Fluid Inclusion Studies of Chemosynthetic Carbonates: Strategy for Seeking Life on Mars
Astrobiology is a field that investigates the potential of fluid inclusions in minerals from other worlds. These inclusions are microscopic chambers that capture and preserve ambient fluids during mineral precipitation, potentially including biosignatures and physical remains of extra-terrestrial life. The researchers’ work, which centres on chemosynthetic carbonates and other surficial rock types, utilises cutting-edge technology to extract and analyse these inclusions, providing a fresh viewpoint in the field of astrobiology using a Linkam THM600 stage, the predecessor to the Linkam THMS600 stage.
The preservation of fluid inclusions in diverse surface precipitates: the potential for sampling palaeo-water from surface deposits on Mars
Ore geology and fluid inclusion study of the Donggebi giant porphyry Mo deposit, Eastern Tianshan, NW China using Linkam’s THMSG600
The Donggebi giant porphyry Mo deposit in Hami City, China, is associated with the Donggebi porphyritic granite and has undergone a four-stage hydrothermal ore-forming process, with each stage characterized by different mineral compositions. Researchers from the Chinese academy of Sciences and Peking University used the Linkam THMSG600 in order to shed insights into the formation processes of these ores. They found that initially the ores formed at high temperature, associated with CO₂ fluid inclusions, and low concentrations of NaCl, which evolved into lower temperature deposition associated with low CO₂ concentrations and higher NaCl concentrations.
Read the full paper here… (access required)
Application of the Linkam TS1400XY heating stage to melt inclusion studies
Melt inclusions offer a direct method to study magmatic processes and the evolution of magmatic systems, including the determination of volatile content in a magma body before an eruption. Various techniques, such as heating in one-atmosphere furnaces, high-pressure vessels, and microscope-mounted high-temperature stages, are used to homogenize MI for analysis. Discover how the Linkam TS1400XY heating stage revolutionizes the study of melt inclusions; with its exceptional ability to homogenize melt inclusions and swiftly quench the homogeneous melt into a glass, it opens up new possibilities for research and exploration.
