Pristine lithologies, modifications, astrobiological potential, and habitability of planetary surfaces

行星表面的原始岩性、改造、天体生物学潜力和宜居性

• 批准号: RGPIN-2015-04582
• 负责人: Cloutis, Edward
• 金额: $ 1.97万
• 依托单位: University of Winnipeg
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2016
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2016-01-01 至 2017-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=613045
• 关键词: Pristine; lithologies; modifications; astrobiological; potential

Mapping the geology of planetary surfaces is an important scientific endeavour. Knowing a body’s surface composition is essential for addressing issues such as: (1) ensuring the safety of human explorers; (2) identifying in situ resources that can be exploited to support extended human presence on planetary bodies; (3) helping to understand the origin and evolution of the solar system; and (4) understanding how planets evolve over time. Our ability to map the surface geology of planets is hampered by the fact that planetary surfaces (i.e., that portion of a planet that we see with remote sensing), even the surfaces of airless bodies, can be modified by their local environment. Factors such as weathering and erosion, windblown dust, solar wind and cosmic ray bombardment, desiccation due to low or no atmospheric pressure, temperature variations, and meteorite impacts can all modify the composition of a planetary surface and/or negatively affect our ability to accurately map surface geology. Conversely, by recognizing whether and how these modification processes have operated, we can gain insights into the history of a planetary body. Among spacefaring nations, Canada stands out as being able to partner with diverse nations and space exploration organizations, and is widely recognized as an essential player in exploration missions, frequently contributing key technologies and capabilities that enable us to “punch above our weight”. Similarly, the technical expertise of the Canadian space technology sector is world-class in a number of areas of remote sensing. By continuing our engagement in planetary exploration missions, we help advance Canadian science and technology, as well as gaining privileged access to data flowing from these missions, ensuring that Canada remains at the forefront of planetary exploration. Space exploration is an activity that can inspire the next generation of Canadians and lead to greater interest in science and technology. The proposed program of research is designed to improve our ability to transform remote sensing data that we measure for planetary surfaces (from orbiters, landers, and rovers) into geological knowledge about a planet’s origin, history, evolution, habitability, and astrobiological potential. This will be accomplished through a combination of laboratory studies of the effects of various surface modification processes on planetary materials and analogues, field-based studies at planetary analogue sites (with which Canada is uniquely endowed), and analysis of remote sensing data from current and future planetary missions to diverse bodies. It will involve the development and application of spectroscopy-based tools for assessing habitability, searching for biomarkers (signs of past life), and  unravelling surface modification processes to get at the underlying pristine mineralogy.

绘制行星表面的地质图是一项重要的科学工作。了解一个物体的表面组成对于解决以下问题至关重要：(1)确保人类探险者的安全；(2)查明可用于支持人类在行星上长期存在的就地资源；(3)有助于了解太阳系的起源和演化；(4)了解行星如何随时间演化。行星表面（即我们通过遥感看到的行星的那一部分），甚至是没有空气的天体的表面，都可以被它们的当地环境所改变，这一事实阻碍了我们绘制行星表面地质图的能力。诸如风化和侵蚀、风吹尘埃、太阳风和宇宙射线轰击、低气压或无气压导致的干燥、温度变化和陨石撞击等因素都可以改变行星表面的组成和/或对我们准确绘制地表地质的能力产生负面影响。相反，通过认识这些变化过程是否以及如何发生，我们可以深入了解行星体的历史。