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1.
Diverse phyllosilicate deposits discovered previously in the Nili Fossae region with near infrared reflectance data are a window into the complex history of aqueous alteration on Mars. In this work, we used thermal infrared data from the Thermal Emission Spectrometer (TES) in combination with near infrared data from the Observatoire pour la Minéralogie, l’Eau, les Glaces, et l’Activité (OMEGA) to better constrain the mineralogy and geologic origin of these deposits. We developed a TES spectral index for identification of clay minerals, which correctly identifies the phyllosilicates in the Nili Fossae area and points to several other interesting deposits in the Syrtis Major region. However, detailed inspection of the TES spectral features of Nili Fossae phyllosilicates shows a feature at low wavenumbers (350-550 cm−1) that is not an exact match to any specific Fe3+-, Al-, or Mg-rich phyllosilicate phase. Instead, the feature is more similar to basaltic glass and may indicate that the phyllosilicates in this region are: (1) rich in Fe2+ (based on similarity to trends seen in laboratory data of clay minerals), (2) poorly crystalline/extremely disordered, and/or (3) present within a matrix of actual basalt glass. This feature is similar to spectral features seen in altered rocks in the Columbia Hills region of Gusev Crater by previous authors. By calibrating measured spectral index values against mathematical spectral mixtures of typical martian dark surfaces and known abundances of alteration minerals, we are able to estimate an enrichment in abundance of alteration minerals in the altered surfaces. Many dark, Noachian deposits in the Nili Fossae area are enriched phyllosilicates by 20-30% (±10-15%) relative to dark, volcanic surfaces in the same region. The distribution and abundance of these phases indicates that alteration in the region was pervasive, but did not completely erase the original mineralogy of what was likely an Fe-rich basalt protolith. As a group, the Nili Fossae phyllosilicate deposits are fundamentally different from those found in the Mawrth Vallis region. Nili Fossae deposits have strong thermal infrared features related to admixed pyroxene, plagioclase, and occasionally olivine, whereas the Mawrth Vallis deposits contain no mafic minerals. Comparison of TES and OMEGA data also illustrates some more general differences between the datasets, including the impact of physical character of the martian surface on detectability of minerals in each spectral range. 相似文献
2.
Clay mineral-bearing deposits previously discovered on Mars with near infrared (λ=0.3-5 μm) remote sensing data are of major significance for understanding the aqueous history, geological evolution, and past habitability of Mars. In this study, we analyzed the thermal infrared (λ=6-35 μm) surface properties of the most extensive phyllosilicate deposit on Mars: the Mawrth Vallis area. Clay mineral-bearing units, which in visible images appear to be relatively light-toned, layered bedrock, have thermal inertia values ranging from 150 to 460 J m−2 K−1 s−1/2. This suggests the deposits are composed of a mixture of rock with sand and dust at 100-meter scales. Dark-toned materials that mantle the clay-bearing surfaces have thermal inertia values ranging from 150 to 800, indicating variable degrees of rockiness or induration of this younger sedimentary or pyroclastic unit. Thermal Emission Spectrometer (TES) spectra of the light-toned rocks were analyzed with a number of techniques, but none of the results shows a large phyllosilicate component as has been detected in the same surfaces with near-infrared data. Instead, TES spectra of light-toned surfaces are best modeled by a combination of plagioclase feldspar, high-silica materials (similar to impure opaline silica or felsic glass), and zeolites. We propose three hypotheses for why the clay minerals are not apparent in thermal infrared data, including effects due to surface roughness, sub-pixel mixing of multiple surface temperatures, and low absolute mineral abundances combined with differences in spatial sampling between instruments. Zeolites modeled in TES spectra could be a previously unrecognized component of the alteration assemblage in the phyllosilicate-bearing rocks of the Mawrth Vallis area. TES spectral index mapping suggests that (Fe/Mg)-clays detected with near infrared data correspond to trioctahedral (Fe2+) clay minerals rather than nontronite-like clays. The average mineralogy and geologic context of these complex, interbedded deposits suggests they are either aqueous sedimentary rocks, altered pyroclastic deposits, or a combination of both. 相似文献
3.
