Understanding Mars by studying Earth

Our research focuses on geochemical changes across Mars’ history. We use rocks and soils collected from extreme environments here on Earth to serve as analogs for Martian conditions.

 

Major themes in our research

  • Mars Geochemistry and Spectroscopy

    Previous Mars missions have found water-bearing minerals and rocks all over the planet. The formation conditions (e.g. temperature, pH) of these rocks reveals clues about Mars’ past and present climate.

    Our group is working with a wide range of Martian materials, and analogue soils from Earth, to understand the (geo)chemical history, climate and habitability of the Red Planet.

    Would you like to dive in to the world of minerals and rocks on Earth and the other planets? Check out our papers!

    Characterization of Gypsum Using Vibrational Spectroscopy and XRD from Low to High Temperature and Applications to Mars, Lunar and Planetary Institute (LPI), 2678, #2396, 53rd Lunar and Planetary Science Conference (2022).

    Particle size controls on water adsorption and condensation regimes at mineral surfaces, Scientific Reports, 6(1), 1-10.

    Cohesive Vibrational and Structural Depiction of Intercalated Water in Montmorillonite, ACS Earth and Space Chemistry, 2(1), 38-47.

  • Ice interfacial chemistry on minerals

    Mars is known as a frozen desert, however, the martian poles host a vast amount of ice in the types of briny ice and CO2 ice. When the martian regolith interact with ice, they can form thin water-ice films, whose surface thickness can be ranged from a few nm to micron-sized. These formed thin films provide an interfacial reactive media to interact with surrounding environment. We study how (i) martian brines and brine mixtures and (ii) atmospheric gases (e.g. CO2 and methane) interact with these reactive thin water-ice films formed on rocks in molecular level using vibrational spectroscopy.

    Would you like to explore the fascinating world of ice interfacial chemistry on minerals and rocks? Here are a few example study:

    Residence times of nanoconfined CO2 in layered aluminosilicates, RSC Environmental Science: Nano, 6(1), 146-151.

    Carbon dioxide binding in supercooled water nanofilms on minerals, RSC Environmental Science: Nano, 7(2), 437-442.

  • Astrobiology

    We are searching for the biosignatures such as low molecular weight organic acids, lipids and amino acids that could be stabilized on the surfaces and inside the grains of martian analog soils. We are using the vibrational spectroscopy under martian conditions (e.g low-temperature, UV-irradiation) to explore these biosignatures as a possible evidence for life on Mars. Then, we use the remote sensing techniques to explore if any of the biosignature formation and preservation conditions could be formed on Mars.

    We are currently studying hard for this task. Would you like to contribute for this studies? Contact us!

A few of our favorite projects!

Is there water on Mars?
Follow the cryosalts!

The extreme conditions on Mars do not allow stable liquid water on the surface. However, salts can depress the freezing point of water well below 0 °C, forming liquid salty brines depending on their specific deliquescence/efflorescence features.

While Ca-chlorides can melt the ice ~-49 °C, Ca-perchlorate salts can form the liquid brines ~-69 °C. Chlorides, chlorates, perchlorates and sulphates are distributed all over the planet Mars. What if we look for these salt mixtures inside of martian analogue soils? Could we still form and stabilize the transient liquid salty brines on the martian near surface? What is the role of the martian regolith?

To resolve this, we use martian analogues collected from Antarctica, Hawaii and the other extreme environments on Earth to understand the martian (geo)chemistry. We use vibrational spectroscopy to detect the phase changes of water and cryosalts inside the martian analogue soils and salt mixtures from (i) permafrost to (ii) slush, followed by (iii) thin water films formed between grains then to the (iv) dried state of minerals.

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cracked red martian soil

Carbon dioxide and methane binding and release in martian analogues

We study how martian analogue minerals, and the thin water-ice films they host, alter the fate of CO2 in terrestrial environments and potentially on the planet Mars. Our previous studies showed us that the formation and stabilization of the (bi) carbonate species in the martian analogue minerals commonly found on Mars (e.g. iron (oxy)hydroxides, aluminosilicate clay minerals) depend on the temperature.

We are continuing these studies with new martian analogue soils to understand the environmental factors that effect methane release. Would you like to explore the effect of atmospheric gas adsorption on the martian analogues with us?

Browse our publications
satellite circling mars

Martian aqueous (geo)chemistry observed by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) instrument

We are searching for all possible water signatures on Mars including the cryosalts (e.g. chlorides, perchlorates), martian analogue minerals and rocks (iron-rich oxides, sulphates and clays), CO2 and briny ices on the martian poles. We use the CRISM data that reveals the possible visible and near-infrared spectroscopic signatures of water from the dusty martian surface and shows the water-associated geological features (e.g. lakes, ponds). We also use the High Resolution Imaging Experiment (HiRISE) camera images to track the ongoing martian surface processes and landscape evolution (e.g. Recurring Slope Lineae (RSL) features).

Martian subsurface cryosalt expansion and collapse as trigger for landslides, Science Advances, 7(6), eabe4459 (2021).

browse our publications
 

Why this work matters

We are tackling some of the biggest questions in space exploration today

Are we alone in the universe? How do we look for life on other worlds? Can other planets foster human existence? Our research sets the course for the next generation of space exploration through rigorous understanding of what life needs and where we might find it.