Origin of terrestrial gypsum dunes—Implications for Martian gypsum-rich dunes of Olympia Undae

Szynkiewicz, Anna; Ewing, R. C.; Moore, Craig H.; Glamoclija, M.; Bustos, David; Pratt, Lisa M.

doi:10.1016/j.geomorph.2009.02.017

Cited by 68 publications

(56 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…The biological data suggest a continual presence of water in this oasis in northern Mexico, first as a sea and then as subterranean hydrologic systems. Evaporites (mineral sediments that result from evaporation) of different ages indicate that aquatic environments have always been present at the CCB (Minckley and Jackson, 2008;Szynkiewicz et al, 2010;Wilson and Pit, 2010). Consistent with our research efforts and those of others, it might appear that, over time, the chemistry of the ancient subterranean continental waters changed from sodium chloride to calcium, magnesium, sulfate, and carbonate ions that dominate the current chemistry (Minckley and Cole, 1968;Forti et al, 2003).…”

Section: The Ccb As a Model For Preservation Of Past Local Ecosystemsupporting

confidence: 83%

The Cuatro Ciénegas Basin in Coahuila, Mexico: An Astrobiological Precambrian Park

et al. 2012

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The Cuatro Ciénegas Basin (CCB) is a rare oasis in the Chihuahuan Desert in the state of Coahuila, Mexico. It has a biological endemism similar to that of the Galapagos Islands, and its spring-fed ecosystems have very low nutrient content (nitrogen or phosphorous) and are dominated by diverse microbialites. Thus, it has proven to be a distinctive opportunity for the field of astrobiology, as the CCB can be seen as a proxy for an earlier time in Earth's history, in particular the late Precambrian, the biological frontier when prokaryotic life yielded at least partial dominance to eukaryotes and multicellular life. It is a kind of ecological time machine that provides abundant opportunities for collaborative investigations by geochemists, geologists, ecologists, and population biologists in the study of the evolutionary processes that structured Earth-based life, especially in the microbial realm. The CCB is an object of investigation for the identification of biosignatures of past and present biota that can be used in our search for extraterrestrial life. In this review, we summarize CCB research efforts that began with microbial ecology and population biology projects and have since been expanded into broader efforts that involve biogeochemistry, comparative genomics, and assessments of biosignatures. We also propose that, in the future, the CCB is sanctioned as a ''Precambrian Park'' for astrobiology.

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Section: The Ccb As a Model For Preservation Of Past Local Ecosystemsupporting

confidence: 83%

The Cuatro Ciénegas Basin in Coahuila, Mexico: An Astrobiological Precambrian Park

et al. 2012

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“…A smaller gypsum grain is more difficult to detect with the OMEGA instrument (Masse et al, 2012). The analog of terrestrial gypsum dunes provide useful insights into the chemical stability of gypsum dunes at Olympia Undae (Szynkiewicz et al, 2010).…”

Section: Sediment Composition On Marsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Recent developments in planetary Aeolian studies and their terrestrial analogs

2013

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“…However, with the martian sea having left its imprint in the deposition of sediments over geological time in the central mount of Gale Crater, the Mars Science Laboratory will be able to trace the change in chemical stoichiometry as a biosignature with regard to martian eras. On the other hand, the great depth of impact craters, such as Gale Crater, may allow the breaching of local aquifers and thus in theory provide a source of water for lakes and hydrothermal systems (Newsom et al, 2001;Szynkiewicz et al, 2010). Nevertheless, if life exists or has existed in Gale Crater, it is very possible that it left a biosignature imprint in the gypsum crystals (Edwards et al, 2005).…”

Section: Concluding Remarks and Perspectivesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…At the CCB, gypsum dune fields at Churince are extremely pure, and their d 34 S values range from 14.6% to 15.9%, placing the main source of dissolved sulfate as evaporite strata of Middle Permian to Cretaceous ages (Szynkiewicz et al, 2010). The gypsum deposits of the CCB are the product of magmatic activity that occurred under the Tethys Sea.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The gypsum deposits of the CCB are the product of magmatic activity that occurred under the Tethys Sea. These evaporite deposits are unique in that they are overlain by minimal deposits of carbonate (Szynkiewicz et al, 2010). Besides magmatic activity, gypsum can arise from hydrothermal systems formed by way of meteorite impacts in water-bearing regions (Edwards et al, 2005).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Bacterial Communities and the Nitrogen Cycle in the Gypsum Soils of Cuatro Ciénegas Basin, Coahuila: A Mars Analogue

et al. 2012

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The OMEGA/Mars Express hyperspectral imager identified gypsum at several sites on Mars in 2005. These minerals constitute a direct record of past aqueous activity and are important with regard to the search of extraterrestrial life. Gale Crater was chosen as Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity's landing site because it is rich in gypsum, as are some desert soils of the Cuatro Ciénegas Basin (CCB) (Chihuahuan Desert, Mexico). The gypsum of the CCB, which is overlain by minimal carbonate deposits, was the product of magmatic activity that occurred under the Tethys Sea. To examine this Mars analogue, we retrieved gypsum-rich soil samples from two contrasting sites with different humidity in the CCB. To characterize the site, we obtained nutrient data and analyzed the genes related to the N cycle (nifH, nirS, and nirK) and the bacterial community composition by using 16S rRNA clone libraries. As expected, the soil content for almost all measured forms of carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus were higher at the more humid site than at the drier site. What was unexpected is the presence of a rich and divergent community at both sites, with higher taxonomic diversity at the humid site and almost no taxonomic overlap. Our results suggest that the gypsum-rich soils of the CCB host a unique microbial ecosystem that includes novel microbial assemblies.

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Origin of terrestrial gypsum dunes—Implications for Martian gypsum-rich dunes of Olympia Undae

Cited by 68 publications

References 30 publications

The Cuatro Ciénegas Basin in Coahuila, Mexico: An Astrobiological Precambrian Park

The Cuatro Ciénegas Basin in Coahuila, Mexico: An Astrobiological Precambrian Park

Recent developments in planetary Aeolian studies and their terrestrial analogs

Bacterial Communities and the Nitrogen Cycle in the Gypsum Soils of Cuatro Ciénegas Basin, Coahuila: A Mars Analogue

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