The region surrounding the Mawrth Vallis outflow channel on Mars hosts thick layered deposits containing diverse phyllosilicate minerals. Here we report detection of the Ca-sulfate bassanite on the outflow channel floor, requiring a more complex aqueous chemistry than previously inferred for this region. The sulfate-bearing materials underlie phyllosilicate-bearing strata, and provide an opportunity for testing proposed models of martian geochemical evolution with a future landed mission. 相似文献
4.
B.J. Thomson N.T. Bridges A. Baldridge J.K. Crowley C.R. de Souza Filho C.M. Weitz 《Icarus》2011,214(2):413-463
Gale Crater contains a 5.2 km-high central mound of layered material that is largely sedimentary in origin and has been considered as a potential landing site for both the MER (Mars Exploration Rover) and MSL (Mars Science Laboratory) missions. We have analyzed recent data from Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter to help unravel the complex geologic history evidenced by these layered deposits and other landforms in the crater. Results from imaging data from the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) and Context Camera (CTX) confirm geomorphic evidence for fluvial activity and may indicate an early lacustrine phase. Analysis of spectral data from the CRISM (Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars) instrument shows clay-bearing units interstratified with sulfate-bearing strata in the lower member of the layered mound, again indicative of aqueous activity. The formation age of the layered mound, derived from crater counts and superposition relationships, is ∼3.6-3.8 Ga and straddles the Noachian-Hesperian time-stratigraphic boundary. Thus Gale provides a unique opportunity to investigate global environmental change on Mars during a period of transition from an environment that favored phyllosilicate deposition to a later one that was dominated by sulfate formation. 相似文献
5.
Following the work of Kieffer and Titus (2001, Icarus 154, 162-180), we present results of thermal IR observations of Korolev crater, located at ∼73° latitude in the martian northern polar region. Similar to techniques employed by Titus et al. (2003, Science 299, 1048-1050), we use infrared images from the Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) aboard Mars Odyssey to identify several regions within the crater basin with distinct thermal properties that correlate with topography. The THEMIS results show these regions exhibit temperature variations, spatially within the crater and throughout the martian year. In addition to the variations identified in the THEMIS observations, Mars Global Surveyor Thermal Emission Spectrometer (TES) observations show differences in albedo and temperature of these regions on both daily and seasonal cycles. Modeling annual temperature variations of the surface, we use TES observations to examine the thermal properties of these regions. This analysis reveals the crater interior deposits are likely thick layers (several meters) of high thermal inertia material (water ice, or extremely ice-rich regolith). Spatial variations of the physical properties of these regions are likely due to topography and possibly variations in the subsurface material itself. The nature of these deposits may help constrain polar processes, as well as provide context for the polar lander mission, Phoenix. 相似文献
6.
Aluminous clay deposits on Mars are recognized from remotely sensed infrared spectral features similar to those of montmorillonite, beidellite, and/or kaolinite. The nature of aluminous clay deposits on Mars is of interest because they likely indicate a different formation mechanism than that of Fe–Mg clays, which are widespread on Mars and likely alteration products of the Fe–Mg-rich basaltic crust. The near-infrared reflectance spectra of aluminous martian clay deposits frequently display characteristics typical of both montmorillonite and kaolinite. The question arises whether such mixed character is due to the existence of end-member phases or to kaolinite–smectite mixed-layer (K–S). The issue is relevant because K–S implies the existence of a smectite precursor that alters into kaolinite, and thus constrains the timing and intensity of the alteration processes that generates it. A mixture of kaolinite and smectite end-members may indicate locally heterogeneous alteration processes, or alternatively, could result from the physical mixing of altered materials of different provenance. A group of natural K–S samples and synthetic kaolinite/smectite mixtures of known proportion, all of which had been thoroughly characterized in previous work using several analytical techniques, were investigated here using near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy. The NIR spectral features correlate well with their kaolinite–smectite relative proportions. The shape of spectral features attributed to Al–OH in K–S is subtly different from those in physical mixtures of kaolinite and smectite. Based on qualitative comparison, some regions on Mars appear to have spectral signatures similar to K–S. We also applied a quantitative technique using the second derivative of spectra. In this technique, plots of the height of the features at (λ=) 2.21 μm (band present in kaolinite and montmorillonite) and 2.17 μm (kaolinite only) were able to discriminate between K–S and kaolinite–smectite physical mixtures, as they generated correlations with different slopes. The method of discrimination was applied to Mars spectra, which resulted in reasonable evidence for the existence of K–S in Nili Fossae and Mawrth Vallis, and mixtures of end-members in Mawrth Vallis and Leighton Crater. This is one of the first times that evidence for mixed-layer clay minerals, and particularly K–S, on Mars has been gathered. The ability to detect mixed-layer clays is an important step forward for further development of our understanding of the processes that generated clay on Mars. 相似文献
7.
