1. Surface Indicators of Subsurface Environments Cave and Rock Varnish Communities and Processes Compared P.J Boston,. 1,2, M.N. Spilde 3, D.E. Northup 4, J. Bargar 5, R. Carey 3, K. Mullen 1, J. Bensing 1, J.L. Van de Kamp 4, J.R. Snider 4, and D. Pham 4 pboston@nmt.edu 1 New Mexico Tech., 801 Leroy Place, Socorro, NM 87801 USA 2 National Cave and Karst Research Institute, Carlsbad, NM USA 3 Institute of Meteoritics, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131 USA 4 Dept. of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131 USA 5 Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, 2575 Sand Hill Rd., Bldg 137, Menlo Park, CA 94025 USA

2. Photo by Robert Buecher Fe/Mn Speleosol Aka “Corrosion Residue”

3. Lechuguilla & Spider Cave, NM Jewel Cave, SD Timpanogos area caves, UT HM Cave, AZ La Tetera, AZ Kupp Koutunn, Turkmenistan Cueva de Villa Luz, Mexico Many others Image by Val Hildreth-Werker

4. Mn Fluff

5. Rock Varnish

6. Varnish-like Coatings

7. Cross section through a desert varnish “tubercle” showing many fine laminations. Filamentous Mn texture of speleosols in Snowing Passage, SW, Lechuguilla Cave Morphology differs BUT mineralogy is similar Is the biology similar? Hypothesis: Speleosol and rock varnish are related materials/communities in radically different environments

8. Surface features like rock varnish detectable on orbit, aerially, by landers, by humans May or may not represent biological processes May indicate good subsurface sites to investigate Implications for Mars Science 1 km

9. What are the interactions between rocks, minerals, and microorganisms? Biodiversity & Phylogeny Mineralogy & Geology Biodiversity & Phylogeny Mineralogy & Geology Characterization Culturing & Mineral Precip. Characterization Culturing & Mineral Precip. What are the microorganism roles in Fe/Mn cave deposits? What are the microorganism roles in rock varnish?

10. Utah Rock Varnish Jurassic Morrison Fm. Braided stream deposits Lag deposits from Henry Mts. Varnish on: Quartzite Sandstone Sandy Limestone Marl

13. Carlsbad, NM Rock Varnish Road to Lechuguilla, CaCa NP Roadcut top of Yates Fm. near visitor center Varnish on: Limestone Sandstone

14. Luis Lopez Mine, NM Rock Varnish Mn mine near Socorro, NM Varnish on: Andesite lava flow

15. IceParticlesOrganics?Microbes? Lava tube forms CondensationRain?GroundwaterFloodwaters Permanent Ice Cave Lakes? Tube neck collapse Basaltic insulation Mars Trapped Lava Tube Deposits Graphic by R.D. Frederick

18. Elemental maps of tubercle showing a concentration of Mn in distinct layers

19. Electron microprobe traverse across rock varnish layer (green line between blue arrows). MnO values given in wt% oxide (plotted in red).

20. Red=Mn; Green=Ca; Blue = Fe 1 mm 7.17 A 4.00 A 3.34 A 2.43 A LL-1 C Spot 1 1.41 A Micro-XRD on rock varnish (0.5  spot). Line spacing matches “hexagonal birnessite”. Synchrotron XRF map on rock varnish particles.

21. 9.4 A 4.7 A 2.37 A 1.46 A Cave fibrils. Spot 2 3.1 A 1.9 A Line spacings match well to Lithiophorite. Todorokite may also be present. 9.3 A 4.7 A 2.45 A 1.42 A Cave fibrils. Spot 3 Crystal size appears to be very small as indicated by weak and broad lines.

22. Buserite is a precursor to birnessite and todorokite. Mn Xtal Producing Cultures - Rainbow Rm., Lechuguilla Cave, NM

23. Field XRF Mn Fe Zn As Ni Pb Zr Cr Sr Elements Elevated in Varnish

24. Community distribution as % abundance of major bacterial phyla. Socorro Varnish Environmental Samples Lots of Cyanos! Lots of Alpha-Ps

25. Speleosol/Rock Varnish Conclusions Mineralogy similar between caves and varnish Both environments yield 100s of Mn and Fe oxidizers and crystallizers in culture Fine structure of materials shows effects of no- weathering condition in caves vs. seasonal and climatic variation on surface Energy sources for communities differ somewhat Varnish organisms grow much faster than cave counterparts Source of metals still uncertain for both environments Acknowledgements NSF Geobiology Program NASA Inst. Advanced Concepts Phase I and II grants JPL Contract PJPL-10000 Niton Corp. for Field Portable XRF Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory The Merry Band at the Cave Resources Office at Carlsbad Caverns National Park Hanksville, UT BLM Office

26. Cave and Varnish Bugs On Vacation to Mars (in Indiana) 24 hour trial - complete (June 24) 5 week exposure experiment w/cultures (June 27- Aug 4) 6 week exposure experiment w/whole samples (Sept-Oct) +20 o C to -80 o C per sol Mars intensity illumination and full UV Spectrum 100 mb Mars atmospheric composition

27. Mars Transient Hotspot Scenario Impact crater into evaporite or carbonate basin Release of water from melting of ice layer Promethei-terra Thermokarst terrain (e.g. Houghton Crater, Devon Is. A’ la Charlie Cockell & Pascal Lee) Hot temperature algae, Yellowstone Nat. Pk

33. The Field Scientist In A Can R.D. Frederick © 2001

34. Human Emulation in Robotic Missions

35. R.D. Frederick © 2001 Planetary Aseptic reconnaissance Aseptic reconnaissance Preliminary assessments Preliminary assessments Long-term monitoring Long-term monitoring Intermediates in chain of asepsis Intermediates in chain of asepsis Permanent Class IV+ containment Permanent Class IV+ containment Protection

36. CyanosProteos

37. Other groups

38. SimilarityNearest RelativeKnown Fe or Mn Oxidizer? 98.1%AB002633 Enviromental 96.6 - 99.1%Alcaligenes sp.One report of Mn-oxidation by an Alcaligenes sp. 98.7%Bacillus fusiformisSeveral bacilli are known to oxidize Mn 99.4%Bordetella sp. str kp22 93.2%Brevibacterium epidermidisNo reported Fe or Mn oxidation 91.5 - 96.7%Brevundimonas diminutaNo reported Fe or Mn oxidation, but some Caulobactors do 85.3 - 95.2%Devosia riboflavinaNo reported Fe or Mn oxidation but other pseudomonads are known Mn-oxidizers 96.9 - 88.4%Mesorhizobium sp.No reported Fe or Mn oxidation 16s sequences from manganese enrichment cultures Some group with known Mn oxidizers Most do not and may represent previously unknown Mn oxidizers Are Closest Relatives Mn-oxidizers? Rainbow Room, Lechuguilla Cave