advantageous trait, especially in environments such as hot or cold deserts, where large temperature ranges, low water availability, and high-intensity ultraviolet radiation pose a significant challenge to survival and growth. On Mars, similar conditions (albeit more extreme) prevail. In these environments, meteorite impact structures could provide refuge for endolithic organisms. Though initially detrimental to biology, an impact event into a rocky body can favorably change the availability and habitability of a substrate for endolithic organisms, which are then able to (re)colonize microfractures and pore spaces created during the impact. Here, we show how shocked gneisses from the Haughton impact structure, Devon Island, Canada, offer significant refuge for endolithic communities. A total of 28 gneiss samples representing a range of shock states were analyzed, collected from in situ, stable field locations. For each sample, the top centimeter of rock was examined with confocal scanning laser microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and bright-field microscopy to investigate the relationship of biomass with shock level, which was found to correlate generally with increased shock state and particularly with increased porosity. We found that gneisses, which experienced pressures between 35 and 60 GPa, provide the most ideal habitat for endolithic organisms. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Pontefract, Alexandra Osinski, Gordon R. Cockell, Charles S. Moore, Casey A. Moores, John E. Southam, Gordon |
author_facet |
Pontefract, Alexandra Osinski, Gordon R. Cockell, Charles S. Moore, Casey A. Moores, John E. Southam, Gordon |
author_sort |
Pontefract, Alexandra |
title |
Impact-generated endolithic habitat within crystalline rocks of the haughton impact structure, Devon Island, Canada |
title_short |
Impact-generated endolithic habitat within crystalline rocks of the haughton impact structure, Devon Island, Canada |
title_full |
Impact-generated endolithic habitat within crystalline rocks of the haughton impact structure, Devon Island, Canada |
title_fullStr |
Impact-generated endolithic habitat within crystalline rocks of the haughton impact structure, Devon Island, Canada |
title_full_unstemmed |
Impact-generated endolithic habitat within crystalline rocks of the haughton impact structure, Devon Island, Canada |
title_sort |
impact-generated endolithic habitat within crystalline rocks of the haughton impact structure, devon island, canada |
publisher |
Mary Ann Liebert |
publishDate |
2014 |
url |
https://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:333839 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-88.000,-88.000,75.252,75.252) |
geographic |
Canada Devon Island |
geographic_facet |
Canada Devon Island |
genre |
Devon Island |
genre_facet |
Devon Island |
op_relation |
doi:10.1089/ast.2013.1100 issn:1531-1074 issn:1557-8070 orcid:0000-0002-8941-1249 Not set |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2013.1100 |
container_title |
Astrobiology |
container_volume |
14 |
container_issue |
6 |
container_start_page |
522 |
op_container_end_page |
533 |
_version_ |
1766396791565058048 |