With the discovery of Na-sulfate minerals (thenardite, mirabilite) on Mars and Europa, recent studies using these minerals have focused on their ability to assist in the detection of biosignatures. On Earth, biotic and biotic processes can assist in the formation and deposition of these minerals. A primary objective of these studies is the detection of bio/organic compounds that may be associated with the mineral. These biosignatures would imply biological involvement during mineral formation. The following research presents a series of natural and synthetic investigations to determine if biological activity is associated with Na-sulfate mineralization, and if these minerals can assist in detecting bio/organic compounds. Evidence for biological activity associated with the formation of Na-sulfate deposits in the basaltic subsurface of Craters of the Moon National Monument, Idaho was examined by laser desorption Fourier transform mass spectrometry (LD-FTMS), infrared spectroscopy and sulfur isotopic fractionation. These experiments show that bio/organic compounds are likely associated with the secondary Na-sulfate minerals, suggesting biological involvement in the mineralization of these deposits. LD-FTMS results of the synthetic bio/organic-mineral combinations show the potential of Na-sulfate minerals to assist in the detection and identification of bio/organic compounds. These results prove the importance of Na-sulfate minerals for future exploration missions that are likely to use LDMS to search for signs of life in the solar system.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:MONTANA/oai:etd.lib.umt.edu:etd-06082010-080302 |
| Date | 29 June 2010 |
| Creators | Richardson, Charles Doc |
| Contributors | Carrine Blank, James Sears, Michael DeGrandpre, Julie Baldwin, Jill Scott, Nancy Hinman |
| Publisher | The University of Montana |
| Source Sets | University of Montana Missoula |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | http://etd.lib.umt.edu/theses/available/etd-06082010-080302/ |
| Rights | unrestricted, I hereby certify that, if appropriate, I have obtained and attached hereto a written permission statement from the owner(s) of each third party copyrighted matter to be included in my thesis, dissertation, or project report, allowing distribution as specified below. I certify that the version I submitted is the same as that approved by my advisory committee. I hereby grant to University of Montana or its agents the non-exclusive license to archive and make accessible, under the conditions specified below, my thesis, dissertation, or project report in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. I retain all other ownership rights to the copyright of the thesis, dissertation or project report. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of this thesis, dissertation, or project report. |
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