carbonate Archives

(a) Mastcam-Z image of the base of the delta with the Rockytop outcrop within the 6 m high scarp (sol 429, zcam08452) located at the base of the Tenby formation immediately overlying the Hogwallow Flats light-toned deposits. The white arrow indicates the fallen block where the SuperCam target Fourway has been analyzed. -- JGR Planets

Astrogeology, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Caves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Desert Worlds, Exploration Gear & Tech, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Mars, Missions & Hardware, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, Status Report

In Situ Carbonation of Sedimentary and Igneous Rocks of Ultramafic Composition in Jezero Crater, Mars

by Keith CowingMay 15, 2026May 15, 2026

Over 3.5 years of exploration in Jezero Crater, the Perseverance rover has explored several geological units of diverse origins and natures, performing multi-technique remote analyses of the chemistry and mineralogy […]

The sulfur compounds give the “yellow vent” at Kueishantao, Taiwan, its characteristic yellow color. Prof. Li-Lian Liu and her research group, Department of Oceanography, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan

Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Habitable Zones, Microbiology & Virology, Press Release, ROVs/Submersibles/Diving, Sample Return, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

How Microbes Use Earth’s Ancient Carbon

by Keith CowingMarch 11, 2026March 11, 2026

Hydrothermal vents on the ocean floor release carbon dioxide that is many million years old. This old carbon originates from the Earth’s interior, and it escapes either directly from the […]

Mineralogical map of Jezero crater explored by the Perseverance rover. This mineral map was created from near-infrared (1-2.6 µm) CRISM imagery (Parente et al., 2021) using recently developed technologies (Itoh et al., 2021; Saranathan et al., 2021) and overlain on High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE ) imagery. The basaltic rocks at the landing site are dominated by the minerals olivine (red) and pyroxene (tan). Further west, in regions called the Western Fan and Margin Unit, sedimentary rocks predominate. Smectite clay minerals rich in iron and magnesium (light to dark blue tones) and carbonate rich in magnesium and iron (green-yellow tones) were formed through aqueous processes. Unusual iron phosphate and iron sulfide minerals were found at the Bright Angel and Masonic Temple sites near Neretva Vallis (Hurowitz et al., 2025). Other iron phosphate minerals were observed at the Onahu site in the Western Fan region. Credit M. Parente

Analog Studies, Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Caves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Habitable Zones, Mars, Missions & Hardware, Origin & Evolution of Life, Planetary Protection & Biosafety, Press Release, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs

Perseverance Rover Uncovers Clues To Ancient Martian Chemistry

by Keith CowingSeptember 11, 2025

NASA’s Perseverance Rover spent three years exploring the floor of Jezero Crater, located just north of the Martian equator.

NASA’s Curiosity rover captured this photo as it ascended the Martian mountain Mt. Sharp. A study proposes a new explanation for why Mars is a barren desert today, despite having many similarities to Earth. Credit Photo by NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS

Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Desert Worlds, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Mars, Press Release

Was Mars Doomed To Be A Desert? Study Proposes A New Explanation

by Keith CowingJuly 2, 2025August 23, 2025

One of the great unsolved problems in modern planetary science is written on the surface of Mars.

One of the navigation cameras on NASA’s Perseverance captured the rover’s tracks coming from an area called “Witch Hazel Hill,” on May 13, 2025, the 1,503rd Martian day, or sol, of the mission. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Astrogeology, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Fossils & Paleontology, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mars, Missions & Hardware, Press Release

Perseverance Mars Rover Explores Krokodillen Region Of Jezero Crater

by Keith CowingMay 20, 2025May 20, 2025

NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover is exploring a new region of interest the team is calling “Krokodillen” that may contain some of the oldest rocks on Mars. The area has been […]

Astrogeology, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Mars, Missions & Hardware, Press Release, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, Tricorders & Sensors

NASA’s Curiosity Rover May Have Solved Mars’ Missing Carbonate Mystery

by Keith CowingApril 17, 2025April 17, 2025

New findings from NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover could provide an answer to the mystery of what happened to the planet’s ancient atmosphere and how Mars has evolved over time.

a–c Raman measurement of the HV wall near a fluid channel. a Overlay of the Raman map with the corresponding SEM image. The Raman map is a superimposed image of three specific peaks. The Raman map shows that the brucite and Mg-carbonate crystals are discretely located in the wall, while carbonate ions were present in all regions, indicating the adsorption of carbonate ions by the brucite. b Raman spectra of surface crystals (blue) and HV wall (red) at the positions shown in (a, c). c Map of three specific Raman peaks, red: 442.6 cm−1 (brucite lattice vibration, A1g, width 47.5 cm−1), blue: 1109.7 cm−1 (carbonate, width 73.4 cm−1), and green: 3420.7 cm−1 (interlayered water, width 98.8 cm−1). The corresponding peaks are shown in the spectra in (b). -- Nature Communications

Analog Studies, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Caves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Exploration Gear & Tech, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Fossils & Paleontology, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Microbiology & Virology, Nanotechnology & SynBio, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release, ROVs/Submersibles/Diving

Nanostructures In The Deep Ocean Floor Hint At Life’s Origin

by Keith CowingSeptember 27, 2024September 27, 2024

Researchers led by Ryuhei Nakamura at the RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science (CSRS) in Japan and The Earth-Life Science Institute (ELSI) of Tokyo Institute of Technology have discovered inorganic […]

ALVIN takes water samples from a hydrothermal vent producing black “smoke.” The water is black because it contains particulate metal sulfides. These precipitate when the hot fluids mix with cold seawater. (Photo by HOV ALVIN/Woods Hole Oceanographic/Mandy Joye)

Analog Studies, Away Teams & Field Reports, Exploration Gear & Tech, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Habitable Zones, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Missions & Hardware, Press Release, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, ROVs/Submersibles/Diving, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Away Team Update: Exploring Hydrothermal Vents In The Gulf Of California

by Keith CowingJuly 29, 2024July 29, 2024

When Samantha Joye and her fellow researchers once again set sail into the Gulf of California, they weren’t sure what to expect.

A quarry illustrating bands of stratified limestone from the ancient seafloor in what is now Mercato San Severino in Italy. Credit: Courtesy of F. Tissot

Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Extinction events, Fossils & Paleontology, Gaia - Planetary Perspectives, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Sediments Reveal The Ancient Ocean During a Mass Extinction Event

by Keith CowingJuly 15, 2024July 7, 2024

About 183 million years ago, volcanic activity in modern South Africa unleashed an estimated 20,500 gigatons of carbon dioxide (CO2) into the ocean-atmosphere system over a period of 300 to […]

Daybreak at the Gale Crater on Mars where organic material was found Photo: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS CREDIT NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS

Astrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Habitable Zones, Mars, Meteorites & Asteroids, Press Release

Organic Material From Mars Reveals The Likely Origin Of Life’s Building Blocks

by Keith CowingJuly 2, 2024July 1, 2024

Two samples from Mars together deliver the “smoking gun” in a new study showing the origin of Martian organic material. The study presents solid evidence for a prediction made over […]