Detection of reduced carbon in a basalt analogue for martian nakhlite: a signpost to habitat on Mars

John Parnell, Sean McMahon, Nigel J.F. Blamey, Ian B. Hutchinson, Liam V. Harris, Richard Ingley, Howell G.M. Edwards, Edward Lynch, Martin Feely

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

The Nakhla meteorite represents basaltic rock from the martian upper crust, with reduced carbon indicative of the ingress of carbonaceous fluids. Study of a terrestrial analogue basalt with reduced carbon from the Ordovician of Northern Ireland shows that remote analysis could detect the carbon using Raman spectroscopy. Analysis of gases released by crushing detects methane-rich fluids in the basalt and especially in cross-cutting carbon-bearing veinlets. The results suggest that automated analysis on Mars could detect the reduced carbon, which may be derived from magmatic and/or meteoritic infall sources.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)124-131
Number of pages8
JournalInternational Journal of Astrobiology
Volume13
Issue number2
Early online date25 Oct 2013
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Apr 2014

Keywords / Materials (for Non-textual outputs)

  • basalt
  • carbon
  • Mars
  • nakhlite
  • Raman spectroscopy

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