Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets最新文献

{"title":"Scattering Loss of Energetic Protons Due To Resonant Interactions With Ion Cyclotron Waves in Saturn's Magnetosphere","authors":"Ziyang Zheng,&nbsp;Xinyi Lv,&nbsp;Xing Cao,&nbsp;Binbin Ni,&nbsp;Peng Lu,&nbsp;Shaobei Wang","doi":"10.1029/2026JE009743","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2026JE009743","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Ion cyclotron waves are frequently observed in Saturn's inner magnetosphere and play an important role in the dynamics of radiation belt electrons. Based on an empirical model of ion cyclotron waves, in this study we investigate the resonant interactions between ion cyclotron waves and energetic protons in Saturn's magnetosphere. By calculating the quasi-linear bounce-averaged diffusion coefficients of protons at <i>L</i> = 4–6, we find that ion cyclotron waves can result in efficient pitch angle scattering of &lt;1 MeV protons, with the scattering efficiency significantly enhancing as the <i>L</i>-shell increases. At <i>L</i> ≥ 5, the pitch angle diffusion coefficients of 10–100 keV protons at equatorial pitch angles near the bounce loss cone can exceed the strong diffusion limit. Our simulations based on the Fokker-Planck diffusion equation show that ion cyclotron waves can lead to efficient scattering loss of energetic protons. The corresponding loss timescale ranges from a few to tens of hours, depending strongly on proton energy and <i>L</i>-shell. Our results demonstrate the crucial role of ion cyclotron waves in the energetic proton dynamics in Saturn's magnetosphere.</p>","PeriodicalId":16101,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets","volume":"131 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2026-08-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148823134","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Water Controls on Explosive Volcanism With Implications for Crustal Magma Chambers on the Moon","authors":"P. Moitra,&nbsp;A. Mallik,&nbsp;P. Santra,&nbsp;J. J. Barnes,&nbsp;J. C. Andrews-Hanna","doi":"10.1029/2025JE009318","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2025JE009318","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The explosive volcanic eruptions were common on the Moon, as revealed by the returned lunar glass beads along with the widely occurring pyroclastic deposits. It is typically considered that under the reduced magmatic conditions, CO and/or H₂ were responsible for explosive volcanism that generated the pyroclastic deposits on the Moon. However, the discovery of magmatic water in lunar pyroclasts caused a paradigm shift from a dry to a wet Moon, and yet the role of water in lunar explosive volcanism has remained poorly constrained. Furthermore, the role of bubbles, as indicated by the presence of vesicles in glass beads, in causing the eruption explosivity is yet to be determined under lunar magmatic conditions. Here, we use a coupled bubble growth and magma ascent model to show that H₂O, rather than CO or H₂, is the primary driver for explosive lunar volcanism. The modeled water contents in the magma at fragmentation are consistent with those inferred from measurements in lunar glasses as well as pyroclastic deposits. The model results show that at ≳500 ppm H₂O and ≲20 ppm CO, degassing of H₂O and diffusive bubble growth at shallow depths of a few hundred meters increase the gas volume sufficiently high to cause magma fragmentation. Our calculations suggest that the transient stalling of magma at ≲17 km crustal depths is likely a favorable condition for eruption explosivity on the Moon. The implications of our eruption model outcomes for the Moon's source and surface water contents are also evaluated.</p>","PeriodicalId":16101,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets","volume":"131 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2026-08-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148823133","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Plasma Turbulence in the Lunar Environment Across Solar Wind and Magnetotail Conditions: Observations From Chandrayaan-2 Radio Science Experiment","authors":"Keshav Aggarwal,&nbsp;R. K. Choudhary,&nbsp;Abhirup Datta,&nbsp;Anshuman Sharma","doi":"10.1029/2026JE009957","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2026JE009957","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The Moon's transit between the solar wind and Earth's magnetotail exposes the near-lunar environment to large and rapid variations in plasma density and flow structure. Two-way coherent S-band radio occultation measurements from Chandrayaan-2 were used to quantify electron-density fluctuations integrated along the Earth-Moon line of sight. Observed frequencies were processed to remove geometric Doppler contributions derived from relativistic light-time modeling. The remaining frequency residuals represent the cumulative effect of plasma irregularities along the ray path. Power spectral densities were computed for 54 intervals from 2022, yielding temporal spectral indices in the range <span></span><math>\u0000 <semantics>\u0000 <mrow>\u0000 <mn>1.05</mn>\u0000 <mo>≤</mo>\u0000 <mi>α</mi>\u0000 <mo>≤</mo>\u0000 <mn>2.66</mn>\u0000 </mrow>\u0000 <annotation> $1.05le alpha le 2.66$</annotation>\u0000 </semantics></math>, corresponding to spatial indices <span></span><math>\u0000 <semantics>\u0000 <mrow>\u0000 <mn>4.05</mn>\u0000 <mo>≤</mo>\u0000 <mi>p</mi>\u0000 <mo>≤</mo>\u0000 <mn>5.66</mn>\u0000 </mrow>\u0000 <annotation> $4.05le ple 5.66$</annotation>\u0000 </semantics></math> indicating ion-kinetic and dissipation-range scales. Of the 54 intervals, 9 were classified as inside the modeled magnetopause, 17 in the bow shock/magnetosheath, and 28 in the solar wind. Spectral indices measured inside the magnetopause are marginally higher than those in the bow shock and solar wind, though the difference is not statistically significant given the limited magnetotail sample. No measurable correlation is found between spectral slope and geomagnetic activity, indicating that the observed variability is dominated by local plasma structure rather than inner-magnetospheric conditions.</p>","PeriodicalId":16101,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets","volume":"131 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2026-08-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148823135","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Emplacement of Venus' Crater Outflows as Impact Melt","authors":"M. Borrelli,&nbsp;I. Ganesh,&nbsp;L. Bourg","doi":"10.1029/2026JE009826","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2026JE009826","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Some of Venus' impact craters are associated with flow features that extend up to hundreds of kilometers from the crater rim, making these flows the longest crater outflows in the solar system. Various mechanisms of formation have been proposed including two end-member hypotheses (the vapor cloud origin and the impact melt origin). Proponents of both hypotheses have argued that outflows are preferentially found at craters formed by low-angle (oblique) impacts, and that oblique impacts form larger outflows. In this work, we explore outflow formation, relationship to impact angle, and what makes Venus' crater outflows uniquely long. We update the Venus crater database to include 24 newly-mapped outflows and additional outflow properties relevant to this study. Some outflows have channels and respond to local topography, consistent with prior theories on formation by impact melt. To establish conditions required for impact melt to traverse the observed outflow lengths, we model their emplacement using PyFLOWGO, a model developed for channelized lava flows. We demonstrate that impact melt flows with initial depths of 5–30 m and initial temperatures of 1,000°C–1,300°C can reach observed lengths. Revisiting the relationship between impact angle and outflow presence, we find that outflows are more likely to form at high-angle impacts than oblique impacts. Additionally, we show that oblique impacts do not form larger outflows than high-angle impacts. We show that impact angle is not a determining factor in outflow formation, and that the question of why outflows form at some craters and not others remains open.</p>","PeriodicalId":16101,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets","volume":"131 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2026-08-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1029/2026JE009826","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148849086","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Numerical Analysis of the Coexistence of Different-Scale Aeolian Ripples on the Martian Surface","authors":"X. Meng,&nbsp;N. Huang,&nbsp;Q. Chen,&nbsp;X. Xi,&nbsp;X. Cheng,&nbsp;H. Dun","doi":"10.1029/2026JE009833","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2026JE009833","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Martian aeolian ripples provide key insights into surface–atmosphere interactions and landscape evolution. Observations by the Opportunity rover at Eagle Crater reveal the coexistence of two ripple populations with distinct wavelengths (<span></span><math>\u0000 <semantics>\u0000 <mrow>\u0000 <mo>∼</mo>\u0000 <mn>2</mn>\u0000 </mrow>\u0000 <annotation> ${sim} 2$</annotation>\u0000 </semantics></math> and <span></span><math>\u0000 <semantics>\u0000 <mrow>\u0000 <mo>∼</mo>\u0000 <mn>8</mn>\u0000 <mspace></mspace>\u0000 <mtext>cm</mtext>\u0000 </mrow>\u0000 <annotation> ${sim} 8,text{cm}$</annotation>\u0000 </semantics></math>) under nearly uniform wind and sediment supply conditions. Compositional analyses suggest that variations in substrate properties may drive this scale divergence, which remains largely overlooked in existing ripple theories. Here we develop a Mars aeolian ripple model that couples wind–sand transport with bed evolution, incorporating sand-layer thickness into splash parameterization. The model captures the observed coexistence of small and large ripple populations. Compared with thick sand beds, thin sand layers over hardened substrates generate larger ripples and enhance near-surface sediment flux by <span></span><math>\u0000 <semantics>\u0000 <mrow>\u0000 <mn>51</mn>\u0000 <mo>%</mo>\u0000 </mrow>\u0000 <annotation> $51%$</annotation>\u0000 </semantics></math>. This enhancement is mainly caused by a substantial increase in near-surface particle concentration, which more than compensates for the reduction in near-bed particle velocity, indicating that ripple-scale divergence is primarily controlled by substrate-dependent splash efficiency.</p>","PeriodicalId":16101,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets","volume":"131 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2026-08-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148849087","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Asymmetric Ilmenite-Bearing Cumulates Triggered Lunar Dichotomic Volcanism on the Nearside and Farside","authors":"Ziqing Li,&nbsp;Mengfan Zhang,&nbsp;Bo Zhang,&nbsp;Yuqi Qian,&nbsp;Tao Long,&nbsp;Xiaochao Che,&nbsp;Ao Su,&nbsp;James W. Head","doi":"10.1029/2026JE009898","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2026JE009898","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The cause of the observed mare basalt asymmetry between the lunar nearside and farside remains a long-lasting conundrum. In this study, we characterized the petrology and geochemistry of the Chang'e-6 low-Ti basalts from the lunar farside, performed petrological modeling of major elements and conducted Monte Carlo simulation of trace elements, for Chang'e-6 and Chang'e-5 basalts. The results from multiple approaches indicate that the young Chang'e-6 (2.8 Ga) and Chang'e-5 (2.0 Ga) basalts both originated from shallow, depleted ilmenite-bearing cumulate (IBC). Based on remote sensing and thermodynamic constraints, we estimated the mantle source ilmenite abundance for young shallow-source basalts (&lt;3.0 Ga) globally. The modeling results indicate that the mantle sources of these basalts on the nearside generally contains ∼16–32 wt% ilmenite, especially beneath the PKT, whereas the mantle sources of these basalts beneath the farside SPA basin only has ∼13–24 wt% ilmenite. The phase equilibrium calculations show that the nearside mantle sources with higher ilmenite abundance leads to a significant decrease in melting point and tends to produce more melt compared to farside mantle sources. Therefore, asymmetric IBCs may play a key role in accounting for asymmetric nearside/farside volcanism.</p>","PeriodicalId":16101,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets","volume":"131 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2026-08-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1029/2026JE009898","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148994308","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Peaking Into Oberon's Past: An Isolated Peak Could Imply the Existence of a Subsurface Ocean or Convecting Ice Shell","authors":"M. Blanco-Rojas,&nbsp;M. M. Sori,&nbsp;I. F. Pamerleau","doi":"10.1029/2025JE009015","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2025JE009015","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The Uranian moons, last visited in 1986 by Voyager 2, remain an intriguing yet under-explored set of targets. Understanding the thermal structure and evolution of these moons is key to addressing one of the highest priority goals in planetary science: identifying if any are ocean worlds today or have been in the past. On Oberon, one feature in particular stands out: an 11-km-high peak on its southern hemisphere. This isolated mountain bears resemblance to the central