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<p>Phosphorus is an essential component for life, and in-situ identification of phosphate minerals that formed in aqueous conditions directly contributes toward one of the main goals of the Mars 2020 <i>Perseverance</i> rover: to seek signs of ancient habitable environments. In Jezero crater, proximity science analyses within a conglomerate outcrop, “<i>Onahu</i>” demonstrate the presence of rare Fe<sup>3+</sup>-bearing phosphate minerals (likely metavivianite, ferrolaueite, (ferro)beraunite, and/or santabarbaraite) embedded in a carbonate-rich matrix. While Fe-phosphates have been inferred previously on Mars, this work presents the most definitive in-situ identification of martian Fe-phosphate minerals to date, using textural, chemical, spectral, and diffraction analyses of discrete green-blue grains. The Fe-phosphate minerals’ textural context along with comparisons to Earth analogs suggest they likely formed after oxidation of Fe<sup>2+</sup>-phosphate vivianite, the most common Fe-phosphate in sedimentary environments on Earth, often associated with microbial activity and organics. While there is no obvious evidence of biological inputs in <i>Onahu</i>, if the Fe-phosphates’ formation environment was similar to vivianite-rich sedimentary environments on Earth, these minerals likely originally precipitated in conditions favorable to potential martian life — in a low temperature, reducing aqueous medium with high concentrations of bio-limiting elements, and Fe-redox gradients that could provide an energy source. If the sample collected from <i>Onahu</i> (<i>Otis_Peak</i>) is returned to Earth, analysis of the Fe-phosphates may provide new insights into ancient habitable environments on Mars.</p>

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Fe-phosphates in Jezero Crater as evidence for an ancient habitable environment on Mars

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

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  • 发表日期：

    2025年7月14日

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  • T. V. Kizovski,
  • M. E. Schmidt,
  • L. O’Neil,
  • M. W. M. Jones,
  • N. J. Tosca,
  • D. A. Klevang,
  • J. A. Hurowitz,
  • C. T. Adcock,
  • E. M. Hausrath,
  • K. L. Siebach,
  • Z. U. Wolf,
  • S. Sharma,
  • S. J. VanBommel,
  • F. M. McCubbin,
  • E. Cloutis,
  • M. L. Cable,
  • Y. Liu,
  • B. C. Clark,
  • A. H. Treiman,
  • M. M. Tice,
  • D. C. Catling,
  • J. Maki,
  • T. Bosak,
  • B. P. Weiss,
  • A. G. Fairén,
  • J. R. Christian,
  • A. L. Knight,
  • A. O. Shumway,
  • N. R. Randazzo,
  • P. S. Jørgensen,
  • P. R. Lawson,
  • L. Wade,
  • C. Heirwegh,
  • W. T. Elam,
  • A. C. Allwood

摘要

Phosphorus is an essential component for life, and in-situ identification of phosphate minerals that formed in aqueous conditions directly contributes toward one of the main goals of the Mars 2020 Perseverance rover: to seek signs of ancient habitable environments. In Jezero crater, proximity science analyses within a conglomerate outcrop, “Onahu” demonstrate the presence of rare Fe3+-bearing phosphate minerals (likely metavivianite, ferrolaueite, (ferro)beraunite, and/or santabarbaraite) embedded in a carbonate-rich matrix. While Fe-phosphates have been inferred previously on Mars, this work presents the most definitive in-situ identification of martian Fe-phosphate minerals to date, using textural, chemical, spectral, and diffraction analyses of discrete green-blue grains. The Fe-phosphate minerals’ textural context along with comparisons to Earth analogs suggest they likely formed after oxidation of Fe2+-phosphate vivianite, the most common Fe-phosphate in sedimentary environments on Earth, often associated with microbial activity and organics. While there is no obvious evidence of biological inputs in Onahu, if the Fe-phosphates’ formation environment was similar to vivianite-rich sedimentary environments on Earth, these minerals likely originally precipitated in conditions favorable to potential martian life — in a low temperature, reducing aqueous medium with high concentrations of bio-limiting elements, and Fe-redox gradients that could provide an energy source. If the sample collected from Onahu (Otis_Peak) is returned to Earth, analysis of the Fe-phosphates may provide new insights into ancient habitable environments on Mars.