The Thermal Emission Spectrometer (TES) has observed a high-silica material in the dark regions of Mars that is spectrally similar to obsidian glass and may have a volcanic origin. An alternate interpretation is that the spectrally amorphous material consists of clay minerals or some other secondary material, formed by chemical alteration of surface rocks. The regions where this material is observed (e.g., Acidalia Planitia) have relatively high spectral contrast, suggesting that the high-silica material exists as coarse particulates, indurated soils or cements, within rocks, or as indurated coatings on rock surfaces. The geologic interpretation of this spectral result has major implications for understanding magmatic evolution and weathering processes on Mars. One of the complications in interpreting spectral observations of glasses and clay minerals is that both are structurally and compositionally complex. In this study, we perform a detailed spectroscopic analysis of indurated smectite clay minerals and relate their thermal emission spectral features to structural and crystal chemical properties. We examine the spectral similarities and differences between smectite clay minerals and obsidian glass from a structural-chemical perspective, and make further mineralogical interpretations from previous TES results. The results suggest that neither smectite clays nor any clay mineral with similar structural and chemical properties can adequately explain TES observations of high-silica materials in some martian dark regions. If the spectrally amorphous materials observed by TES do represent an alteration product, then these materials are likely to be poorly crystalline aluminosilicates. While all clay minerals have Si/O ratios ?0.4, the position of the emissivity minimum at Mars suggests a Si/O ratio of 0.4-0.5. The spectral observation could be explained by the existence of a silica-rich alteration product, such as Al- or Fe-bearing opal, an intimate physical mixture of relatively pure silica and other aluminosilicates (such as clay minerals or clay precursors), or certain zeolites. The chemical alteration of basaltic rocks on Mars to phyllosilicate-poor, silica-rich alteration products provides a geologically reasonable and consistent explanation for the global TES surface mineralogical results. 相似文献
8.
Daniel C. BermanWilliam K. Hartmann 《Icarus》2002,159(1):1-17
Athabasca and Marte Valles lie on the Cerberus plains, between the young, lava-covered plains of Elysium Planitia and Amazonis Planitia. To test pre-MGS (Mars Global Surveyor) suggestions of extremely young volcanic and fluvial activity, we present the first crater counts from MGS imagery, at resolutions (∼2-20 m/pixel) much higher than previously available. The most striking result, based on morphologic relations as well as crater counts from different stratigraphic units, is to confirm quantitatively that these channel systems are much younger than most other major outflow channels. The general region has an average model age for lava and fluvial surfaces of ≤200 Myr, and has possibly seen localized water releases, interspersed with lava flows, within the past 20 Myr. The youngest lavas may be no more than a few megayears old. Access of lava and liquid brines to the surface may be favored by openings of the Cerberus Fossae fracture system, but, as shown in the new images, the fractures appear to have continued developing more recently than the most recent lavas or fluvial activity. The Cerberus Fossae system may be an analog to an early stage of Valles Marineris, and its youthful activity raises questions about regional tectonic history. Large-volume water delivery to the surface of young lava flows in recent martian history puts significant boundary conditions on the storage and history of water on Mars. 相似文献
9.
