Surface and subsurface composition of the Life in the Atacama field sites from rover data and orbital image analysis

Abstract

[1] The Life in the Atacama project examined six different sites in the Atacama Desert (Chile) over 3 years in an attempt to remotely detect the presence of life with a rover. The remote science team, using only orbital and rover data sets, identified areas with a high potential for life as targets for further inspection by the rover. Orbital data in the visible/near infrared (VNIR) and in the thermal infrared (TIR) were used to examine the mineralogy, geomorphology, and chlorophyll potential of the field sites. Field instruments included two spectrometers (VNIR reflectance and TIR emission) and a neutron detector: this project represents the first time a neutron detector has been used as part of a ''science-blind'' rover field test. Rover-based spectroscopy was used to identify the composition of small scale features not visible in the orbital images and to improve interpretations of those data sets. The orbital and ground-based data sets produced consistent results, suggesting that much of the field sites consist of altered volcanic terrains with later deposits of sulfates, quartz, and iron oxides. At one location (Site A), the ground-based spectral data revealed considerably greater compositional diversity than was seen from the orbital view. One neutron detector transect provided insight into subsurface hydrogen concentrations, which correlated with life and surface features. The results presented here have implications for targeting strategies, especially for future Mars rover missions looking for potential habitats/paleohabitats. , et al. (2007), Surface and subsurface composition of the Life in the Atacama field sites from rover data and orbital image analysis,

A Microbial Oasis in the Hypersaline Atacama Subsurface Discovered by a Life Detector Chip: Implications for the Search for Life on Mars

“…Cabrol et al (2007) used a fluorescence detection system on board a rover (Zoë) to detect fluorescent signals from biological material (e.g., chlorophyll) along different transects. Piatek et al (2007) used a combined orbital image analysis and a field rover with instrumentation aimed to examine the mineralogy, geomorphology, and chlorophyll potential of field sites on the surface. We did not find in the literature any systematic study that involved the search for life or traces of it or the microbiology of the Atacama subsurface below a few centimeters.…”

Application of pulsed‐excitation fluorescence imager for daylight detection of sparse life in tests in the Atacama Desert

“…Site B, near the coastal range, was classified as a “wet” location relative to the more arid site C in the arid interior of the Atacama. The 2005 field studies had Zoë investigate another coastal region, Site D, and two other interior regions, Sites E and F [ Piatek et al , 2007; Cabrol et al , 2007].…”

Life in the Atacama: A scoring system for habitability and the robotic exploration for life

“…The science team was given orbital data relevant to a ∼20 km x 10 km “landing ellipse” chosen to roughly approximate the landing error of future landed Mars missions and constrain prelanding analysis. Within this ellipse, the team worked to identify regions of interest based upon (a) past or present aqueous activity as evidenced by geomorphology, (b) the presence of habitats or relict water‐bearing environments as evidenced by surface mineralogy, (c) atmospheric water vapor transport and potential deposition as evidenced by visible‐band imagery and corroborating topography, (d) the direct observation of biosignatures, such as chlorophyll [e.g., Piatek et al , 2007; Warren‐Rhodes et al , 2007a]. Following Zoë's safe deployment, or “landing,” the team continued to employ orbital data as well as initial panoramas from the rover to locate the rover's position by triangulation.…”