Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letter
  • Published:

Simulation of Viking biology experiments suggests smectites not palagonites, as martian soil analogues

Nature volume 305, pages 523–525 (1983)Cite this article

Abstract

The mineralogical composition of the fine soil of Mars has not been determined and remains a controversial subject1. During and immediately after the Viking mission, smectite clays were considered as the most likely Mars soil analogue material (MarSAM), but recently it has been suggested that the most likely MarSAM is palagonite, an amorphous weathering product of mafic volcanic glass. We report here the results of an experimental comparison between palagonites and a smectite (montmorillonite) in a simulation of the Viking Biology Labelled Release (LR) experiment and draw conclusions regarding their suitability as MarSAMs. We have found that palagonites do not cause the formate decomposition and 14C release observed in the LR experiment on Mars, neither in their natural form nor after acidification, and thus cannot be a completely satisfactory analogue to the Mars soil studied by Viking.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Carr, M. H. Nature 294, 307–308 (1981).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  2. Toulmin, P. Jr et al. J. geophys. Res. 82, 4625–4634 (1977).

    Article  CAS  ADS  Google Scholar 

  3. Singer, R. B., McCord, T. B., Clark, R. N., Adams, J. B. & Huguenin, R. L. J. geophys. Res. 84, 8415–8426 (1979).

    Article  CAS  ADS  Google Scholar 

  4. McCord, T. B., Clark, R. N. & Singer, R. B. J. geophys. Res. 87, 3021–3032 (1982).

    Article  CAS  ADS  Google Scholar 

  5. Chylek, P. & Grams, G. W. Icarus 36, 198–203 (1978).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  6. Evans, D. L. & Adams, J. B. Proc. 10th lunar Planet. Sci. Conf., 1829–1834 (1979).

  7. Evans, D. L. & Adams, J. B. Proc. 11th lunar Planet, Sci. Conf., 757–763 (1980).

  8. Klein, H. P. J. geophys. Res. 82, 4677–4680 (1977); Icarus 34, 666–674 (1978).

    Article  CAS  ADS  Google Scholar 

  9. Horowitz, N. H., Hobby, G. L. & Hubbard, J. S. J. geophys. Res. 82, 4659–4662 (1977).

    Article  CAS  ADS  Google Scholar 

  10. Levin, G. V. & Straat, P. A. J. geophys. Res. 82, 4663–4668 (1977).

    Article  CAS  ADS  Google Scholar 

  11. Oyama, V. I. & Berdahl, B. J. J. geophys. Res. 82, 4669–4676 (1977).

    Article  CAS  ADS  Google Scholar 

  12. Banin, A. & Rishpon, J. Life Sci. Space Res. 17, 59–64 (1978).

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  13. Banin, A. & Rishpon, J. J. molec. Evolut. 14, 133–152 (1979).

    Article  CAS  ADS  Google Scholar 

  14. Banin, A., Margulies, L. & Rishpon, J. 3rd int. Coll. Mars, Publ. 441, 16–18 (Lunar Planet. Inst., Houston, Texas, 1981).

  15. Oyama, V. I. & Berdahl, B. J. J. molec. Evolut. 14, 199–210 (1979).

    Article  CAS  ADS  Google Scholar 

  16. Huguenin, R. L. J. geophys. Res. 87, 10,069–10,082 (1982).

    Article  CAS  ADS  Google Scholar 

  17. Hubbard, J. S. J. molec. Evolut. 14, 211–222 (1979).

    Article  CAS  ADS  Google Scholar 

  18. Singer, R. B. Proc. 12th lunar Planet. Sci. Conf., 996–998 (1981).

  19. Singer, R. B. 3rd int. Coll. Mars, Publ. 441, 236–238 (Lunar Planet. Inst., Houston, Texas, 1981).

  20. Singer, R. B. J. geophys. Res. 87, 10,159–10,168 (1982).

    Article  CAS  ADS  Google Scholar 

  21. Allen, C. C., Gooding, J. L., Jercinovic, M. & Kiel, K. Icarus 45, 347–369 (1981).

    Article  CAS  ADS  Google Scholar 

  22. Banin, A., U.S. Patent No. 3,725,528 (1973).

  23. Banin, A. & Shaked, D. Proc. 3rd int. Clay Conf. Ass. int, pour la Etude des Argile, Tokyo I, 669–682 (Israel University Press, 1969).

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California, 94035, USA

    A. Banin

  2. Seagram Centre for Soil and Water Sciences, Hebrew University, PO Box 12, Rehovot, Israel

    L. Margulies

  3. Seagram Centre for Soil and Water Sciences, Hebrew University, PO Box 12, Rehovot, Israel

    A. Banin

Authors
  1. A. Banin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. L. Margulies
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Banin, A., Margulies, L. Simulation of Viking biology experiments suggests smectites not palagonites, as martian soil analogues. Nature 305, 523–525 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1038/305523a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/305523a0

This article is cited by

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing