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Conference on Early Mars, Geologic And CONFERENCE ON EARLY MARS: GEOLOGIC AND HYDROLOGIC EVOLUTION, PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL ENVIRONMENTS, AND THE IMPLICATIONS FOR LIFE • • boiling :· • ·• hot springs ~- =· ',; ::,·,~~~ April24-27, 1997 Houston, Texas CONFERENCE ON EARLY MARS: GEOLOGIC AND HYDROLOGIC EVOLUTION, PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL ENVIRONMENTS, AND THE IMPLICATIONS FOR LIFE Edited by S.M. Clifford, A. H. Treiman, H. E. Newsom, and J. D. Farmer Held at Houston, Texas April24-27, 1997 Sponsored by Lunar and Planetary Institute National Aeronautics and Space Administration Lunar and Planetary Institute 3600 Bay Area Boulevard Houston TX 77058-1113 LPI Contribution Number 916 Compiled in 1997 by LUNAR AND PLANETARY INSTITUTE The Institute is operated by the Universities Space Research Association under Contract No. NASW-4574 with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Material in this volume may be copied without restraint for library, abstract service, education, or personal research purposes; however, republication of any paper or portion thereof requires the written permission of the authors as well as the appropriate acknowledgment of this publication. This report may be cited as Clifford S. M., Treiman A. H., Newsom H. E., and Farmer J. D., eds. (1997) Conference on Early .Mars: Geologic and Hydrologic Evolution, Physical and Chemical Environments, and the lmplicationsfor Life. LPI Contribution No. 916, Lunar and Planetary Institute, Houston. 87 pp. This report is distributed by ORDER DEPARTMENT Lunar and Planetary Institute 3600 Bay Area Boulevard Houston TX 77058-1113 Mail order requestors will be invoiced for the cost of shipping and handling. "Each ofus is a tiny being, permitted to ride on the outermost skin ofone ofthe smaller planets for a few dozen trips around the local star ... We are fleeting, transitional creatures, snowflakes fallen on the hearth fire. That we understand even a little of our origins is one of the great triumphs of human insight and courage." -from Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors In Memory of Carl Sagan (1934-1996) Photo by Michael Okoniewski. Copyright © 1994. LPI Contribution No. 916 v Preface This volume contains abstracts that have been accepted for presentation at the Conference on Early Mars: Geologic and Hydrologic Evolution, Physical and Chemical Environments, and the Implications for Life, April 24-27, 1997, in Houston, Texas. The conveners for the conference were Stephen Clifford (Lunar and Planetary Institute), Allan Treiman (Lunar and Plan­ etary Institute), Horton Newsom (University ofNew Mexico), and Jack Fanner (NASA Ames Research Center). Members of the Scientific Organizing Committee included Michael Carr (U.S. Geological Survey), Benton Clark (Lockheed Martin), Roger Clark (U.S. Geological Survey), Michael Drake (University ofArizona), Fraser Fanale (University ofHawai 'i), Matthew Golombek (Jet Propulsion Labora­ tory), James Gooding (NASA Johnson Space Center), Virginia Gulick (NASA Ames Research Center), Bob Haberle (NASA Ames Research Center), Alan Howard (University of Virginia), Bruce Jakosky (University ofColorado), James Kasting (Pennsylvania State University), Ted Maxwell (National Air & Space Museum), George McGill (University ofMassachusetts), Christo­ pher McKay (NASA Ames Research Center), David McKay (NASA Johnson Space Center), Richard Morris (NASA Johnson Space Center), Susan Postawko (University of Oklahoma), Carl Sagan (Cornell University), Peter Schultz (Brown University), Everett Shock (Washington University), Steven Squyres (Cornell University), Carol Stoker (NASA Ames Research Center), and Kenneth Tanaka (U.S. Geological Survey). Logistics and administrative and publications support were provided by the Publications and Program Services Department staff at the Lunar and Planetary Institute. LPJ Contribution No. 916 vii Contents Mossbauer Spectroscopy of Thermal Springs Iron Deposits as Martian Analogs D. G. Agresti, T. J. Wdowiak, M. L. Wade, and L. P. Armendarez .................................................... 1 Geologic Alteration and Life in an Extreme Environment: Pu 'u Waiau, Mauna Kea, Hawai'i C. C. Allen, R. V Morris, D. C. Golden, and C. S. Upchurch ........................................................... 2 The Early Martian Climate Was Episodically Warm and Wet V R. Baker .......................................................................................................................................... 3 Developing a Chemical Code to Identify Magnetic Biominerals (Biomagnetite and Biogreigite) in Mars Soil and Rocks A. Ban in and R. L. Mancinelli ............................................................................................................ 