Local Sulfate-rich Layered Deposits in Noctis Labyrinthus, Mars, and Their Chronological Consequences

Details Local Sulfate-rich Layered Deposits in Noctis Labyrinthus, Mars, and Their Chronological Consequences Local Sulfate-rich Layered Deposits in Noctis Labyrinthus, Mars, and Their Chronological Consequences

Dec 2008

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2008agufm.p44a..03m&link_type=abstract

American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2008, abstract #P44A-03

Other

6008 Composition (1060), 6017 Erosion And Weathering, 6055 Surfaces, 6207 Comparative Planetology, 6225 Mars

Scientific paper

The theiikian period has been postulated to end the primitive "wet" period of Mars history at a time when the liquid water was already scarce at the surface of Mars. The basis for such a chronology is the presence of sulfates formed after the Noachian period, such as those deposited inside Valles Marineris canyons, which opened in the Early Hesperian epoch. Nevertheless, the end of this period is poorly constrained because the ages of layered deposits, and the associated alteration, are difficult to know precisely. Secondly, sulfates form by aqueous alteration of basaltic materials, and the resulting fluids can move far from their point of genesis. The main interior deposits of Valles Marineris miss the context of deposition that could have allowed us a better understanding of the sulfates' origin. In this context, regions such as the canyons of Noctis Labyrinthus studied here are key regions to solve these two questions. Indeed, these crosscutting canyons of deep and narrow shape display fresh scarps without spur and gully erosion and cut plains of Late Hesperian age, indicating a younger age than the main canyons of Valles Marineris. Several flat areas inside Noctis canyons display strong signatures of pyroxenes according to OMEGA spectroscopic data over high thermal inertia outcrops. This suggests the existence of young lava flows (see Mangold et al., LPSC, 2008). Additionally, several layered deposits exist locally which do not display features at the OMEGA scale. At this location, CRISM data allow us a close-up into the layered deposits at a spatial sampling of about 20 meters. Over these light toned layers, we detect sulfates and a collection of hydration signatures that might be related to other hydrated minerals. This material does not represent a major volume of alteration material compared to the main canyons accumulation, but it corresponds to some of the latest signatures of alteration found yet, perhaps of similar age as the alteration found on Valles Marineris plateau (see Milliken et al., LPSC, 2008). ). Our study will ultimately try to discriminate the origin of this local alteration: (1) is it related to the heat transfer and fluid circulation created by the volcanic event observed in the surroundings? In that case, this would deny any global consequence. Or, (2) is it one of the last "oasis" of the theiikian period characterized by episodic standing bodies of water?

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