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Martian Groundwaters Through Time and Their Impact on the Mars System: an Appraisal Bethany L

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Martian Groundwaters Through Time and Their Impact on the Mars System: an Appraisal Bethany L Martian Groundwaters Through Time and Their Impact on the Mars System: An Appraisal Bethany L. Ehlmann, California Institute of Technology Note added: This slide package was presented at the Ninth International Conference on Mars and is being shared, with permission from the plenary presenter. The original file has been compressed in size and converted to .pdf – please contact the presenter if interested in the original presentation. HiRISE false color, mineralized boxwork in the Nili Fossae Noachian Basement Paleohabitats of Ancient Mars oxygenation ? Amador & Ehlmann, in press, Astrobiology (U. Arizona Press) Paleohabitats of Ancient Mars Obliquity changes force frequent climate changes generates 500-kyr intermittency of habitability, oxygenationimportant for surface environments Earth Mars ~1° causes ice ages 10° - 60° Mars Laskar et al., 2004, Icarus Amador & Ehlmann, in press, Astrobiology (U. Arizona Press) Paleohabitats of Ancient Mars oxygenation ? Amador & Ehlmann, in press, Astrobiology (U. Arizona Press) Paleohabitats of Ancient Mars oxygenation NASA/JPL/JHUAPL/MSSS/BROWN UNIVERSITY EUNGCHOPAN/ISTOCK/THINKSTOCK Mars’ late valleys and deltas are like charismatic megafauna Important, likeable, and relateable But there is also a whole (eco)system in the background that is equally or more important Paleohabitats of Ancient Mars oxygenation by Dana Berry for National Geographic Martian groundwaters played– and may still play a crucial role – in • Water availability and geochemical cycling • Climate • Providing habitats for life (and thus should be targets in the search) New Information Since 8th Mars Conference (July 2014) • orbital datasets (new images, new analyses) • in situ exploration • novel modeling • a growing understanding of the geobiology and preservation of subterranean ecosystems on Earth New Information Since 8th Mars Conference (July 2014) • orbital datasets (new images, new analyses) Part 1: Paleo • in situ exploration • novel modeling • a growing understanding of the geobiology and preservation of subterranean ecosystems on Earth Groundwater habitats – with clear surface connectivity Silica hot springs Alkaline Springs in Lakes Acid Springs in Lakes/Playas alunite kaolinite Carbonate(serpentine?)/ Nili Patera smectite 500 m Skok et al., 2010, Nat. Geo. Michalski et al., 2014, Nat Geo; 2019, JGR 10 cm McLaughlin Crater Andrews-Hanna et al., 2010, JGR; Home Plate, Gusev Wray et al., 2011, JGR; Ehlmann, Arvidson et al., 2010, JGR Swayze et al., 2016, Am. Min. Fumarole/Sinter System at Home Plate, Gusev like El Tatio, Chile Ruff et al., 2016, Nat. Comm. Some Terra Sirenum Acid Lakes Deposits have a Groundwater Connection to a Magma Source kaolinite-alunite sediments Leask et al., 2019, LPSC; in prep. Some Terra Sirenum Acid Lakes Deposits have a Groundwater Connection to a Magma Source 1 km Leask et al., 2019, LPSC; in prep. Some Terra Sirenum Acid Lakes Deposits have a Groundwater Connection to a Magma Source 1 km Leask et al., 2019, LPSC; in prep. Groundwater habitats – surface connectivity not fully known Impact crater central peaks Fe/Mg smectite ridges in Jarosite ridges at NE Syrtis (zeolites, chlorites) Noachian terrains, Nili Fossae 2 km 500 m 1 km Ehlmann et al, 2009, JGR; Marzo et Mustard et al., 2009, JGR; Saper & Ehlmann & Mustard, 2012, GRL; al., 2010, Icarus, Mangold et al., Mustard, 2013, GRL; Pascuzzo et al., Quinn & Ehlmann, 2019, JGR 2012, PSS; Sun & Milliken, 2015, JGR 2019, Icarus Carbonate, serpentine Ca sulfate, clay, oxide Hematite-sulfate mineralization 10 cm 5 mm Ehlmann et al., 2010, GRL; Leveille et al., 2012; Siebach et Grotzinger et al., 2005; McLennan et Ehlmann & Mustard, 2012, GRL; al., 2014; Stack et al., 2014; al., 2005; Tosca et al., 2005 Viviano-Beck et al., 2013, JGR Nachon et al., 2014; Multiple generations, multiple chemistries of fluid flow in Gale basin from R. Kornyak, GSA, 2015; AGU, 2015 from Kornyak et al., 2019, Earth & Space Sci Multiple generations, multiple chemistries of fluid flow in Gale basin from Kornyak et al., 2019, Earth & Space Sci Multiple generations, multiple chemistries of fluid flow in Gale basin Intruding veinlets and rip up from Kornyak et al., 2019, Earth & Space Sci clasts suggest a history: (1) sediment deposition (lacustrine); (2) gray vein precipitation (Mg- rich); (3) second generation injection of Ca sulfates by higher fluid pressures, crystallization pressure-driven fracturing (4) Third (or second) generation of Fe‐,K‐, and F‐rich dark‐toned veins • Drivers of diversity? Drivers of change/episodicity? • The relative influences of weathering, magmatic volcanic volatiles, and subsurface magmatic sources in contributing to groundwater