Geochemical Self-Organization and Mineral Pattern Formation in Soda Lakes of the Rift Valley

Resumo

Overall, the thesis presented the precipitation sequences, the hydrochemical evolution, and self-organized mineral patterns in an environment thought to be analogues to the soda oceans of the early Earth and other extraterrestrial planets and moons. The findings contribute to the knowledge of the geochemistry of soda lakes in which the mineral precipitation sequence in such peculiar hydrochemistry has been explored experimentally for the first time. To this purpose, ex-situ characterization techniques, in-situ synchrotron X-ray diffraction of levitated droplets, and geochemical modelling were integrated. The synergy of these methods could be applicable in industrial crystallization, and natural brines to reconstruct the hydrogeochemical and hydroclimatic conditions of soda lakes, evaporite settings, and potentially soda oceans of early Earth and extraterrestrial planets. In addition, the thesis demonstrated the plausibility of mineral self-assembly in soda oceans of early Earth and Earth-like planets and moons, suggesting direct implications for the origin of life and life detections in geologic records.