Prospects of Astrogeology and Astrobiology researches in India: Ladakh as an example

Authors

  • Binita Phartiyal Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences, 53 University Road, Lucknow 226 007, India
  • Jonathan D.A. Clarke Mars Society Australia, 43 Michell St Monash, ACT 2904, Australia
  • Siddharth Pandey Centre of Excellence in Astrobiology, Amity University Mumbai-410206, India

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.54991/jop.2021.24

Keywords:

Ladakh, Cold–arid desert, Mars analogue research, Astrobiology, Astrogeology

Abstract

Ladakh sector of the Trans–Himalayan region in India shows a strong fidelity as an analogue of Mars. It is dry, cold arid desert, has abundant rocky ground with dust devils, loose rock blanketing the mountain slopes, segregated ground ice/permafrost, rock glaciers, sand dunes, drainage networks, catastrophic flooding sequences, making it geomorphologically similar as an early Mars analogue. Even for the geochemical fidelity in Ladakh volcanic rocks (basalt); serpentinites, saline lakes, active and fossil hydrothermal systems exist which can give a clue to the processes and chemistry of the Martian grounds. As far as exobiological fidelity is concerned we have permafrost (evidence of water in the past), increased UV and cosmic radiation flux, reduced atmospheric pressure, hot springs (some rich in boron). Hence, Ladakh environment, characters by freezing temperatures, limited precipitation, open water in rivers and lakes, comparatively low atmospheric pressure, thermal springs, and relatively high ultraviolet flux, is an analogue for the Noachian epoch on Mars. Ladakh is surely a treat for geographers, geologists and in recent years also for the astrogeologist’s and astrobiologist’s as well, with its lunar/martian landscapes; exposures of sedimentary, metamorphic and igneous rock types; glacial, fluvial lacustrine sediments and active climatic and tectonic processes. This article demonstrated the many opportunities for Mars analogue research, mentioning the sedimentary deposits of Ladakh with examples from the variety of sediment exposures along the Indus River and explores possibilities for the future astro work sites–be it the landforms carved from the glacial, fluvial, lacustrine and aeolian deposits to study the sedimentary processes, the hyper saline lakes, the permafrost and the hot springs to study the extremophiles or the million year emplacements of the rocks to study the geochemical constituents.

सारांश

भारत में ट्रांस-हिमालयी क्षेत्र का लद्दाख सेक्टर मंगल के अनुरूप एक मजबूत आधुनिक ऐनालॉग प्रदर्शित करता है। यह सूखा, ठंडा शुष्क रेगिस्तान है, धूल के साथ-साथ प्रचुर मात्रा में यहाँ चट्टानी जमीन है, पहाड़ की ढलानों को ढंकने वाली चट्टानें, अलग-अलग तलस्थ-हिम, रॉक ग्लेशियर, रेत के टीले, जल निकासी नेटवर्क, आपाति बाढ़ अनुक्रम, इसे भू-आकृति के अनुरूप प्रारंभिक मंगल ग्रह के समान बनाते हैं। यहां तक ​​कि लद्दाख ज्वालामुखीय चट्टानों (बेसाल्ट) में भू-रासायनिक निष्ठा हेतु; सर्पेंटिनाइट्स, खारी झीलें, सक्रिय और जीवाश्म हाइड्रोथर्मल सिस्टम मौजूद हैं जो मंगल के मैदानों की प्रक्रियाओं और रसायन विज्ञान का सुराग दे सकते हैं। जहां तक ​​एक्सोबायोलॉजिकल फिडेलिटी का संबंध है, हमारे पास पर्माफ्रॉस्ट (अतीत में पानी के सबूत), बढ़ी हुई पराबैंगनी और कॉस्मिक रेडिएशन फ्लक्स, कम वायुमंडलीय दबाव, गर्म झरने (बोरॉन में कुछ समृद्ध) हैं। इसलिए, लद्दाख का वातावरण, बर्फ़ीली तापमान, सीमित वर्षा, नदियों और झीलों में खुला पानी, तुलनात्मक रूप से कम वायुमंडलीय दबाव, थर्मल स्प्रिंग्स और अपेक्षाकृत उच्च पराबैंगनी प्रवाह के लक्षण, मंगल ग्रह पर नोचियन युग के अनुरूप है। लद्दाख निश्चित रूप से भूगोलवेत्ताओं, भूवैज्ञानिकों और हाल के वर्षों में ज्योतिषविदों के लिए भी अपने चंद्र/मार्टियन परिदृश्यों के लिए अवसादी, कायांतरित और आग्नेय शैल प्रकारों का उद्भासन; हिमनद, नदीय सरोवर तलछट और सक्रिय जलवायु और विवर्तनिक प्रक्रियाएं के कारण भी महत्वपूर्ण हैं। इस लेख ने सिंधु नदी के साथ-साथ तलछट के विभिन्न प्रकारों के उदाहरणों के साथ लद्दाख के तलछटी निक्षेपों का उल्लेख करते हुए मंगल के अनुरूप अनुसंधान के लिए कई अवसरों का प्रदर्शन किया और भविष्य के खगोल कार्य स्थलों के लिए संभावनाओं की पड़ताल की - चाहे वह हिमनदों से उकेरी गई भू-आकृतियाँ हों, नदी के किनारे, तलछटी प्रक्रियाओं, अति लवणीय झीलों, पर्माफ्रॉस्ट और गर्म झरनों का अध्ययन करने के लिए लेसीजाइन और वातज जमाव चरमराशि का अध्ययन करने के लिए या भू-रासायनिक घटकों का अध्ययन करने के लिए चट्टानों के लाखों वर्ष के विस्थापन के लिए।

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Published

2021-09-10

How to Cite

Phartiyal, B., D.A. Clarke, J., & Pandey, S. (2021). Prospects of Astrogeology and Astrobiology researches in India: Ladakh as an example. Journal of Palaeosciences, 70((1-2), 327–337. https://doi.org/10.54991/jop.2021.24

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