Magnetite biomineralization and ancient life on Mars

Current Opinion in Chemical Biology

Volumn 4, Issue 2, 2000, Pages 171-176

  Frankel, Richard B ^a   Buseck, Peter R ^b  

^a CALIFORNIA POLYTECHNIC STATE UNIVERSITY   (United States)

^b ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY   (United States)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

MAGNETITE;

ASTRONOMY; LIFE; MINERALIZATION; REVIEW;

EID: 0034108597     PISSN: 13675931     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1016/S1367-5931(99)00072-1     Document Type: Review

References (49)

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27. •].
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48. Golden, D.C., Ming, D.W., Schwandt, C.S., Lauer, H.V., Socki, R.A., Morris, R.V., Lofgren, G.E., McKay, G.A.: Inorganic formation of zoned Mg-Fe-Ca carbonate globules with magnetite and sulfide rims similar to those in Martian meteorite ALH84001. Abstract 1799 of the 31st Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, 2000 March 13-17, Houston. [ http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2000/pdf/sess79.pdf] . Carbonate globules with 10-1000 nm magnetite and pyrrhotite grains were synthesized in a multi-step process that included precipitation of chemically zoned carbonates followed by heating to simulate a shock event. This work suggests that the carbonate assemblages in ALH84001 may have formed inorganically.
49. Weiss, B.P., Kirschvink, J.L., Baudenbacher, F.J., Vali, H., Peters, N.T., Macdonald, F.A., Wikswo, J.P.: Reconciliation of magnetic and petrographic constraints on ALH84001? Panspermia lives on! Abstract 2078 of the 31st Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, 2000 March 13-17, Houston. [ http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2000/pdf/sess79.pdf] . The effects of thermal demagnetization on the natural remanent magnetization of slices of ALH84001 were studied by scanning SQUID microscopy. The results suggest that the carbonate globules in ALH84001 formed at low temperature and that the meteorite was transferred from Mars to Earth, including ejection from the Martian surface and passage through the Earth atmosphere, without interior heating above 40°C.