CAMELIA: The Cycle of Aerosols on Mars and Earth, a comparative study. Implications for LIfe and PlAnetary Protection
CAMELIA is a coordinated project funded by the 2019 State R+D+I Plan of the State Research Agency (AEI). Period: 01/06/2020 - 31/12/2023. It is a coordinated project between an atmospheric physics project CAMELIA-ATM (INTA; PID2019-104205GB-C21) and a microbiology project CAMELIA-MICRO (CSIC; PID2019-104205GB-C22). The coordinating subproject CAMELIA-ATM (“Planetary Atmospheres”) is led by two IPs from INTA: Mª Paz Zorzano Mier, Centre of Astrobiology (CAB, responsible for the Mars component), and Carmen Córdoba Jabonero, Atmospheric Research and Instrumentation Branch (AIIA, responsible for the Earth component). Subproject 2 CAMELIA-MICRO (“Microbiology”) by CSIC is led by two IPs: Elena González Toril and Cristina Cid (CAB).
Description
CAMELIA investigates the atmospheric cycle of mineral aerosol transport on Earth and Mars, to assess its implication in life, atmospheric photochemistry, climate and planetary protection. This project seeks to analyse the implications that atmospheric aerosol circulation may have on planetary protection, water cycling and climate, biological cargo transport, or atmospheric photochemistry on Mars, based on analogous research being conducted in Earth's atmosphere and laboratory experiments. This circulation could transport, protect, generate, or destroy biomarkers and interfere with the search for life on Mars.
To date, the airborne transport of aerosols through the atmosphere, adaptation mechanisms, and the possibility of overloading Mars with airborne biological material, likely carried by mineral dust particles, have not been investigated. Such transport may impact Planetary Protection and compromise research into the presence of life on Mars. This project will use existing platforms dedicated to observing and monitoring aerosols from Earth and Mars, global and local circulation models, and radiative transfer models, to assess the potential airborne dispersion of terrestrial biological cargo within aerosols from a landing site on Mars to the rest of the planet. The role of aerosols in the radiation balance in relation to climate change and the water cycle will also be compared.
On the other hand, through collaboration with the CAMELIA-Micro project, we will investigate on Earth the survival mechanisms of microorganisms transported through the air on Earth. Microorganisms present in the atmosphere are subject to intense UV radiation, low pressure, lack of water and nutrients and very low temperatures, which makes them extremophile microorganisms. It is precisely this type of microorganism that is of greatest concern in the field of Planetary Protection, because they are highly resistant and ubiquitous on our planet. Therefore, we will evaluate the transport and survival mechanisms of microorganisms in dust particles. Air samples will be taken on Earth and we will study how mineral aerosols can protect microorganisms as well as the natural protection mechanisms of these species. Research will also be conducted on how dust aerosols (minerals) can serve as surface catalysts for certain abiotic reactions that induce the production or destruction of organic matter, compromising the detection of biomarkers on Mars.
The CAMELIA-ATM project is within the framework of the AIIA research line: Vertical impact of aerosol particles and clouds on the atmosphere and climate by means of active (lidar) and passive (photometry) remote sensing techniques from space- and ground-based platforms. Extrapolation to planetary missions.