Exobiology in the Solar System & The Search for Life on Mars - ESA

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Site 3: SE Elysium Bas<strong>in</strong> Channel and Lacustr<strong>in</strong>e Deposits 3ºN/185ºW Elevation: -1 km to -2 km team I: exobiology and <strong>the</strong> mars surface environment/II.4 <strong>The</strong> south-east portion of <strong>the</strong> Elysium bas<strong>in</strong> is a flat area of <strong>the</strong> nor<strong>the</strong>rn lowlands near <strong>the</strong> planetary dichotomy (Dohm et al., 1998). <strong>The</strong> bas<strong>in</strong> was a catchment area <strong>for</strong> a large part of <strong>the</strong> Amazonian area, with a number of outflow channels <strong>in</strong>to <strong>the</strong> bas<strong>in</strong>. It is quite probable that volcanic and sedimentary rocks coexist, <strong>for</strong>m<strong>in</strong>g a complex bas<strong>in</strong> with a wide variety of geological units. <strong>The</strong> presence of channels is firmly recognised, whereas <strong>the</strong> evidence <strong>for</strong> lakes is scarcer. However, it is quite probable that <strong>the</strong> area conta<strong>in</strong>ed bodies of water <strong>in</strong>termittently <strong>in</strong> epochs as young as Amazonian (Scott et al., 1995). <strong>The</strong> coexist<strong>in</strong>g lacustr<strong>in</strong>e deposit, outflow channels and volcanic (also pyroclastic) deposits make this land<strong>in</strong>g site quite attractive. <strong>The</strong> possibility of large lava flow covers cannot, however, be ruled out entirely. Fig. II.4.7/3. Site 3: <strong>the</strong> flat morphology of this part of <strong>the</strong> Elysium Bas<strong>in</strong> has been suggested to be <strong>the</strong> result of a stand<strong>in</strong>g body of water. (Vik<strong>in</strong>g image, NASA.) 125
SP-1231 126 Site 4: Chasma area, east of Valles Mar<strong>in</strong>eris Large Range of Sedimentary Environments 8ºS/35ºW Elevation: below -3 km This area is one of <strong>the</strong> deepest chaotic zones <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> equatorial belt of Mars. It is quite complex and <strong>in</strong>cludes some attractive zones such as Capri Chasma and Gangis Chasma. Moreover, it is dom<strong>in</strong>ated by <strong>the</strong> channel Chaos Complex that connects Valles Mar<strong>in</strong>eris to Hydroates Chaos. <strong>The</strong> area consists of typical chaotic features suggest<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> presence of mass-wast<strong>in</strong>g material that is supposed to represent rocks from a large time span judg<strong>in</strong>g from <strong>the</strong> elevation of <strong>the</strong> surround<strong>in</strong>g cliffs. <strong>The</strong> outflow channel would provide debris from remote areas as far as Valles Mar<strong>in</strong>eris. From this po<strong>in</strong>t of view, <strong>the</strong> land<strong>in</strong>g site is remarkable <strong>for</strong> <strong>the</strong> possibility <strong>for</strong> analys<strong>in</strong>g rock samples from different geological units. Moreover, <strong>the</strong> bas<strong>in</strong>’s depth and <strong>the</strong> l<strong>in</strong>k with <strong>the</strong> possible lacustr<strong>in</strong>e deposits of <strong>the</strong> Hydroates Chaos (Mosang<strong>in</strong>i & Ori, 1996) suggest <strong>the</strong> possibility that <strong>the</strong> area has been affected by stand<strong>in</strong>g bodies of water. <strong>The</strong> exobiology potential is not as high as <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r land<strong>in</strong>g sites but <strong>the</strong> possibility of collect<strong>in</strong>g a variety of lithologies, plus <strong>the</strong> possible presence of lacustr<strong>in</strong>e deposits, make this an <strong>in</strong>terest<strong>in</strong>g site. Fig. II.4.7/4. Site 4: <strong>the</strong> floor of <strong>the</strong> chasma area east of Valles Ma<strong>in</strong>eris is rich <strong>in</strong> sedimentary features rang<strong>in</strong>g from putative lacustr<strong>in</strong>e deposits to aeolian sand sheets. Fluvial activity has left a large number of structures. (Vik<strong>in</strong>g image, NASA.)
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SP-1231 Exobiology
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Cover Fossil coccoid bacteria, 1 µ
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4 I.5 Potential Non-Martian Sites <
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6 6.2 Imaging of F
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The Exobio
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pyrolysis, or similar techniques, f
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Ignasi Casanova, Institute
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I AN EXOBIOLOGICAL VIEW OF THE SOLA
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SP-1231 18 surface pressure of CO 2
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SP-1231 20 10 bar befor</st
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SP-1231 22 kilometres in</s
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SP-1231 24 Laboratory Investigation
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I.3 Limits of Life
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temperatures of 95-106ºC. This sug
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(mainly found <str
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cannot exclude fin
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Responses to Cosmic Radiation <stro
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acid to identify the</stron
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Horneck, G. (1993). Responses of Ba
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SP-1231 Fig. I.4.2.2/1. Size distri
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SP-1231 Fig. I.4.2.2/4. Evaporite w
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SP-1231 Fig. I.4.2.3/1A (left). Net
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SP-1231 48 A detailed chemical anal
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SP-1231 Fig. I.4.3.1.1/1. Scheme of
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SP-1231 Fig. I.4.3.1.2/1. A: Compar
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SP-1231 54 I.4.3.2.1 Sedimentary Or
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SP-1231 56 The iso
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SP-1231 Fig. I.4.3.2.3/1. Cholester
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SP-1231 60 References regard to non
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SP-1231 62 Klein,
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SP-1231 64 ities in</strong
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SP-1231 Fig. I.5.1.1/1. A 34×42 km
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SP-1231 Fig. I.5.2.1/1. Titan’s a
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SP-1231 Fig. I.5.2.2/2. Modelled Ti
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Page 79 and 80: II.2 The Planet Ma
Page 81 and 82: cover the range 4.
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Page 87 and 88: plate tectonic evidence has been ob
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Page 117 and 118: SP-1231 122 II.4.6 Rovers and Drill
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Page 127 and 128: SP-1231 132 II.5.3 Isotopic Analysi
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Page 133 and 134: SP-1231 138 optical microscope. Bot
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Page 161 and 162: SCIENTIFIC METHOD AND REQUIREMENTS
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Schoonen, M.A. & Barnes, H.L. (1991
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SP-1231 180 II.7.2 The</str
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SP-1231 Fig. II.7.4/1. Look
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SP-1231 184 II.7.5 A Possible <stro
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Team IV was asked to examin
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