NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS) 19970017008: Conference on Early Mars: Geologic and Hydrologic Evolution, Physical and Chemical Environments, and the Implications for Life

102 Pages·11.5 MB·English

by  NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

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CONFERENCE ON EARLY MARI;:
GEOLOGIC AND HYDROLOGIC
EVOLUTION, PHYSICAL AND
CHEMICAL ENVIRONMENTS, AND THE
IMPLICATIONS FOR LIFE
April 24-27, 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
April 24-27, 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
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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 Implications for Life. LPI Contribution No.
916, Lunar and Planetary Institute, Houston. 87 pp.
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"Each of us isa tiny being, permitted to ride on the outermost skin ofone of the smaller planets for
afew dozen trips around the local star... Wearefleeting, transitional creatures, snowflakesfaUen
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)
PhotobyMichaelOkoniewski.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 of New Mexico), and Jack
Farmer (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 of Arizona), Fraser
Fanale (University of Hawai "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 of Colorado),
James Kasting (Pennsylvania State University), Ted Maxwell (National Air
& Space Museum), George McGill (University of Massachusetts), 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.
i
LP[ Contribution No. 916 vii
Contents
M6ssbauer 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. Banin and R. L. Mancinelli ............................................................................................................ 4
Biomarkers for Analysis of Martian Samples
L. Becket, G. D. McDonald, and J. L. Bada ...................................................................................... 6
Application of the CHEMIN XRD/XRF 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
39Ar-4°A.r 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. I. Trombka, J. R. Arnold,
P. A. J. Englert, A. E. Metzger, R. C. Reedy, H. Wdinke, S. H. Bailey,
J. Briickner, L. G. Evans, H. Y. McSween, and R. Starr .................................................................. 12
Experimental Studies of Mars-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
............................................................................................................. 4
viii Conference on Early Mars
Microbial Diversity in Hyperthermophilic Biofilms: Implications for
Recognizing Biogenicity in Hydrothermal Deposits
S. L. Cady, C. E. Blank, D. 3. Des Marais, M. R. Walter, and 3. D. Farmer 15
The Highlands Crest 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 of Water on Young Planets: The Effect of a Strong Primitive
Solar Wind
E. Chassefidre ................................................................................................................................... 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. Clifford ................................................ 18
The Origin of the Martian Intercrater Plains: The Role of Liquefaction from
Impact and Tectonic-induced Seismicity
S. M. Clifford ................................................................................................................. _.................. 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 CO 2Ice Clouds on the Early Martian Climate
D. Crisp and R. T. Pierrehumbert
................................................................................................. ... 21
Degradation of the Martian Cratered Highlands: The Role of Circum-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. 3. Drake ....................................................................................................................................... 24
Volatile Inventories of Mars and Earth and Their Implication for the Evolution of
Planetary Atmospheres
G. Dreibus, H. Wiinke, and G. trY.Lugmair ..................................................................................... 26