peak of large craters on other icy moons, prompting us to test one hypothesis that it might be the result of an impact. We test the conditions necessary to mostly relax a crater's topography on Oberon while preserving its central peak, testing the effects of ice shell porosity, composition, and heat flow. Our results indicate that the feature could be the central peak of a relaxed crater, but only if there was a source of heat beyond radiogenic heating of chondritic abundance. Additionally, ice shell porosity and perhaps ammonia may also be necessary to achieve the needed levels of relaxation. If this feature is indeed the peak of a relaxed crater, the high heat fluxes required for relaxation imply a subsurface convective ice layer or ocean was sustained on Oberon for tens to hundreds of millions of years. Images and topography collected by a future Uranus orbiter would provide a direct test of the origin of this feature.</p>","PeriodicalId":16101,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets","volume":"131 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2026-08-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1029/2025JE009015","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148943429","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Mars Alteration on Earth: A Spectroscopic Study of Hydrated Silica and Biomarker Preservation in La Palma Lava Tubes","authors":"F. Alberquilla,&nbsp;J. Aramendia,&nbsp;I. Martínez-Arkarazo,&nbsp;G. Gorla,&nbsp;L. Coloma,&nbsp;G. Arana,&nbsp;A. Gonzalez,&nbsp;R. Gisbert,&nbsp;P. Cobiella,&nbsp;M. Perestelo,&nbsp;J. M. Madariaga","doi":"10.1029/2026JE009742","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2026JE009742","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Volcanic tubes provide stable environments where unique mineralogical assemblages can form and be preserved, making them valuable terrestrial analogs for Martian studies. This work investigates tree-like structures within two lava tubes on La Palma Island (Canary Islands, Spain) through a comprehensive geochemical and mineralogical characterization. Samples were analyzed using X-ray diffraction (XRD), micro Energy Dispersive X-Ray fluorescence (µ-EDXRF), Raman microscopy, Scanning Electron Microscopy Energy-Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (SEM-EDX), Short-Wave infrared (SWIR) hyperspectral imaging, and multivariate analysis Principal Component Analysis and Multivariate Curve Resolution-Alternating Least Squares (PCA and MCR-ALS) to identify primary mineral phases and assess potential organic matter preservation. The results reveal that these structures are predominantly composed of hydrated silica (opal-A), with secondary phyllosilicates, carbonates, sulfates, and iron oxides. Organic signatures were identified as spectral features consistent with microbial pigments such as β-carotene within the opal matrix, suggesting the potential encapsulation and preservation during silica precipitation. Hyperspectral analyses revealed spectral features consistent with the presence of opal-A, calcite, and nontronite, highlighting complex mineral associations. The comparison with CRISM observations from Jezero Crater revealed similarities in mineral assemblages and suggests that comparable alteration pathways may have affected basaltic substrates, with hydrated silica formation followed by carbonate precipitation under evolving fluid conditions. These findings underscore the relevance of terrestrial lava tubes as analogs for Martian volcanic environments and emphasize the potential of hydrated silica deposits to preserve biosignatures in extraterrestrial contexts.</p>","PeriodicalId":16101,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets","volume":"131 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2026-08-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1029/2026JE009742","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148848690","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Visible and Near Infrared (VNIR) Spectroscopy to Decipher Glass and Crystal Content of Lab-Made Martian Volcanic Analogs","authors":"Alessandro Pisello,&nbsp;Maximiliano Fastelli,&nbsp;Marco Baroni,&nbsp;Alessandro Musu,&nbsp;Bernard Schmitt,&nbsp;Olivier Poch,&nbsp;Pierre Beck,&nbsp;Maurizio Petrelli,&nbsp;Massimiliano Porreca,&nbsp;Azzurra Zucchini,&nbsp;Paola Comodi,&nbsp;Diego Perugini","doi":"10.1029/2025JE009371","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2025JE009371","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Understanding how the glass/crystal ratio influences the spectral response of volcanic rocks is crucial for interpreting planetary remote sensing data. Here, four mafic rocks simulating a possible Martian composition were synthesized with identical bulk chemistry but different mineralogical assemblages, from fully amorphous to ∼70 wt.