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Distribution of Raman biosignatures in salt nodules from the hyperarid core of the Atacama Desert

Baque, Mickael und Sager, Christof und Airo, A. und Schulze-Makuch, D. und de Vera, Jean Pierre Paul (2018) Distribution of Raman biosignatures in salt nodules from the hyperarid core of the Atacama Desert. 18th European Workshop on Astrobiology EANA2018, 2018-09-24 - 2018-09-28, Berlin, Germany.

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Kurzfassung

Even in one of the driest places on Earth, the Atacama Desert, life has found adaptive strategies to decreasing amounts of water: from refuges inside or below rocks as endoliths or hypoliths to inside salts in hygroscopic niches (Davila & Schulze-Makuch, 2016). In the hyperarid core though, one of the last refuges for life are inside salt crusts using deliquescence as a water source or in the subsurface waiting for transitory episodes of increased moisture (Schulze-Makuch et al., 2018). These adaptive strategies might also apply to a putative Martian life which endured a transition from a water rich past to the very harsh surface conditions of the present and giving us clues on where to best look for traces of life on the Red Planet. Salt crusts and salt nodules are particularly interesting targets in this regard because they reside on or very near the surface and are thus easily accessible to future robotic missions. In the Atacama, salt nodules have been shown to host photosynthetic organisms containing easily identifiable pigments by Raman spectroscopy such as carotenoids or scytonemin. Mostly composed of halite, they are associated with polygonated soils, but their formation processes are still not fully understood. Salt nodules occur in varying morphologies which can control micro-environmental conditions and possibly microbial colonization (habitation of “micro-niches”). One of the most damaging factors for life and its remains, both in the Atacama and on Mars, is solar radiation. To investigate the distribution of potential Raman signatures in micro-niches we mapped/reconstructed the sampling areas using photogrammetry techniques and plotted the dose received according to the nodules’ orientation. We then analysed salt nodules sections using Raman mapping to infer any relations between the amount of light received and the presence of detectable signal. Raman instruments are indeed part of the next two rover missions to Mars: ESA/Roscosmos’s ExoMars2020 and NASA’s Mars2020. To support and interpret future spectroscopic data correctly, a better understanding of potential habitable environments and putative biosignatures, using analogue environments such as the Atacama Desert, is of paramount importance.

elib-URL des Eintrags:https://elib.dlr.de/125709/
Dokumentart:Konferenzbeitrag (Poster)
Titel:Distribution of Raman biosignatures in salt nodules from the hyperarid core of the Atacama Desert
Autoren:
AutorenInstitution oder E-Mail-AdresseAutoren-ORCID-iDORCID Put Code
Baque, MickaelMickael.Baque (at) dlr.dehttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-6696-6030NICHT SPEZIFIZIERT
Sager, ChristofCenter of Astronomy & Astrophysics, Technical University BerlinNICHT SPEZIFIZIERTNICHT SPEZIFIZIERT
Airo, A.Center of Astronomy & Astrophysics, Technical University Berlin, 10623 Berlin, GermanyNICHT SPEZIFIZIERTNICHT SPEZIFIZIERT
Schulze-Makuch, D.TU Berlin, GermanyNICHT SPEZIFIZIERTNICHT SPEZIFIZIERT
de Vera, Jean Pierre Pauljean-pierre.devera (at) dlr.deNICHT SPEZIFIZIERTNICHT SPEZIFIZIERT
Datum:2018
Referierte Publikation:Nein
Open Access:Ja
Gold Open Access:Nein
In SCOPUS:Nein
In ISI Web of Science:Nein
Status:veröffentlicht
Stichwörter:Atacama, Mars, Raman spectroscopy, biosignatures, salt nodules
Veranstaltungstitel:18th European Workshop on Astrobiology EANA2018
Veranstaltungsort:Berlin, Germany
Veranstaltungsart:internationale Konferenz
Veranstaltungsbeginn:24 September 2018
Veranstaltungsende:28 September 2018
HGF - Forschungsbereich:Luftfahrt, Raumfahrt und Verkehr
HGF - Programm:Raumfahrt
HGF - Programmthema:Erforschung des Weltraums
DLR - Schwerpunkt:Raumfahrt
DLR - Forschungsgebiet:R EW - Erforschung des Weltraums
DLR - Teilgebiet (Projekt, Vorhaben):R - Vorhaben Planetary Evolution and Life (alt)
Standort: Berlin-Adlershof
Institute & Einrichtungen:Institut für Planetenforschung > Leitungsbereich PF
Hinterlegt von: Baqué, Dr. Mickael
Hinterlegt am:08 Jan 2019 09:04
Letzte Änderung:24 Apr 2024 20:29

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