Other
Scientific paper
Dec 2008
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2008agufm.p43d..04c&link_type=abstract
American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2008, abstract #P43D-04
Other
5220 Hydrothermal Systems And Weathering On Other Planets, 5415 Erosion And Weathering, 5464 Remote Sensing, 5470 Surface Materials And Properties, 6225 Mars
Scientific paper
Minerals and their occurrences tell us about the chemistry, pressure,and temperatures of past environments, and the possible conditions for past habitability. To date, a fair number of phyllosilicates and other minerals have been detected on Mars (e.g., Poulet et al., Nature v438,p623, 2005; Mustard et al., Nature, v454, p309, 2008; Bishop et al., Science, V321, p830, 2008, and references therein). Minerals and amorphous materials detected and mapped over large areas include kaolinite/halloysite, montmorillonite, Fe/Mg-smectite, nontronite, saponite, chlorite, opal/hydrated glass, illite, muscovite, magnesite, prehnite, olivine, high- and low-calcium pyroxene, hematite, jarosite, alunite, kieserite, gypsum, coquimbite or ferricopiapite, possible szomolnokite and others yet to be identified. Phyllosilicate minerals are generally seen associated with Noachian outcrops and are thought to result from aqueous alteration, perhaps over sustained periods. Poly- and mono-hydrated Mg-sulphates appear to have been formed after the phyllosilicates. The patterns and occurrences of minerals so far mapped do not appear to show classic hydrothermal systems as have been observed on Earth (e.g., Yellowstone, Wyoming, and Cuprite, Nevada). Prehnite, previously identified on Mars as scapolite, a low-temperature phyllosilicate commonly found in mafic volcanics on Earth, appears widespread on Mars, often in association with Fe/Mg-smectite or chlorite. Phyllosilicates are observed in local outcrops, but occur regionally, generally indicating the effects of a common alteration process during the Noachian epoch. The discovery of mineralogies indicating both acidic and alkaline environments using CRISM and OMEGA data show that conditions were locally diverse. If the environments for the regional phyllosilicate deposits are found to be hostile to past habitability, perhaps studying the smaller mineralogically diverse areas may prove more fruitful. This talk will review the minerals and their diversity, and geologic environments on Mars and how they compare to terrestrial environments.
Bishop Janice L.
Calvin Wendy M.
Clark Roger Nelson
Ehlmann Bethany L.
McKeown Nancy K.
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