chemistry is a key open issue, even at the landing sites. Multiple Generations of Groundwater in the Gale basin after Gale Lake, incl. Amazonian 3 wt. % jarosite in Mojave: →Diagenesis with liquid water in the Amazonian Martin et al., 2017, GRL Kah et al., 2018, Terra Nova Huge Hesperian Groundwater-Formed in Acid Environment, Northeast Syrtis Quinn & Ehlmann, 2019, JGR Scene ~3 km wide with 400 m of relief Huge Hesperian Groundwater-Formed in Acid Environment Quinn & Ehlmann, 2019, JGR Jarosite-filled fractures in sulfate sedeiments Scene ~3 km wide with 400 m of relief Huge Hesperian Groundwater-Formed in Acid Environment Quinn & Ehlmann, 2019, JGR Then filling fracturing Scene ~3 km wide with 400 m of relief New Information Since 8th Mars Conference (July 2014) • orbital datasets (new images, new analyses) • in situ exploration • novel modeling • a growing understanding of the geobiology and preservation of subterranean ecosystems on Earth Groundwater Implications: Habitability Paleorecord of environments with water, energy, nutrients • Radiolytic H2 • Chemolithoautotrophic (H2, CH4, sulfur redox, iron redox) Tarnas et al., 2018, EPSL and this conf. (also Onstott et al., 2006, Astrobio.) Gas production from subsurface water Rock Reactions NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS Gas production from subsurface water Rock Reactions Bristow et al., 2015, Am. Min. Tosca et al., 2018, Nat. Geo. NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS Groundwater implications: climate and geochemical cycles Wordsworth et al., 2017, GRL (also Chassefiere & LeBlanc, 2011; Kite et al., 2018, Nat. Geo.; Turbot, Forget et al., this conf.) Questions: • Rates of production, release, loss, transformation of warming gases • Their warming impact • Reduced gases coupled with other phenomena (obliquity, volcanic aerosols, ice aerosols, impacts) New Information Since 8th Mars Conference (July 2014) • orbital datasets (new images, new analyses) • in situ exploration • novel modeling • a growing understanding of the geobiology and preservation of subterranean ecosystems on Earth Subsurface life is abundant when you know where to look General cells/gram decrease with increasing depth and temperature, and decreasing porosity BUT are highly variable. Energy flux across chemical redox interfaces and physical interfaces play a significant part in explaining high biomass occurrences. They do not correlate with rock type or water saturation or organic carbon content Magnabosco et al., 2018, Nat. Geosci.; Onstott et al., 2019, Astrobiology Onstott, Ehlmann et al. 2019, Astrobiology www.liebertpub.com/doi/pdf/10.1089/ast.2018.1960 - 28 Where is rock-hosted life thriving? • Follow the interfaces – Permeability – Redox 107 cells/cm2 Rock hosted life thrives off of chemical 3 5 and 10 - 10 physical cells/gram gradients focused by fractures where reactants and products can exchange over long time scales Onstott, Ehlmann et al. 2019, Astrobiology www.liebertpub.com/doi/pdf/10.1089/ast.2018.1960 - 29 Ex. #1: Buried Chesapeake Impact Structure • Typical decline in biomass Modern seafloor seds. with depth in seafloor sediments reverses in permeable impact-fractured rocks • Strategy: Follow the Buried permeability! seafloor seds. (products of 2-3 order of photosynthate consumed) magnitude increase in cell No cell counts in count in granite block permeable impacted Impact- bedrock fractured rock Cockell et al., 2009, GSA 0.5x104 special pub. Onstott, Ehlmann et al. 2019, Astrobiology www.liebertpub.com/doi/pdf/10.1089/ast.2018.1960 - 30 Example: Modern Clay/Fe-ox. Mineralization in Icelandic Basalt Trias et al, 2017, Nat Comm. (Suppl) Fluorescence showing DNA In the Holocene Hellisheidi cores through Feed-zones (made of fracture and rubbles) Icelandic basalt, microbial cells are provided flow pathway for CO2 charged associated with clay minerals and Fe oxides ground waters in vesicles Dissolving the rock and feeding microbes (including iron-oxidizers) with aromatic Microbial activity facilitates the creation of compounds and metals 20 µm permeability by dissolution of primary Cells found in Fe oxides, clay minerals materials (contrast with the “self-sealing” idea of mineralization in hydrothermal systems) Onstott, Ehlmann et al. 2019, Astrobiology www.liebertpub.com/doi/pdf/10.1089/ast.2018.1960 - 31 Ex. #2: Oman Olivine-Carbonate Preserved Biomass Isotopic and organic biosignatures (lipids) preserved in carbonates 13 Diagnostically heavy in δ C- from carbon limitation Hydroxyarchaeol with PE headgroup Squalene δ13C ~ 14‰ Archaeal Methanogen lipid-derived hydrocarbons intact lipids PMI δ13C ~ 10‰ Rempfert et al. (in prep) Intact polar lipids captured in precipitating retention carbonate, Samail Ophiolite, Oman Extracted hydrocarbons Biomarker: Bacterial (sulfate-reducer?) core lipids ~100 Ma, Preservation of Terrestrial carbonated lipid degradation products in serpentinites, carbonate veins
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