The role of magmatic (granite) caves for exploration of

Martian analogs on Earth

Gonzlez Lpez, L. *
1

(1, 2),

Lee, N.

(3,4),

(1,2)

Vidal Romani J. R.

Institute of Geology Isidro Parga Pondal. University of A Corua (Spain) 2 Speleology Club A Trapa (Spain) 3 TU Mnchen (Germany) 4 Umea
University (Sweden)
* gonzalez.lopez.laura@hotmail.com

Introduction

Methods and Results

Caves offer fascinating possibilities for

astrobiology to explore rock-based, dark,
chemolithoauthotrophic ecosystems, in
e.g. the subsurface on Earth or on other
rocky planetary bodies such as Mars.

Microscopy
(Stereoscopic & SEM)

Most of the caves explored so far are

however based on limestone, which
accounts for only ~10 % of the rocks on
Earth but has not been found on Mars.

Stereomicroscope, NIKON
SMZ 1500, NIKON DS-Fi1
camera

Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) equipped with an

Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy analysis (EDS)

Molecular BiologyBioinformatics

X-ray Diffraction

Siemens / Bruker D5000 Xray Powder Diffraction

(XRD) System
Retsch. Planetary Ball Mill PM 400

Roche FLX-454 sequencer

PowerSoil DNA Isolation Kit

Magmatic rocks are far more common rock

types: Earth (~20 %), other space bodies
such as Mars (~100 %).

No Relative

Stereomicroscope: cilyndrical
speleothems from Argentina.

Opal A is the most common mineral.

X-Ray diffraction of 11 different opalA speleothems from 4 different
countries: 1 Anillaco, La Rioja,
Argentina, 2 Gundarin Hill, Australia,
3 Pampa de Achala, Crdoba,
Argentina. 4 Las Jaras, Crdoba,
Spain, 5 Portelia, Pontevedra,
Spain, 6 Trapa Cave b Pontevedra,
Spain, 7 Trapa Cave a, Pontevedra,
Spain, 8 Castelo da Furna b,
Northern Portugal, 9 Castelo da
Furna a, Northern Portugal, 10 O
Pindo, Corua, Spain, 11 Albarellos,
Avin, Ourense, Spain.

SEM: Opal-A cylindrical speleothem with

filamentous bacteria on its surface
(Skalboberget, Sweden).

- The High throughput

sequencing of DNA extracted
from
different
biospeleothems from the two
caves in Portugal (A Furna
(C1, C2, C3 entrance) and O
Forno (A1 entrance, A2, A3
and A4)) generated 263.103
partial prokaryotic 16S rRNA
gene
sequences,
which
revealed
an
astonishing
diversity
within
one
biospeleothem and zone as
well as between different
biospeleothems and zones
along the caves.

WD272

Bacteria Phyla distribution along the Caves

WCHB1-60
Verrucomicrobia

100%

TM6
Thaumarchaeota
Tenericutes

90%

TA06
Spirochaetae

80%

SM2F11
SHA-109
Proteobacteria

70%

Planctomycetes
NPL-UPA2

60%

Nitrospirae
Gemmatimonadetes
Fusobacteria

50%

Firmicutes
Euryarchaeota

40%

Elusimicrobia
Deinococcus-Thermus
Cyanobacteria

30%

Chloroflexi

- From these sequences up

to 350 different types of
OTUs could be recognized,
which could be assigned to
29 phyla among Bacteria, and
2 phyla among Archaea.

Chlorobi

20%

Chlamydiae
TM7
OD1

10%

BD1-5
Bacteroidetes

0%

Armatimonadetes

C1

C2

C3

A4

A3

A2

A1

Actinobacteria
Acidobacteria

Organisms we have found so far by microscopy:

Conclusion

Prokaryotes
BACTERIA and ARQUEA

Locations where magmatic rock caves were studied, so far: (a) Spain, Galicia, A
Trapa; Louro; Portelia (b) Portugal, Castelo da Furna (c) Spain, Huelva, Pea
del Hierro /Crdoba, Las Jaras; Badajoz/ South Pyrennes, Aragn (e) Austria (f)
Sweden, Falkberget; Hlick Grotta; Trllhallet (g) Argentina, Anillaco (h)
Argentina, Crdoba (i) Swaziland, Gobholo (j) Madagascar, Andringitra (l)
Western Australia, Hyden Rock (k) South Australia (m) Northern Territory (o)
Brazil, Ilha Santa Catarina. (Vidal Roman et al. 2015)
,

So far, little attention has been paid to

magmatic rock based caves. However,
such studies may complement current
perspectives of evolution of Earths life in
rocky environments as well as on other
planetary bodies such as Mars.

Eucaryotes
TESTATE AMOEBAE

FUNGUS

LICHENS

COLLEMBOLA

MYTES

DIATOMS
ARACHNIDA

Biospeleothems
observed in these
caves are smaller
than the counterparts
in limestone caves.
However,
in
combination with the
atmospheric humidity in the cave, even
scarce amounts of available water are still
sufficient
to
promote
bioweathering
processes contributingto the generation of
biospeleothems
with
diverse
microecosystems with different types of
prokaryotes and multicellular eukaryotes
(Vidal Roman et al. 2010, 2015).
These results clearly show that the
biospeleothems in magmatic caves contain
an unexpected diversity of microorganisms
and that many of them represent novel
lineages, indicating that these represent
novel microorganisms that have specialized
in this kind of ecosystem. Thus, this expands
our possibilities to postulate about possible
life forms on Mars or on other rocky planetary
bodies.

References
Elements of Study
Various types of
deposits
(speleothems) and
the microorganisms
which have
contributed to their
formation and thus
justify the name given
(biospeleothems).

Speleothems in Granite Rock Caves

Cylindrical

Individualized

Grass
Shaped

Ceiling
speleothems

Planar

Floor
speleothems

Terrestrial
Microestromatolites

With or without
microgours

Gonzlez Lpez, L. et al. (2013). First data on testate amoebae in speleothems of

caves in igneous rocks. Cadernos do Laboratorio Xeoloxico De Laxe, 37,
37-55.
Lee, N. M. et al. (2012). Caves and Karst environments. In Bell, E.M. (ed.). Life at
Extremes: Environments, Organisms and Strategies for Survival, CAB
International, 320-344.
Vidal-Roman, J.R. et al. (2015) Bioweathering related to groundwater circulation
in cavities of magmatic rock massifs. Environmental Earth Sciences, 73,
2997-3010.
Vidal Roman, J. R. et al. (2010). Speleothem development and biological activity
in granite cavities. Geomorphologie: relief, processus, environment, 4,
337-346.
Vidal Roman, J. R. & Vaqueiro, M. (2007). Types of granite cavities and
associated speleothems: genesis and evolution. Nature Conservation, 63,
41-46.

Acknowledgements:

EANA (European Astrobiology Network Association).

All my colleagues from Speleology Club Trapa (C.E.T.R.A.).

Institutions and Researchers involved in this research.