Snowball morphology and SEM analysis of pedogenic gypsum, southern New Mexico, U.S.A.

Buck, Brenda J.; Hoesen, John Van

doi:10.1006/jare.2001.0849

Cited by 8 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 23 publications

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“…Just like the aforementioned hypersaline shores and wetlands, the hyperarid Yungay core also harbors endoevaporitic halotolerant communities within gypsum nodules that are adjacent to halite layers. It is worth noting that despite being situated in a hyperarid setting such as the Atacama Desert, the hygroscopic nature of gypsum (a property of attraction and retention of water molecules via absorption or adsorption) will make it one of the last microniches with available remaining water, and thus, favoring endolithic life (Buck and Van Hoesen, 2002 ; Dong et al , 2007 ; Farías and Saona Acuña, 2020 ).…”

Section: Hypersaline Environmentsmentioning

confidence: 99%

An Overview of Lipid Biomarkers in Terrestrial Extreme Environments with Relevance for Mars Exploration

et al. 2023

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Lipid molecules are organic compounds, insoluble in water, and based on carbon-carbon chains that form an integral part of biological cell membranes. As such, lipids are ubiquitous in life on Earth, which is why they are considered useful biomarkers for life detection in terrestrial environments. These molecules display effective membrane-forming properties even under geochemically hostile conditions that challenge most of microbial life, which grants lipids a universal biomarker character suitable for life detection beyond Earth, where a putative biological membrane would also be required. What discriminates lipids from nucleic acids or proteins is their capacity to retain diagnostic information about their biological source in their recalcitrant hydrocarbon skeletons for thousands of millions of years, which is indispensable in the field of astrobiology given the time span that the geological ages of planetary bodies encompass. This work gathers studies that have employed lipid biomarker approaches for paleoenvironmental surveys and life detection purposes in terrestrial environments with extreme conditions: hydrothermal, hyperarid, hypersaline, and highly acidic, among others; all of which are analogous to current or past conditions on Mars. Although some of the compounds discussed in this review may be abiotically synthesized, we focus on those with a biological origin, namely lipid biomarkers. Therefore, along with appropriate complementary techniques such as bulk and compound-specific stable carbon isotope analysis, this work recapitulates and reevaluates the potential of lipid biomarkers as an additional, powerful tool to interrogate whether there is life on Mars, or if there ever was.

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Section: Hypersaline Environmentsmentioning

confidence: 99%

An Overview of Lipid Biomarkers in Terrestrial Extreme Environments with Relevance for Mars Exploration

et al. 2023

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“…Besides, the formation of argillic horizons in arid soils of Central Iran was attributed to a more humid paleoclimate reported by Nadimi and Farpoor (2013). The size, shape, and position of gypsum crystals, within the soil matrix, have been used to determine their origin (Buck and Van Hoesen, 2002). It has been suggested that diversity of crystal morphology results from changing micro-environmental conditions in soils through time (Amit and Yaalon, 1996).…”

Section: Physicochemical Propertiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…They stated that well-crystallized gypsum was observed in soils with the lighter texture. The shape, size, and position of gypsum crystals, within the soil matrix, were used to determine their source (Buck and Van Hoesen, 2002;Carter and Inskeep, 1988). Calcite is one of the best studied, but also one of the most flexible pedogenic minerals.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Soil-landscape relationship as indicated by pedogenesis data on selected soils from Southwestern, Iran

Owliaie¹,

Najafi‐Ghiri²,

Shakeri³

2018

Eurasian Journal of Soil Science (Ejss)

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Article Info Received : 02.10.2017 Accepted : 02.01.2018 Soils of semiarid regions of Dehdasht and Choram in Southwestern Iran have formed on alluvium derived from mixed calcareous-gypsiferous materials from Lower Miocene to Upper Pliocene. In order to characterize and classify the soils and to determine the soillandscape relationship in the area, nine pedons located on different physiographic positions including plateau, river alluvial plain, piedmont plain, alluvial plain and alluvial fan have been described, sampled and analyzed. Physicochemical analyses, clay mineralogy and micromorphological studies were performed. The results showed that topography and parent material were two important soil forming factors affecting soil formation in the area. The soils were dominated by carbonate, gypsum, and clay illuviation and accumulation. More developed soils were found on the stable plateau and piedmont plain. Clay illuviation and argillic horizon development in soils of the more stable alluvial plain were assumed to be relict features from presumably more humid climates. Palygorskite, illite, chlorite, smectite, kaolinite, and quartz clay minerals were identified in almost all physiographic surfaces, but more palygorskite and less smectite were found in the soils with gypsiferous parent materials. Observations by SEM revealed the occurrence of neoformed palygorskite as thread-like faces and coating of gypsum crystals and marly matrix. Coating and infilling of gypsum and calcite crystals in voids and channels were common pedofeatures observed in the soils studied. Two different distribution patterns of Fe-Mn oxides were identified in aquic and non-aquic soils.

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“…is controlled by the geology of the parent materials (Eswaran and Zi-Tong, 1991) and/or mechanisms that introduce the required cations or anions (Buck et al, 2002;Herrero and Porta, 2000), such as a changing groundwater level (Mees, 2003). Distribution of gypsum and soluble salts within the profile depends on the prevailing climatic conditions.…”

Section: Distribution Of Gypsum And/or Halite-bearing Soilsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Polygenetic saline gypsiferous soils of the Bam region, Southeast Iran

Moghiseh

Heidari

2012

J. Soil Sci. Plant Nutr.

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Gypsiferous and saline soils are among the major soils of arid and semi-arid regions of the world. Although numerous studies on salic, gypsic and petrogypsic horizons have been carried out, the co-occurrence of gypsum and halite and their morphological expression are still poorly documented. Eight pedons located on a co-alluvial fan (Bam area, southeast Iran) were described, sampled and analyzed for physicochemical and micromorphological characteristics based on standard methods. The highest amounts of gypsum (≈ 60 %) comprising xenotopic gypsum and/or fibrous bassanite pseudomorph remaining behind after xenotopic gypsum dehydration were determined in the surface crust and in the underlying 2Byz horizon. At a depth of 15 cm, a horizon cemented by gypsum and halite was observed. The highest amount of gypsum was determined at the upper part of this horizon followed by a sharp decreasing trend towards the lower depth. The amount of halite increases with increasing depth towards the bottom of 3Byzm horizon. Deeper, in the 5Byz horizon the quantity of gypsum increases drastically and coarse elongated gypsum pendants dominate. Micromorphological observations demonstrate that the dominant cementing agent is halite rather than gypsum. However, due to inexistence of petrosalic diagnostic horizon in Keys to Soil Taxonomy, these soils are to be classified as Petrogypsic Haplosalids at subgroup level in Soil Taxonomy. In WRB Taxonomy, they are classified as Petrosalic Solonchaks. Co-occurrence of gypsum and halite in the same horizon, their specific layering and vertical distribution patterns in the studied pedons might be considered as indicators for polygenetic soils in this area.

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Snowball morphology and SEM analysis of pedogenic gypsum, southern New Mexico, U.S.A.

Cited by 8 publications

References 23 publications

An Overview of Lipid Biomarkers in Terrestrial Extreme Environments with Relevance for Mars Exploration

An Overview of Lipid Biomarkers in Terrestrial Extreme Environments with Relevance for Mars Exploration

Soil-landscape relationship as indicated by pedogenesis data on selected soils from Southwestern, Iran

Polygenetic saline gypsiferous soils of the Bam region, Southeast Iran

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