Schuyler Borges
Research Interests
McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica
Microbial Mat Biosignatures Firstly, in order to remotely (via satellite or telescope) detect these microbial mats on other worlds, understanding which biosignatures are present in their visible/near-infrared spectra (VNIR) is paramount (see image to the right). Therefore, I am determining which pigments can be detected in VNIR spectra of various microbial mat communities at both hyper- and multispectral resolution. The results from this project influence both astrobiologic and ecological studies.
For instance, knowing which pigments are in these mats' VNIR spectra is necessary for answering the question: "would it be possible to detect certain biosignatures on the surface of an exoplanet using future space-based telescopes?" With the help of NAU alumn, Gabrielle Jones, and Dr. Tyler Robinson, I am seeking to answer this question using our VNIR spectral archive. Our work ultimately finds how detectable non-photosynthetic, anoxygenic photosynthetic, and oxygenic photosynthetic biosignatures are on rocky, Earth-like exoplanets using the future LUVOIR/HabEx space-based telescopes. Using these microbial mats' VNIR spectra, I am also mapping the distribution and abundance of these communities across the Lake Fryxell Basin using satellite remote sensing (see image to the upper right). This work highlights the highest areal coverage of various microbial mat communities and moss, indicating ecologically unique and important areas of this Antarctic basin. In the same stream where we find the highest coverage of microbial mat, we also found rock coatings resembling hot spring silica sinters on Earth and in Gusev crater, Mars (see image to the right). We're finding that these Antarctic rock coatings are laminated carbonates, preserving microbial mat biosignatures. Ultimately, this is the first work to understand how stream microbial mats in the McMurdo Dry Valleys of Antarctica are being preserved in the rock record today. |
The McMurdo Dry Valleys of Antarctica are a great analog for Mars given their cold, dry, vegetation-devoid environment. However, unlike Mars, communities of microorganisms, called microbial mats, currently live within ephemeral meltwater streams of these valleys. These extremophiles can survive the harshest of environmental conditions on the surface of Earth, thus making them great analogs for potential life on other cold, rocky planets.
My research involves using remote sensing, fieldwork, modeling, and lab work to determine which microbial mat biosignatures can be observed from the ground and from space. In my work, I use many different types of microbial mats found within the Lake Fryxell Basin of Antarctica (indicated by the arrow on the map). I am currently writing four manuscripts from this work, which will be submitted within the next year. |
Previous Mars Research
As an undergraduate, I assisted Dr. Marion Nachon and Dr. Dawn Sumner in understanding the formation of calcium sulfate veins in Gale crater, Mars using data from NASA's Curiosity rover.
Subsurface fluid circulation on Mars has influenced current surface morphology and possible conditions for subsurface life. Calcium sulfate veins found in Gale crater, Mars are particularly interesting given their ability to host life. In previous research, I created a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) tool that essentially determines the location of an object (in this case, calcium sulfate veins) seen in a panoramic image taken by the Curiosity rover. The tool projects the location of this object on an orbital image of the region. This technique provides a direct link between surface features observed by Curiosity from afar and orbital measurements acquired from space. It allows scientists to make inferences about distant areas only observed by Curiosity from space. This tool has been used to locate calcium sulfate veins within a stratigraphic column of Mount Sharp and estimate their relative timing of formation. I have also mapped and characterized the width, geometry, and orientations of calcium sulfate veins in the Bagnold Dunes area of Gale crater in an effort to better understand their possible formation mechanisms and relative ages. Calcium sulfate veins' diverse orientations and geometric relationships suggest multiple fracturing events occurred in the Bagnold Dunes area of Gale crater. Understanding the timing of fluid circulation events at Gale crater has large implications for understanding the ages of possible habitable environments in the Martian subsurface. |
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Blogs
Antarctica -- I was at the Lake Fryxell camp in Antarctica from November 23rd to February 14th, 2018-2019.
To hear more about field logistics in the Antarctic, visit this link here.
New Zealand -- I adventured through New Zealand on my trip home from Antarctica
To hear more about field logistics in the Antarctic, visit this link here.
New Zealand -- I adventured through New Zealand on my trip home from Antarctica