Physics
Scientific paper
Dec 2006
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2006agufm.p43a..05h&link_type=abstract
American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2006, abstract #P43A-05
Physics
1009 Geochemical Modeling (3610, 8410), 1051 Sedimentary Geochemistry, 1060 Planetary Geochemistry (5405, 5410, 5704, 5709, 6005, 6008), 1065 Major And Trace Element Geochemistry, 3617 Alteration And Weathering Processes (1039)
Scientific paper
On the basis of in-situ chemical analyses of rocks and soils returned by the Mars Exploration Rovers Spirit and Opportunity, it is becoming increasingly clear that chemical alteration on Mars proceeds under a vastly different set of conditions than they typically do on Earth. On Earth, chemical analyses for rocks weathered under a wide range of environmental conditions indicate that, regardless of the type of rock (e.g., granite, andesite, basalt), the results of chemical alteration are broadly similar. Primary igneous rocks are stripped of soluble cations, resulting in residual enrichment in aluminum and total iron (as ferric iron). This process promotes the formation of large quantities of clay minerals and iron-oxides. In contrast, Mars does not appear to possess an environment in which the generation of a similar suite of secondary minerals is a globally important process. Instead, Martian secondary mineralogy is dominated by Mg (Fe, Ca)- sulfates and Fe-oxides. We suggest that these differences in bulk secondary mineralogy are primarily due to the fact that chemical weathering processes on Mars occur at low-pH, and are often incipient in nature. From a bulk compositional standpoint, weathering processes of this nature may be difficult to distinguish from primary compositional variation. As on Earth, data collected from chemically weathered materials allows one to make inferences regarding the environmental conditions under which alteration took place. Accordingly, we will discuss the implications of data from chemically altered Martian materials examined by Spirit and Opportunity for past Martian environmental conditions.
Hurowitz Joel A.
McLennan Scott M.
Yen Albert
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