Evaluation of Microbial Diversity in Ophiolite-Hosted Cold Springs as an Analog to Martian Environments
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Authors
Brinley, Alaina
Issue Date
2007
Type
Thesis
Language
en_US
Keywords
Alternative Title
Abstract
The exploration of ophiolites,as an analog to Martian environments,may be useful
in devising a search strategy for life on Mars. Oceanic settings, dominated by mafic and
ultramafic rocks interacting with seawater and other fluids, are thought to be similar to
early Earth and Martian environments. Ophiolite suites, sections of oceanic crust that
have been emplaced onto continental crust, allow ready access to these terranes. Today,
these ophiolite suites are permeated with cracks and veining through which fluids have
flowed in a previous geologic period. Spring waters emanating from these modem
ophiolites reflect a mixture of meteoric water and the host-rock chemistry. Martian soil
has a composition similar to ophiolite suites because of its high iron content and, in some
areas, an abundance of the mineral olivine. We are particularly interested in
chemosynthetic species in the community, because photosynthesis in subterranean
habitats is highly unlikely. To characterize the microbiological communities in the
ophiolite environment, water and microbial mat samples were collected from surface and
subterranean environments in Del Puerto Canyon, California. It is thought that presentday
Martian microbes, if they exist, will likely be subterranean due to the lack of water at
the planet's surface. The microbial constituents of these materials were analyzed using
PCR amplification, DGGE analysis, and DNA sequencing. We detected bacterial DNA
in all environments analyzed; however, archaeal DNA was not found in any of the
environments. Cyanobacterial DNA was present in the microbial mat samples tested.
Our data indicates there could be bacterial life present in a similar environment on Mars.
Description
v, 33 p.
Citation
Publisher
Kalamazoo College
License
U.S. copyright laws protect this material. Commercial use or distribution of this material is not permitted without prior written permission of the copyright holder.