Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Photochemical Cycling Of Reactive Oxygen Species In Hydrothermal Systems: Impacts On Biosignature Preservation, Megan A. Mave

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Life originated on early Earth, despite harsh, highly reducing conditions. Life may have also emerged on early Mars, when conditions on the two planets were similar (i.e. before atmosphere loss and desiccation). NASA’s 2020 Mars rover mission aims to identify biosignatures (i.e. evidence of life) in early Martian deposits. Potential exploration sites include extinct hydrothermal springs, due to their high habitability and preservation potential. This study aims to better understand biosignature preservation in hydrothermal systems analogous to those on early Mars (i.e. reducing and Fe-rich).

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are highly reactive molecules formed primarily by photochemical reactions. ROS are …

Aluminum In Silica Phases Formed In Hot Springs, Nancy W. Hinman, J. Michelle Kotler

Geosciences Faculty Publications

Sinters are difficult to characterize with traditional methods and are often described by their chemical composition alone. Yet information about the depositional environment and possible diagenetic processes is available in atomic structure. This study probes the atomic structure of siliceous sinters from two geothermal areas using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopic techniques. Specifically, this study demonstrated that Al is present in tetrahedral coordination with or without octahedral coordination in geyserites from Yellowstone National Park, WY, USA and Geyser Valley, Kamchatka, Russia.