Biosignature Preservation and Detection in Mars Analog Environments : May 16–18, 2016, Lake Tahoe, Nevada

Abstract

Our objective is to focus strategies to detect a range of possible biosignatures on Mars in different categories of geologic settings by assessing the attributes and preservation potential of various biosignatures in different Mars-analog habitable environments on Earth. We are seeking a better understanding of three broad classes of ancient environments known to exist in the martian geologic record: 1.Lacustrine and deltaic sediments, 2.Near-surface chemical sediments (including hydrothermal and pedogenic), or 3. Deep crustal rocks (including hydrothermally altered).