Salt on Mars: Astrobiological Tombs?

Kathleen C. Benison – West Virginia University

Kathleen is a science team member for Mars 2020, This talk will give an overview of halite and gypsum on Mars and describe their potential to host microorganisms and organic compounds as solid inclusions and within fluid inclusions – as salt minerals on Earth do. The talk will place the search for life in salt minerals on Mars in context of the sample return plan for the Perseverance rover.