"Does the evolution of life depend on the contraction or expansion of the universe?"
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Water on Mars
Project Investigators: G. Jeffrey Taylor
Summary
We use orbital geochemistry and mineralogy, and meteorite studies, to characterize the role of water in the evolution of the Martian crust. We focus on water chemistry and abundance during aqueous alteration of crustal materials.
Astrobiology Roadmap Objectives:
Project Progress
We wrapped up a study of weathering products in Martian meteorite MIL 03346, which includes analysis of trace elements in weathering veins. The data are consistent with weathering by acidic fluids at a low water/rock ratio, as also concluded by those using data from the MER missions. We also collaborated with colleagues on the Mars Odyssey GRS team to use orbital geochemical data and a host of other data in a study of the Arabia regions of Mars. This appears to have been an important sedimentary basin > 3.5 billion years ago.
Mission Involvement
Mars OdysseyThe Gamma-Ray Spectrometer provides basic data on the chemical composition of the Martian surface.
Publications
Boynton, W.V. (2008). Elemental abundances determined by Mars Odyssey GRS.. In: J.F. Bell (Ed.). The Martian Surface: Composition, Mineralogy, and Physical Properties (pp. 105-124). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Dohm, J.M.a.1.c.-a. (2007). Possible ancient giant basin and related water enrichment in the Arabia Terra province. Icarus, 190:74-92.
Taylor, G.J. (2008). Implications of observed primary lithologies.. The Martian Surface: Composition, Mineralogy, and Physical Properties (pp. 501-513). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
- HANDBOOK OF STAR FORMING REGIONS
- A Rare low mass quadruple spectroscopic AND eclipsing binary
- A search for Main Belt Comets in Pan-STARRS 1
- A search for primordial water from deep in the Earth's mantle
- A spectroscopically unique Main Belt asteroid: 10537 (1991 RY16)
- A Supertree Analysis of the Metazoan Phylogeny
- Acquisition and Installation of a new Cameca ims 1280 ion microprobe
- Acquisition and Installation of Witec Confocal Raman microscope scanning system
- Amorphization of Crystalline Water Ice in the Solar System
- Assessing the likelihood of supernova impact of protoplanetary disks
- Carbonate Lithologies on Devon Island, Canada
- Chemistry and biology of ultramafic-hosted alkaline springs
- Chemistry of the NH3/H2O system
- DIVERSITY AND BIOGEOGRAPHY OF THE UNIQUE TROPICAL PHYLUM PLACOZOA
- Dynamical Evolution of Astroid Belt and the Parent Bodies of Iron Meteorites
- Ecology of a Hawaiian lava cave microbial mat
- FMARS Long Duration Mission: a simulation of manned Mars exploration in an analogue environment, Devon Island, Canada
- Formation and Detection of Hot-Earth Objects in Systems with Close-in Jupiters
- Formation and the Prospects of the Detection of Habitable Planets in Extreme Planetary Systems
- Formation of Molecular Hydrogen via Interaction of Ionizing Radiation with Hydrocarbon Ices in the Interstellar Medium
- Formation of Planetesimals in a Dynamically Evolving Nebula
- FU ORIONIS ERUPTIONS
- Ice Ages on Mars
- Ice at the Mars Phoenix Landing Site
- Ice on Main Belt Comets
- Icelandic subglacial lakes
- Mechanisms of Marine Microbial Community Structuring
- Mechanistical Studies on the Non-Equilibrium Chemistry of Unusual Carbon Oxide in Solar System Ices
- Modeling grain surface reaction pathways for large organic molecules
- Molecular Deuteration on grain surfaces
- NEWBORN BINARIES
- Observations and Models of comet 17P/Holmes
- Origin and Activation Mechanism of Main Belt Comets
- Origin of Irregular Satellites
- Recovery of comet 85P/Boethin for the Deep Impact Extended Mission
- Sediment-buried basement deep biosphere
- Serpentinazation and abiogenic methane in the Mariana Forearc
- Sleeping through the Arctic Martian Sol
- Spectropolarimetric studies of stars with hot jupiters
- TES study of intracrater low albedo deposits, Amazonis Planitia, Mars
- The delivery of short-lived radionucleides to the solar system
- The effect of lunar-like satellites on the orbital infrared lightcurves of Earth-analog planets
- The Main Belt distribution of basaltic asteroids
- The Size Distribution of Small KBOs
- THE VYSOS PROJECT
- Ultra-violet processing of ices in the Rosette Nebula
- Unveiling the evolution and interplay of ice and gas in quiescent clouds
- Variable Young Stellar Objects Survey (VYSOS)
- Water on Mars
- X-ray- and UV-bright low-mass stars in the solar neighborhood