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Evaluation Of Jarosite As A Biosignature: A Comparison Of Biogenic And Synthetic Jarosites, Liane Loiselle

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The detection of jarosite (K)Fe₃(SO₄)₂OH₆ on Mars has been interpreted as mineralogical evidence of acid-sulfate aqueous processes, including putative evidence of biological activity. Terrestrial habitats where acidic conditions occur are environments where microbiota thrive and generate biological signatures. A biotic and synthetic jarosite were produced to evaluate the ability and effectiveness of existing analytical methods to identify biosignatures in targeted geological materials. Using a comprehensive suite of microscopic (light microscopy, SEM and TEM), mineralogical (XRD), spectroscopic (IR, LIBS, Mössbauer, UV-Vis-NIR, and Raman) and mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) techniques, the two jarosites were found to …