Studying the Possibility of Life on Mars on Earth
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
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.