Hydro-magnesite formation in Salda Lake in Türkiye receive great attention as an example on Earth in relation to the early life traces in the Jezerro Crater of Mars. The authors investigated Salda Lake and sampled hydro-magnesite. The sampled stromatolites vary newly formed soft ones to quite hardened ones. Microscopic structures and X-Ray analyses of samples were used to characterize the minerological constitutents. Some samples were prepared from large pieces of stromatolites to determine physico-mechanical properties. The investigation results are presented and the implications of the outcomes from these investigations on the characteristics of rocks in Jezerro Crater in Mars are discussed.
This Hydro-magnesite are formed due to decomposition of ophiolites by living cyanobacteria and stromatolite formation is observed. This process is interpreted as evidence of traces of early life preserved in the geological formations. Hydro-magnesite formation in Salda Lake in Türkiye provides such an evidence in modern times. Therefore Salda Lake has received the great attention of NASA and many researchers worldwide. Jezerro Crater, which hosted a lake in the past is viewed a similar example to Salda Lake in Mars. NASA has recently sent the Mars Explorer Rover called Perseverance, which has been exploring Jezzero Crater and performing grinding, drilling and coring of rocks in Jezerro Crater.
The authors had a chance to investigate Salda Lake and sampled hydro-magnesite from various stromatolites and exposed to different athmospheric and environmental conditions. The sampled stromatolites vary newly formed soft ones and quite hardened ones. Thin sections were prepared for evaluating microscopic structures and X-Ray analyses of samples were used to characterize the minerological constitutents. Some samples were prepared from large pieces of stromatolites to determine physical properties such as density, porosity, elastic wave velocity, mechanical properties such as Brazilian Tensile Strength (BTS), 3-Point Bending Tensile Strength and Uniaxial Compression Strength (UCS) and elastic modulus. Experimental results indicated that the mechanical properties strongly depends upon the porosity of samples.
