From Habitability to Bio-signatures: An Earth analogue and Mars exploration study
Zentrum für Astronomie und Astrophysik
Alessandro Airo
AG: Prof. Dr. Dirk Schulze-Makuch
Astroparticle Colloquium 25.11.2016
Mars Hubble Space Telescope (May 2016)
Credit: NASA, ESA, the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA), J. Bell (ASU), and M. Wolff (Space Science Institute) Initially the belief of intelligent life on Mars was common.
Mars canals illustrated by astronomer Percival Lowell, 1898. First close-up images from Mars July 14th 1964
Mariner 4 spacecraft Flyby mission (NASA) Viking Landers (NASA 1975)
Carl Sagan Viking Landers (NASA 1975)
Digging for soil samples
Viking 1 NASA slogan: „Follow the water“ Subsurface water-ice close to the north pole
Phoenix Lander (May – Nov. 2008) Subsurface water-ice close to the north pole
Phoenix Lander (May – Nov. 2008) Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter
Recurring Slope Lineae (RSL) at Horowitz Crater Recurring Slope Lineae (RSL) Liquid water (brine) on Mars
Palikir Crater Recurring Slope Lineae (RSL) Liquid water (brine) on Mars
Palikir Crater Water Tracks Goldman Glacier basin, McMurdo Dry Valley, Antarctica
Levy 2012 Water Tracks Taylor Valley, Antarctica
Alex Rytel (Ohio State University) collects a soil sample next to a piezometer placed in a water track in the Goldman Glacier Basin near Lake Hoare, Taylor Valley. http://www.glaciers.pdx.edu/Thesis/Hughes/KellyHughes_webpage.html Water Tracks Taylor Valley, Antarctica
Levy et al. 2011
Alex Rytel (Ohio State University) collects a soil sample next to a piezometer placed in a water track in the Goldman Glacier Basin near Lake Hoare, Taylor Valley. http://www.glaciers.pdx.edu/Thesis/Hughes/KellyHughes_webpage.html Water Tracks Laboratory Studies HOME Project on Deliquescence Habitability Of Martian Are RSL habitable environments? Environments Planococcus halocryophilus in Mars simulation soils HOME Project Habitability Of Martian Environments
PI: Dirk Schulze-Makuch Atacama Desert: The driest place on Earth => Mars analog
Yungay fan Atacama Desert: The driest place on Earth and a Mars analog
Soil chemistry & sedimentology
* and A B B 0 m B B sampled is there life? B* excavated Sand A dike A*
Sand dike Gypsum polygon excavated
HOME Project Habitability Of Martian 1 m Environments Transect Transect Sand dike Gypsum polygon Atacama – Dry Limit of Life Project http://www-astro.physik.tu-berlin.de/Atacama-project
Principal Investigator: Dirk Schulze-Makuch (Technical University Berlin/Washington State University), Contact: [email protected];[email protected]
ERC HOME Group: Alfonso Davila (SETI/NASA Ames/TU Berlin) Jean-Pierre de Vera (DLR Berlin) Janosch Schirmack (TU Berlin) Jacob Heinz (TU Berlin)
Associated Research Groups: Michael Schloter (Helmholtz Center Munich)/Matthias Hess (University of California - Davis): Metagenomics, Viruses Phil Schmitt Kopplin (Helmholtz Center Munich): Metabolites, DOC Frank Keppler (University of Heidelberg, Germany): Chlorinated organics, Fe-isotopes Peter Grathwohl (University of Tübingen, Germany): PAHs, Organics Victor Parro (Centro de Astrobiologia, Spain): S and N isotopes, XRD, XPS Beate Schneider/Dirk Wagner: Genetics, Culturing Juri Rappsilber (TU Berlin): Proteomics Hans-Peter Grossart/Mark Gessner (IGB Stechlin, Germany): Genetics, Fungi Pedro Zamorano (Universidad de Antofagasta, Chile): Spores Markus Flury (Washington State Univ.)/Martin Kaupenjohann (TU Berlin): Soil properties Sam Kounaves (Tufts University, USA/Imperial College London, UK): Perchlorates/Geochemistry Lewis Dartnell (University College London, UK): Hypoliths, Raman, Radiation studies Jean-Pierre de Vera (DLR Berlin): Field parameters, Raman, Mars Simulation Chamber Runs Dirk Schulze-Makuch (TU Berlin/WSU): Biomass, PLFA , extra storage Special Advisors/Collaborators: Jocelyne DiRuggiero (John Hopkins University, USA), Kai Finster (University of Aarhus, Denmark), Chris McKay (NASA Ames, USA) Mars today
NASA slogan: „Follow the water“ Mars 4 Ga ago ?
