Quantifying preservation potential: lipid degradation in a Mars-analog circumneutral iron deposit
File(s)Tan & Sephton 2021 Astrobiology_Published Version.pdf (1.2 MB)
Published version
Author(s)
Tan, Jonathan SW
Sephton, Mark A
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Comparisons between the preservation potential of Mars-analog environments have historically been qualitative rather than quantitative. Recently, however, laboratory-based artificial maturation combined with kinetic modeling techniques have emerged as a potential means by which the preservation potential of solvent-soluble organic matter can be quantified in various Mars-analog environments. These methods consider how elevated temperatures, pressures, and organic–inorganic interactions influence the degradation of organic biomarkers post-burial. We used these techniques to investigate the preservation potential of deposits from a circumneutral iron-rich groundwater system. These deposits are composed of ferrihydrite (Fe5HO8 · 4H2O), an amorphous iron hydroxide mineral that is a common constituent of rocks found in ancient lacustrine environments on Mars, such as those observed in Gale Crater. Both natural and synthetic ferrihydrite samples were subjected to hydrous pyrolysis to observe the effects of long-term burial on the mineralogy and organic content of the samples. Our experiments revealed that organic–inorganic interactions in the samples are dominated by the transformation of iron minerals. As amorphous ferrihydrite transforms into more crystalline species, the decrease in surface area results in the desorption of organic matter, potentially rendering them more susceptible to degradation. We also find that circumneutral iron-rich deposits provide unfavorable conditions for the preservation of solvent-soluble organic matter. Quantitative comparisons between preservation potentials as calculated when using kinetic parameters show that circumneutral iron-rich deposits are ∼25 times less likely to preserve solvent-soluble organic matter compared with acidic, iron-rich environments. Our results suggest that circumneutral iron-rich deposits should be deprioritized in favor of acidic iron- and sulfur-rich deposits when searching for evidence of life with solvent extraction techniques.
Date Issued
2021-04-08
Date Acceptance
2020-12-17
Citation
Astrobiology, 2021, 21 (6), pp.1-17
ISSN
1531-1074
Publisher
Mary Ann Liebert
Start Page
1
End Page
17
Journal / Book Title
Astrobiology
Volume
21
Issue
6
Copyright Statement
© Jonathan S. W. Tan and Mark A. Sephton, 2021; Published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. This Open Access article is distributed under the
terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/) which permits any
noncommercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author(s) and the source are credited.
terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/) which permits any
noncommercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author(s) and the source are credited.
Copyright URL
Sponsor
Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC)
Identifier
http://gateway.webofknowledge.com/gateway/Gateway.cgi?GWVersion=2&SrcApp=PARTNER_APP&SrcAuth=LinksAMR&KeyUT=WOS:000639408300001&DestLinkType=FullRecord&DestApp=ALL_WOS&UsrCustomerID=1ba7043ffcc86c417c072aa74d649202
Grant Number
ST/N000560/1
Subjects
Science & Technology
Physical Sciences
Life Sciences & Biomedicine
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Biology
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Life Sciences & Biomedicine - Other Topics
Geology
Mars
Biosignature
Hydrous pyrolysis
Kinetic parameters
Lipids
Artificial maturation
Publication Status
Published
Date Publish Online
2021-06-11