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2014 Annual Science Report

Arizona State University Reporting  |  SEP 2013 – DEC 2014

Habitability of Water-Rich Environments - Task 4 - Evaluate the Habitability of Ancient Aqueous Solutions on Mars

Project Summary

Goals are to constrain conditions of Mars habitability and preservation potential through in situ studies with MER rover data, the MSL Curiosity rover operating at Gale Crater, and terrestrial analog studies.

4 Institutions
3 Teams
10 Publications
0 Field Sites
Field Sites

Project Progress

See publication list. We have discovered past habitable environments on Peace Fan, Gale crater, Mars and confirmed clays and sulfates in sediments that in terrestrial analogs are also favorable for preserving biosignatures.

Publications

  • Beraldi-Campesi, H., Farmer, J. D., & Garcia-Pichel, F. (2014). MODERN TERRESTRIAL SEDIMENTARY BIOSTRUCTURES AND THEIR FOSSIL ANALOGS IN MESOPROTEROZOIC SUBAERIAL DEPOSITS. PALAIOS, 29(2), 45–54. doi:10.2110/palo.2013.084

  • Bish, D., Blake, D., Vaniman, D., Sarrazin, P., Bristow, T., Achilles, C., … Yen, A. (2014). The first X-ray diffraction measurements on Mars. IUCrJ, 1(6), 514–522. doi:10.1107/s2052252514021150

  • Cabrol, N. A., Herkenhoff, K., Knoll, A. H., Farmer, J., Arvidson, R., Grin, E., … Aileen Yingst, R. (2014). Sands at Gusev Crater, Mars. Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets, 119(5), 941–967. doi:10.1002/2013je004535

  • Clifford, S. M., Farmer, J., Carr, M. H., Des Marais, D., Bibring, J-P., Craddock, R., & Newsom, H. (2014). Introduction to the Early Mars III Special Section and Key Questions from the Third International Conference on Early Mars. Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets, 119(8), 1892–1894. doi:10.1002/2014je004643

  • Farmer, J. D. (2013). Role of geobiology in the astrobiological exploration of the Solar System. Geological Society of America Special Papers, None, 567–589. doi:10.1130/2013.2500(18)

  • Grotzinger, J. P., Sumner, D. Y., Kah, L. C., Stack, K., Gupta, S., Edgar, L., … Moores, J. E. (2013). A Habitable Fluvio-Lacustrine Environment at Yellowknife Bay, Gale Crater, Mars. Science, 343(6169), 1242777–1242777. doi:10.1126/science.1242777

  • Kminek, G., Conley, C., Allen, C. C., Bartlett, D. H., Beaty, D. W., Benning, L. G., … Westall, F. (2014). Report of the workshop for life detection in samples from Mars. Life Sciences in Space Research, 2, 1–5. doi:10.1016/j.lssr.2014.05.001

  • Núñez, J. I., Farmer, J. D., Sellar, R. G., Swayze, G. A., & Blaney, D. L. (2014). Science Applications of a Multispectral Microscopic Imager for the Astrobiological Exploration of Mars. Astrobiology, 14(2), 132–169. doi:10.1089/ast.2013.1079

  • Parenteau, M. N., Jahnke, L. L., Farmer, J. D., & Cady, S. L. (2014). Production and Early Preservation of Lipid Biomarkers in Iron Hot Springs. Astrobiology, 14(6), 502–521. doi:10.1089/ast.2013.1122

  • Vaniman, D. T., Bish, D. L., Ming, D. W., Bristow, T. F., Morris, R. V., Blake, D. F., … Zorzano Mier, M-P. (2013). Mineralogy of a Mudstone at Yellowknife Bay, Gale Crater, Mars. Science, 343(6169), 1243480–1243480. doi:10.1126/science.1243480

  • PROJECT INVESTIGATORS:
  • PROJECT MEMBERS:
    Jack Farmer
    Project Investigator

  • RELATED OBJECTIVES:
    Objective 2.1
    Mars exploration.