Mathematics – Logic
Scientific paper
May 2002
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2002agusm.p31a..08r&link_type=abstract
American Geophysical Union, Spring Meeting 2002, abstract #P31A-08
Mathematics
Logic
5410 Composition, 5415 Erosion And Weathering, 5464 Remote Sensing
Scientific paper
The mineralogy of martian dust has remained elusive despite an abundance of spectral and chemical observations made over three decades. Given the global extent of these dust deposits, knowledge of the dust mineralogy would provide clues about the weathering/alteration history of the martian suface. Chemical analyses from landed instruments indicate a dominant silicate mineralogy with a possible minor evaporate component as well. Visible to near infrared (VNIR) telescopic and orbiter spectral measurements can be interpreted as evidence for amorphous palagonite with an Fe-rich nanocrystalline phase or poorly crystalline smectite clay. Thermal infrared observations have shown some characteristics of palagonite, smectite, and plagioclase. Now, new observations based on Thermal Emission Spectrometer (TES) data provide good evidence for a zeolite component in the surface dust. Zeolites are hydrous tectosilicates similar in structure to feldspars. They occur widely and in great abundance on earth as alteration products of basalts and volcanoclastic sediments in geologic settings that include playas, ash deposits, and continental and seafloor basalt flows. Zeolites frequently occur in close association with palagonite and smectite phases. TES spectra of dusty regions contain a feature at \sim830 cm-1 that is consistent with either zeolite or plagioclase but a second feature at \sim1610 cm-1 likely is produced by bound H2O, favoring the zeolite interpretation. Zeolites are molecular sieves by virtue of the large openings produced by their crystalline structure. They are capable of sequestering water vapor, gaseous CO2, SO2, and other molecules in significant amounts, providing interesting implications for their possible role in martian climate change.
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