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Jarosite formation in deep Antarctic ice provides a window into acidic, water-limited weathering on Mars

Author

Listed:
  • Giovanni Baccolo

    (University of Milano-Bicocca
    INFN, section of Milano-Bicocca)

  • Barbara Delmonte

    (University of Milano-Bicocca)

  • P. B. Niles

    (NASA Johnson Space Center)

  • Giannantonio Cibin

    (Diamond Light Source, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus)

  • Elena Di Stefano

    (University of Milano-Bicocca
    INFN, section of Milano-Bicocca
    Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Siena)

  • Dariush Hampai

    (Laboratori Nazionali di Frascati, Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare)

  • Lindsay Keller

    (NASA Johnson Space Center)

  • Valter Maggi

    (University of Milano-Bicocca
    INFN, section of Milano-Bicocca)

  • Augusto Marcelli

    (Laboratori Nazionali di Frascati, Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare
    Rome International Center for Materials Science - Superstripes)

  • Joseph Michalski

    (University of Hong Kong)

  • Christopher Snead

    (Jacobs, NASA Johnson Space Center)

  • Massimo Frezzotti

    (University Roma Tre)

Abstract

Many interpretations have been proposed to explain the presence of jarosite within Martian surficial sediments, including the possibility that it precipitated within paleo-ice deposits owing to englacial weathering of dust. However, until now a similar geochemical process was not observed on Earth nor in other planetary settings. We report a multi-analytical indication of jarosite formation within deep ice. Below 1000 m depth, jarosite crystals adhering on residual silica-rich particles have been identified in the Talos Dome ice core (East Antarctica) and interpreted as products of weathering involving aeolian dust and acidic atmospheric aerosols. The progressive increase of ice metamorphism and re-crystallization with depth, favours the relocation and concentration of dust and the formation of acidic brines in isolated environments, allowing chemical reactions and mineral neo-formation to occur. This is the first described englacial diagenetic mechanism occurring in deep Antarctic ice and supports the ice-weathering model for jarosite formation on Mars, highlighting the geologic importance of paleo ice-related processes on this planet. Additional implications concern the preservation of dust-related signals in deep ice cores with respect to paleoclimatic reconstructions and the englacial history of meteorites from Antarctic blue ice fields.

Suggested Citation

  • Giovanni Baccolo & Barbara Delmonte & P. B. Niles & Giannantonio Cibin & Elena Di Stefano & Dariush Hampai & Lindsay Keller & Valter Maggi & Augusto Marcelli & Joseph Michalski & Christopher Snead & M, 2021. "Jarosite formation in deep Antarctic ice provides a window into acidic, water-limited weathering on Mars," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 12(1), pages 1-8, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:12:y:2021:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-020-20705-z
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-20705-z
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    Cited by:

    1. Abhijith U. Venugopal & Nancy A. N. Bertler & Jeffrey P. Severinghaus & Edward J. Brook & Giuseppe Cortese & James E. Lee & Thomas Blunier & Paul A. Mayewski & Helle A. Kjær & Lionel Carter & Michael , 2023. "Antarctic evidence for an abrupt northward shift of the Southern Hemisphere westerlies at 32 ka BP," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-8, December.
    2. Ilaria Crotti & Aurélien Quiquet & Amaelle Landais & Barbara Stenni & David J. Wilson & Mirko Severi & Robert Mulvaney & Frank Wilhelms & Carlo Barbante & Massimo Frezzotti, 2022. "Wilkes subglacial basin ice sheet response to Southern Ocean warming during late Pleistocene interglacials," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-11, December.

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