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Abiotic

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Encyclopedia of Astrobiology

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Definition

Abiotic refers to the ongoing physical and chemical processes in natural environments driven by different mechanisms that deviate from any biological activity. Although primary physical and chemical cycles on Earth can hardly escape the activity of the biosphere, some processes do not depend on biological activities. For example, this is the case of hydrothermal deposits resulting from reactions equilibrated at high temperature and driven by the circulation of hot fluids commonly through a silica-rich host rock. Under those conditions, the redox, volatile fugacity, and mineral saturation are fully conducted by physical and chemical processes that are independent of the biological processes. Interestingly, while the hydrothermal processes are mostly unbound from the biological activity, they can produce organic compounds (McCollom and Seewald 2007) or replicate chemical reactions that are mimicked some way by some metabolic pathways (Huber and Wächtershäuser 1997). In...

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References and Further Reading

  • Catling DC, Claire MW, Zahnle KJ, Quinn RC, Clark BC, Hecht MH, Kounaves S (2010) Atmospheric origins of perchlorate on Mars and in the Atacama. JGR Planets 115:E00E11. https://doi.org/10.1029/2009JE003425

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  • Cheng ZY, Fernández-Remolar DC, Izawa MRM, Applin DM, Chong Díaz M, Fernandez-Sampedro MT, García-Villadangos M, Huang T, Xiao L, Parro V (2016) Oxalate formation under the hyperarid conditions of the Atacama desert as a mineral marker to provide clues to the source of organic carbon on Mars. JGR Biogeosc 121:1593–1604

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  • McCollom TM, Seewald JS (2007) Abiotic synthesis of organic compounds in deep-sea hydrothermal environments. Chem Rev 107:382–401

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Lunar and Planetary Sciences, Macau University of Science and Technology, Taipa, China

    David C. Fernandez-Remolar

  2. CNSA Macau Center for Space Exploration and Science, Macau, PR China

    David C. Fernandez-Remolar

Authors
  1. David C. Fernandez-Remolar
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Correspondence to David C. Fernandez-Remolar .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Bordeaux, University of Bordeaux, Pessac CX, France

    Muriel Gargaud

  2. Department of Astronomy, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, USA

    William M. Irvine

  3. Centro Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, Univ. Autónoma de Madrid Cantoblanco, Madrid, Spain

    Ricardo Amils

  4. Analytical-, Environm., Geo-Chemistry, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, VUB, Brussels, Belgium

    Philippe Claeys

  5. Earth-Life Science Institute, Tokyo Institute of Technology, WASHINGTON, DC, USA

    Henderson James Cleaves

  6. Radio Astronomy, Paris Observatory, Paris, France

    Maryvonne Gerin

  7. Observatoire de Paris-Meudon, Meudon, France

    Daniel Rouan

  8. International Space Science Institute, Bern, Bern, Switzerland

    Tilman Spohn

  9. Centre Francois Viète, Universite de Nantes, Nantes, France

    Stéphane Tirard

  10. Innovaxiom, Paris CX, France

    Michel Viso

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Word range of Entry: approx. 650-900 words excl. references, as agreed with the Editors-in-Chief

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Fernandez-Remolar, D.C. (2022). Abiotic. In: Gargaud, M., et al. Encyclopedia of Astrobiology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_84-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_84-4

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  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-27833-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-27833-4

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Physics and AstronomyReference Module Physical and Materials ScienceReference Module Chemistry, Materials and Physics

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Chapter history

  1. Latest

    Abiotic
    Published:
    13 December 2022

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_84-4

  2. Abiotic (Entry Type: Short Entry)
    Published:
    23 November 2021

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_84-3

  3. Original

    Abiotic
    Published:
    22 April 2015

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_84-2

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