4 Effect of Impacts on Early Martian Geologic Evolution N G. Barlow ....................................................................................................................................... 5 Biomarkers for Analysis of Martian Samples L. Becker, G. D. McDonald, and J. L. Bada ...................................................................................... 6 Application of the CHEMIN XRDIXRF Instrument in Analyzing Diagnostic Mineralogies: Quantitative XRD Analysis of Aragonite and Basalt D. Bish, D. Vaniman, P. Sarrazin, D. Blake, S. Chipera, S. A. Collins, and T. Elliott ....................................................................................................................................... 8 Spectroscopic Identification of Minerals in Hematite-bearing Soils and Sediments: Implications for Chemistry and Mineralogy of the Martian Surface J. L. Bishop, J. Friedl, and U. Schwertmann ...................................................................................... 9 39 Ar_4o Ar Age of Allan Hills 84001 D. D. Bogard and D. H Garrison.................................................................................................... 10 Scientific Issues Addressed by the Mars Surveyor 2001 Gamma-Ray/Neutron Spectrometer (GRS/NS) W. V Boynton, W. C. Feldman, S. W. Squyres, J.l. Trombka, J. R. Arnold, P. A. J. Englert, A. E. Metzger, R. C. Reedy, H Wanke, S. H. Bailey, J. Briickner, L. G. Evans, H Y. McSween, and R. Starr .................................................................. 12 Experimental Studies ofMars-Analog Brines M A. Bullock, J. M Moore, and M T. Mellon ................................................................................ 13 Hydrogeology and Exobiology Significance of Martian Large Crater Lakes N. A. Cabrol and E. A. Grin .. .. ... ............ ... ... .. .. .. .. .......... ........ .... .. .. ... ............ ... ... .. ... .. ... .. 14 viii Conference on Early Mars Microbial Diversity in Hyperthermophilic Biofilms: Implications for Recognizing Biogenicity in Hydrothermal Deposits S. L. Cady, C. E. Blank, D. J. Des Marais, M. R. Walter, and J.D. Farmer ................................... 15 The Highlands Crust of Mars and the Pathfinder Mission: A Prospective View from Mariner 6 Infrared Spectroscopy W. M. Calvin, A. H. Treiman, and L. Kirkland ................................................................................. 16 Thermal Loss ofWater on Young Planets: The Effect of a Strong Primitive Solar Wind E. Chasseftere...................... ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ... .. .. .. 17 Geochemical Cycles of CHNOPS and Other Potentially Important Biological Elements on Mars B. C. Clark ........................................................................................................................................ 18 Hydraulic and Thermal Constraints on the Development of the Martian Valley Networks S. M Cliff'ord . .. ... .. .. .. .. .. ... ... ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ... .. 18 The Origin of the Martian Intercrater Plains: The Role of Liquefaction from Impact and Tectonic-induced Seismicity S. M Cliff'ord .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .... .. .. ... .. ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 19 The Early History of Mars as Told by Degraded Highland Impact Craters R. A. Craddock, T. A. Maxwell, and A. D. Howard ......................................................................... 20 The Radiative Effects of C02 Ice Clouds on the Early Martian Climate D. Crisp and R. T. Pierrehumbert .................................................................................................... 21 Degradation of the Martian Cratered Highlands: The Role ofCircum-Hellas Outflow Channels and Constraints on the Timing of Volatile-driven Activity D. A. Crown, S. C. Mest, and K. H Stewart ..................................................................................... 22 Mars on Earth: Antarctic Dry Valley Lakes and Their Deposits P. T. Doran and R. A. Wharton ........................................................................................................ 24 Accretion of Earth and Mars: Implications for Bulk Composition and Volatile Inventories M J. Drake ....................................................................................................................................... 24 Volatile Inventories of Mars and Earth and Their Implication for the Evolution of Planetary Atmospheres G. Dreibus, H Wanke, and G. W. Lugmair ..................................................................................... 26 LPI Contribution No. 916 ix Regarding a Wet, Early Noachian Mars: Geomorphology of Western Arabia and Northern Sinus Meridiani K. S. Edgett and T. J. Parker
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