RT Journal Article
T1 Multi-analytical characterization of an oncoid from a high altitude hypersaline lake using techniques employed in the Mars2020 and Rosalind  Franklin missions on Mars
A1 Huidobro, J.
A1 Madariaga, Juan Manuel
A1 Carrizo, David
A1 Laserna-Vázquez, José Javier
A1 Rull, Fernando
A1 Martínez-Frías, Jesús
A1 Aramendia, J.
A1 Sánchez-García, L.
A1 García-Gómez, Laura
A1 Vignale, F.A.
A1 Farías, M.E.
A1 Veneranda, M.
A1 Población, I.
A1 Cabalín-Robles, Luisa María
A1 López-Reyes, G.
A1 Coloma, L.
A1 García-Florentino, C.
A1 Arana, G.
A1 Castro, K.
A1 Delgado-Pérez, Tomás
A1 Álvarez-Llamas, César
A1 Fortes Roman, F.J.
A1 Manrique, J.A.
K1 Exobiología
K1 Lagos salados - Análisis
AB In this work, a geological sample of great astrobiological interest was studied through analytical techniques that are currently operating in situ on Mars and others that will operate in the near future. The sample analyzed consisted of an oncoid, which is a type of microbialite, collected in the Salar Carachi Pampa, Argentina. The main peculiarity of microbialites is that they are organo-sedimentary deposits formed by the in situ fixation and precipitation of calcium carbonate due to the growth and metabolic activities of microorganisms. For this reason, the Carachi Pampa oncoid was selected as a Martian analog for astrobiogeochemistry study. In this sense, the sample was characterized by means of the PIXL-like, SuperCam-like and SHERLOC-like instruments, which represent instruments on board the NASA Perseverance rover, and by means of RLS-like and MOMA-like instruments, which represent instruments on board the future ESA Rosalind Franklin rover. It was possible to verify that the most important conclusions and discoveries have been obtained from the combination of the results. Likewise, it was also shown that Perseverance rover-like remote-sensing instruments allowed a first detailed characterization of the biogeochemistry of the Martian surface. With this first characterization, areas of interest for in-depth analysis with Rosalind Franklin-like instruments could be identified. Therefore, from a first remote- sensing elemental identification (PIXL-like instrument), followed by a remote-sensing molecular characterization (SuperCam and SHERLOC-like instruments) and ending with an in-depth microscopic analysis (RLS and MOMA- like instruments), a wide variety of compounds were found. On the one hand, the expected minerals were carbonates, such as aragonite, calcite and high-magnesium calcite. On the other hand, unexpected compounds consisted of minerals related to the Martian/terrestrial surface (feldspars, pyroxenes, hematite) and organic compounds related to the past biological activity related to the oncoid (kerogen, lipid biomarkers and carotenes). Considering samples resembling microbialites have already been found on Mars and that one of the main objectives of the missions is to identify traces of past life, the study of microbialites is a potential way to find biosignatures protected from the inhospitable Martian environment. In addition, it should be noted that in this work, further conclusions have been obtained through the study of the results as a whole, which could also be carried out on Mars.
PB Elsevier
YR 2023
FD 2023
LK https://hdl.handle.net/10630/45914
UL https://hdl.handle.net/10630/45914
LA eng
NO J. Huidobro, J.M. Madariaga, D. Carrizo, J.L. Laserna, F. Rull, J. Martínez-Frías, J. Aramendia, L. Sánchez-García, L. García-Gómez, F.A. Vignale, M.E. Farías, M. Veneranda, I. Población, L.M. Cabalín, G. López-Reyes, L. Coloma, C. García-Florentino, G. Arana, K. Castro, T. Delgado, C. Álvarez-Llamas, F.J. Fortes, J.A. Manrique. Multi-analytical characterization of an oncoid from a high altitude hypersaline lake using techniques employed in the Mars2020 and Rosalind Franklin missions on Mars. Anal. Chim. Acta, 1276 (2023), Article 341632, 10.1016/j.aca.2023.341632
DS RIUMA. Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Málaga
RD 19 mar 2026