NASA slogan: „Follow the water“ Valley networks
Naktong Vallis Eberswalde Delta Gale crater – created by an impact 3.5 to 3.8 Ga ago Diameter: 154 km
Landing ellipse of the Curiosity rover First selfie on Mars
Curiosity rover NASA
MSL
Sedimentary ripple structures => flowing water Long-term habitable environment on Mars
Gale Crater (artistic reconstruction) Long-term habitable environment on Mars
Gale Crater (artistic reconstruction) “How do I look for Biosignatures on Mars?”
Should I look for Dinos?
MSL “How do I look for Biosignatures on Mars?”
Earth
Michalski et al. 2013 “How do I look for Biosignatures on Mars?”
Gale Crater Mars
Earth
Michalski et al. 2013 Biomat (Tunisia)
Biolaminite
~3,2 Ga Moodies Group, BGB Too „old“ for biomarkers to be preserved Tufts Gas domes
1cm Roll-up structures Shrinkage cracks “Rolled up” Mat Morphologies – An Indicator for Cohesiveness ?
Bahar Alouane, Tunisia © Heubeck
Bahar Alouane, Tunisia Heubeck “Rolled up” Mat Morphologies – An Indicator for Cohesiveness ?
Bahar Alouane, Tunisia © Heubeck
2.9 Ga old MISS Pongola Supergroup 5 cm 4 cm South Africa Noffke et al. (2008)
Bahar Alouane, Tunisia Heubeck Tufts Tufts
Back to life in Berlin
First few minutes Back to life in Berlin
After a Few hours Biomats Thin section
Gas enclosure in tufts
Fossil tuft with silicified gas enclosure ? 1,5 cm ~3.2 Ga Moodies Group, Barberton Greenstone Belt, South Africa
Bahar Alouane, Tunisia Biology
Bioflumology
Sedimentary Flumology
Growth (~10 days) Growth (~2 months)
Streamers Cyanobacterial Streamers (Hot Spring, Nevada, USA) Cyanobacterial Streamers (Hot Spring, Nevada, USA) Biomats in Tidal Environments
Christof Sager
Low Tide Low Tide
Low Tide Low Tide
Supra-tidal Inter-tidal Sub-tidal Endo-benthic mat Endo/Epi-benthic mat Epi-benthic mat ~1 cm Gas-domes 2-6 cm Gas-domes <1 cm Gas-domes Low Tide
Migrating Gas-dome Low Tide
Bahar Alouane, Tunisia Low Tide
Bahar Alouane, Tunisia Low Tide
2 weeks of drying (different experiment) Low Tide
Fossil Gas-domes ?
Microbial Mats, Moodies Group (3,2Ga) (PhD Thesis Martin Homann) Biomat
Sea grass Biomat Mineral precipitation Sea grass Corals “This is as good as it gets for Prokarya.”
Biomat Microbialite Mineral precipitation Sea grass Corals Modern Microbialites (stromatolites) on Earth
Lago Sarmiento, Chile
Lago Sarmiento, Chile
Taking photos from above for 3D reconstructions
CT Light-limited Growth-morphology
Calm waters Sediment abrasion Shading Lab-Experiment Fossil
Nature Lab-Experiment Fossil
Modeling Nature Microbialite Growth Model Microbialite Growth Model Lago Sarmiento, Chile Optimal Growth Conditions Nutrient Limitation 30% 100%
Light Intensity 30% 10%
Microbialite Growth Model
Photosynthesis Efficiency Medium Low
Matthias Müller