Calling all martian geomorphologists, geochemists, sedimentologists, mineralogists, and astrobiologists for a collaborative session on habitability and organic preservation on ancient Mars!

Ongoing rover and satellite investigations of the martian surface have revealed diverse aqueous environments, but these environments most likely had highly variable implications for habitability and organic preservation potential. The wealth of geomorphological, chemical, and mineralogical data available at Mars now allows us to reconstruct
these environments in detail at sites across the planet, by inferring environmental conditions including (but not limited to): pH, redox state, environmental stability, radiation shielding, longevity of aqueous activity, and diversity of possible metabolic pathways.

As habitability and preservation potential are the primary characteristics that will drive NASA’s continued exploration of Mars, this session will focus on using inferred environmental conditions to evaluate both of these characteristics at geological sites relevant to ancient Mars. We invite abstracts using data from landed and/or satellite missions, and encourage abstracts that address possible ExoMars and Mars2020 landing sites.

Deadline for abstract submission: 6 August 2014

For more information, visit:

https://agu.confex.com/agu/fm14/webprogrampreliminary/Session3439.html

Conveners:
Briony Horgan, Purdue University, [email protected]
Melissa Rice, Western Washington University, [email protected]