Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons™

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Earth Sciences

University of Montana

Astrobiology

Articles 1 - 2 of 2

Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics

Modeling Stromatolite Formation With Diffusion-Limited Aggregation, Laura E. Stevens Jan 2021

Modeling Stromatolite Formation With Diffusion-Limited Aggregation, Laura E. Stevens

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Stromatolites, microbialites, and other microbially induced sedimentary structures exist in the rock record as far back as 3.6 billion years ago and continue to form in the present day. Better characterizing these structures and better understanding how they form is crucial in distinguishing these biosignatures from similar, abiotic structures, which can help us to understand the conditions of early Earth and early Mars. To that end, I have modified DLA 3D EXT, an open-source stromatolite modeling program, to more closely reflect the process of microbial trapping-and-binding by filamentous microbes in a calcite-precipitating hot spring system. This modified program includes a …

Go to article

Water-Rock Interaction And Life, Nancy W. Hinman Jan 2013

Water-Rock Interaction And Life, Nancy W. Hinman

Geosciences Faculty Publications

Water-rock interactions play a critical role in the origin, existence, and prospects of life. Minerals are sources of energy and nutrients. Life uses aqueous chemical gradients to access and use minerals. Chemical disequilibrium, therefore, represents one type of biotic signature. Life also controls other types of disequilibrium, including isotopic disequilibrium and morphology. Water is a fundamental contributor to all of these biosignatures, acting as a medium for mass transfer and a reservoir for components. Distinguishing biosignatures from abiotic signatures challenges instrumental capabilities. Finally, the ubiquity and heterogenous distribution of life on Earth challenges the ability to interpret different types of …

Go to article