% crystal content, to investigate how crystal content affects Visible and Near-Infrared (VNIR) reflectance spectra. Bi-directional VNIR reflectance was collected at room temperature across a range of incidence (0°, 30°, 60°) and emergence (−70° to +70°) angles. The diagnostic absorptions of the two most abundant phases, pyroxene and glass, are not distinguishable in the spectra and can even reproduce the spectral fingerprint of olivine, absent from the samples; only minor iron oxides (magnetite and hematite, ∼1–7 wt.%) produce clearly identifiable absorptions. Instead, spectral slope emerges as the primary proxy for the glass/crystal ratio: NIR/VNIR slope decreases systematically with increasing crystal content, driven jointly by the incorporation of iron oxides and the loss of the positive-slope contribution of residual glass. Principal Component Analysis and k-means clustering independently confirm this control, identifying three clusters that map onto the glass/crystal ratio. This decoupling indicates that the crystal content of a mafic terrain cannot be inferred from pyroxene- or glass-related absorptions alone, but rather from spectral slope and iron-oxide features. These results experimentally support previous hypotheses linking the spectral diversity of Martian mafic terrains to their degree of crystal content and oxidation state and highlight variable glass abundance as an under-considered contributor to the spectral interpretation of the Martian surface.</p>","PeriodicalId":16101,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets","volume":"131 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2026-08-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1029/2025JE009371","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148943617","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Raman Characterization of Carotenoid Pigment Stability in Evaporites Under Simulated Martian Ultraviolet Irradiance","authors":"Scott M. Perl,&nbsp;Aaron J. Celestian,&nbsp;Frank A. Corsetti","doi":"10.1029/2026JE009730","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1029/2026JE009730","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Evaporite minerals can capture and entomb organic matter within their intercrystalline and intracrystalline structure because they precipitate relatively quickly (nomenclature adopted from Schopf et al. (2012), https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2012.0827). Thus, evaporite minerals constitute a target for biosignature investigation on Earth and Mars, where evaporitic deposits are known to exist. However, little is known about the process of organic preservation and detection in evaporites, or the stability of such molecules when exposed to significant UV radiation as would be present on the surface of Mars. Here, we investigate the incorporation of <i>β</i>-carotene into halite (NaCl) by growing halite in the lab in the presence of know concentrations of <i>β</i>-carotene and examining the resultant precipitated crystals and fluid inclusions via Raman spectroscopy. Following brine evaporation, the experimental <i>β</i>-carotene-containing halite was exposed to UV-C to simulate conditions on the Martian surface. Results reveal that <i>β</i>-carotene has a strong Raman signature that remains intact even when entombed in halite. In particular, fluid inclusions within the halite displayed particularly strong <i>β</i>-carotene Raman signatures after UV-C exposure. Little change was observed even after several days of UV-C delivery. Our results reveal that complex organic molecules like <i>β</i>-carotene should be preserved well in halite (especially in fluid inclusions) and that halite does provide protection from organic matter degradation from UV-C radiation. Thus, evaporites constitute a good target for the search for biomarkers on Mars. These findings will allow for proper criteria for the discovery of any potential physical biosignature and chemical biomarker that would be on active ocean worlds (Europa, Enceladus) and for future Mars subsurface drilling missions.</p>","PeriodicalId":16101,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets","volume":"131 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2026-08-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148848826","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}