Physics
Scientific paper
Dec 2006
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2006agufm.p21a..04w&link_type=abstract
American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2006, abstract #P21A-04
Physics
3617 Alteration And Weathering Processes (1039), 3640 Igneous Petrology, 3672 Planetary Mineralogy And Petrology (5410), 3694 Instruments And Techniques, 6225 Mars
Scientific paper
The abundances and compositions of mineral-phases in the low-albedo northern plains of Mars have been a focus of considerable study and debate in recent years. Large expanses of Acidalia Planitia surface materials are characterized by the MGS-TES Surface Type 2 (ST2) spectral endmember [1]. The ST2 spectrum is distinguished by a rounded, slightly V-shaped 800 to 1200 wavenumber region of absorption and uniform absorption at low wavenumbers. The same areas are also characterized by an OMEGA spectral signature that is relatively featureless, but with a strong blue slope (decreasing reflectance as a function of wavelength) from 0.9 to 2.6 microns [2]. A central question with both observations is whether they represent the spectral signature of a high-silica primary volcanic lithology (andesite) or the effects of chemical alteration on basaltic surface materials. Ambiguity in classifying the ST2 lithology arises because a spectral component of this unit (20-30 vol %) can be interpreted as volcanic siliceous glass [1, 3] (an abundant phase in andesite) or a combination of secondary phases found in altered basalt (amorphous silica-rich coatings, palagonite, smectite, and zeolite) [4-8]. Similarly, the OMEGA spectrum lacks evidence of distinct mafic mineral bands (found in andesite) as well as molecular vibration absorptions due to H2O and/or OH-, which might indicate the presence of well- crystalline alteration products and phyllosilicates [2]. Constraining these compositions is significant for understanding the petrogenesis of the Martian crust and its subsequent alteration. Identification of widespread andesite may imply an early episode of plate tectonics on Mars while altered basalt would indicate extensive surface-volatile interactions. The objective of this study is to combine TES and OMEGA observations of the low-albedo northern plains for comparison to laboratory thermal infrared and visible/near-infrared measurements of primary volcanic lithologies (basalt to dacite) and chemically weathered basalts from different terrestrial environments. Thermal infrared emission and visible/near-infrared reflectance measurements will be performed on rock chips, sorted particle sizes, and soil samples. Emission spectra have been acquired at Arizona State University using a Nicolet Nexus 670 FTIR spectrometer that has been modified to measure emitted energy over the range of 5 to 50 microns at 2 wavenumber spectral sampling. Bidirectional reflectance measurements from 0.32 to 2.55 microns at 0.05 micron sampling will be collected at the Brown University RELAB facility. Work by [5] on palagonitic alteration rinds developed on basaltic rocks demonstrates the effectiveness of combining wavelength regions in laboratory studies and applying results to orbital observations. In our study, we further this type of work by examining both unaltered volcanics and chemically altered basalts in an effort to constrain interpretations of the igneous lithology and the degree of secondary mineral-phase production in Acidalia Planitia. [1] Bandfield et al. (2000) Science, 287, 1626 1630. [2] Mustard et al. (2005) Science, 1594-1597. [3] Hamilton et al. (2001) JGR, 106, 14,733-14,746. [4] Wyatt and McSween (2002) Nature, 417, 263-266. [5] Morris et al. (2003) 6 Int. Mars. Conf, Abstract 3111. [6] Kraft et al. (2003) GRL, 30, 24, 2288, doi 10.1029.2003GL018848. [7] Ruff (2004) Icarus, 108, 131-143. [8] Michalski et al. (2005) Icarus, 174, 161-177.
Mustard John F.
Wyatt Michael Bruce
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