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Alkaline Hypersaline Lakes as Analogs for Ancient Microbial Habitats on MarsAs the climate of ancient Mars became colder and drier with time, open bodies of water would have entered a regime in which evaporation exceeded input from precipitation or runoff. This would have resulted in increases in salinity and perhaps pH. The last open water on Mars was most likely found in alkaline hypersaline lakes, and these lakes would have been the last surface aquatic habitats for life on Mars. It follows, then, that the biomarkers most likely to be found in ancient sedimentary basins on Mars are those left by organisms adapted to high salt and high pH environments. We have begun to investigate the nature of biological diversity and adaptation to these environments, and the potential for biomarker preservation in them, using Mono Lake as a terrestrial analog environment. Additional information is contained in the original extended abstract.
Document ID
20000110407
Acquisition Source
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
McDonald, G. D.
(Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA United States)
Tsapin, A. I.
(Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA United States)
Storrie-Lombardi, M. C.
(Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA United States)
Nealson, K. H.
(Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA United States)
Brinton, K. L. F.
(Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA United States)
Sun, H.
(Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA United States)
Venkateswaren, K.
(Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA United States)
Tsapin, I.
(Moscow State Univ. Russia)
Melack, J.
(California Univ. Santa Barbara, CA United States)
Jellison, R.
(California Univ. Santa Barbara, CA United States)
Date Acquired
August 19, 2013
Publication Date
July 1, 1999
Publication Information
Publication: The Fifth International Conference on Mars
Subject Category
Lunar And Planetary Science And Exploration
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.

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