Modal Mineralogy Of The Martian Phyllosilicate-rich Terrains And Implication For Their Formation

Details Modal Mineralogy Of The Martian Phyllosilicate-rich Terrains And Implication For Their Formation Modal Mineralogy Of The Martian Phyllosilicate-rich Terrains And Implication For Their Formation

Dec 2007

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2007agufm.p11e..07p&link_type=abstract

American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2007, abstract #P11E-07

Physics

6225 Mars

Scientific paper

Using classical methods of spectral identification based on the absorption band depth of minerals, OMEGA has provided an unambiguous identification of phyllosilicates on the surface of Mars (Poulet et al. 2005, Nature, 438). First constraints on the conditions of their formation were derived (Chevrier et al., 2007, Nature, 448), however the complete story of their formation and their evolution will be fully understood if mineral abundances are known. The modal mineralogy of the phyllosilicate-rich terrains will be presented from the analysis of the OMEGA reflectance spectra using a nonlinear unmixing model based on the Shkuratov radiative transfer theory. Several occurences (regional deposits in Mawrth Vallis and in Nilo-Syrtis, numerous localized deposits in the two hemispheres) are studied in detail. Significant differences in mineral abundances between these regions are found. The modelling of the OMEGA spectra of the phyllosilicate-rich outcrops in Mawrth Vallis requires the largest amount of phyllosilicates (about 60% of nontronite and/or montmorillonite) mixed with hydroxides (ferrihydrite as a very likely end-member) and some non-phyllosilicate materials (plagioclase, Martian dust, pyroxenes). This suggests that the degree of alteration was stronger in Mawrth Vallis than anywhere on Mars. In the NiloSyrtis region, we observe significant spot-to-spot differences in modal mineralogy, and these differences are remarkably consistent with the geomorphology. In the second part of the paper, the modal mineralogy will be compared to kinetic-thermodynamic modeling of weathering of basalt and the implications for the formation of the phyllosilicate-rich terrains will be addressed.

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