We examine the nature of the surface layer in Gale Crater as determined from high-resolution thermal and visible Mars Odyssey Thermal Emission Imaging System (THEMIS) data as well as how our conclusions compare to past analyses. At THEMIS resolution, the thermal surface structure is dominated by local control, thus providing us with detailed images that contain thermophysical information as well. Using these data sets we have created a map of the area, defining units based primarily on their geomorphology as determined from the daytime thermal and visible images and then using the nighttime thermal data to interpret the nature of the surface layer within each unit. Seven units have been defined: (i) partially blanketed knobby plateaus, (ii) crater walls with terrain similar to that on the plateaus on the upper half and exposed, rocky surfaces on the lower half, (iii)-(v) three floor units with varying combinations of bedrock and indurated and/or particulate deposits, (vi) sand sheets, and (vii) a central mound, consisting of indurated and/or rocky material forming layers, terraces, and slides, covered by particulate material that tapers in thickness downslope. Additionally, dozens of channels have been observed on the crater walls and central mound. The results indicate that aeolian processes have played a major role in shaping much of the present surface layer within Gale and may still be active today. Because of the dramatic size and structure of Gale, the winds are most likely controlled by the local topography. Additionally, the presence and frequency of channels within Gale bolster hypotheses involving aqueous episodes in the history of the crater. 相似文献
10.
Surficial Geologic Surveys of Gale Crater and Melas Chasma, Mars: Integration of Remote-Sensing Data
Remote-sensing observations of Gale Crater and Melas Chasma are synthesized to better understand the present surface layer in these two scientifically interesting regions. Data sets analyzed include geologic maps, Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA) elevation, Thermal Emission Spectrometer (TES) albedo, TES thermal inertia, MOLA residual pulse width, TES rock abundance, and Viking and Mars Orbiter Camera images. Using these data sets, we constrain the properties of and processes acting on the present surface and create self-consistent models for the surface layer. Surface properties within Gale Crater are variable and complex, and interpreting the surface layer is not straightforward. Observations indicate that aeolian processes have shaped some of the intracrater surface, but other areas do not comply with this model and have counterintuitive surface characteristics. In contrast, aeolian activity appears to have played a large role in shaping the present-day physical structure of all surfaces in Melas Chasma and is reflected in the remote-sensing data sets. Here we summarize our analysis and discuss the surface attributes as determined from these data sets. 相似文献
11.
We characterize the lithospheric structure of Isidis Planitia on Mars by analyzing Mars Global Surveyor and Mars Odyssey gravity and topography data using a flexural model of a thin elastic shell including bending and membrane stresses. Isidis Planitia is a circular, relatively flat plain formed near the end of the Early Noachian, at the edge of the highlands-lowlands boundary and the site of a large free-air gravity anomaly, features consistent with modification and filling of an impact basin. Our results suggest that the bulk density of the fill material inside Isidis must be more than 2600 kg m−3 and higher densities are probable. A comparison of the faulting observed at Nili Fossae to the predicted zone of extensional strain northwest of Isidis constrains the thickness of the elastic lithosphere to be 100-180 km thick beneath the basin at the time of loading. We also find that loads outside of the basin play a significant role in the interpretation of the tectonics; simplified models tend to overestimate the lithospheric thickness. We place relatively narrow bounds on the thermal gradient (3.4-6.5 K km−1) and heat flux (13.6-26 mW m−2) at Isidis at the time of loading. 相似文献
12.
Phyllosilicates on Mars are widespread in the ancient crust suggesting the presence of liquid water at the martian surface and therefore warmer conditions during its early history. However, the role of the ancient climate in the alteration process, which produced these phyllosilicates, remains under debate, because similar mineral assemblages can be produced by hydrothermal alteration at depth. This paper focuses on the origin of coincident outcrops of Fe/Mg bearing phyllosilicates and Al-bearing phyllosilicates, which are observed in several regions of Mars. We performed a detailed mineralogical comparison between a section in Nili Fossae, Mars, and a weathering profile located at Murrin Murrin, Western Australia. The Murrin Murrin profile is developed in Archaean serpentinized peridotite massifs over a ∼40 m thick sequence. It has three alteration zones: the serpentine mineral saprolite is found at the bottom, immediately overlain by Fe/Mg-bearing smectites and then Al-bearing phyllosilicates (kaolinite) mixed with iron hydroxides. This example illustrates how Al-dominated minerals can derive from the alteration of initially Al-poor ultramafic rocks by the intense leaching of Mg2+. This mineralogical sequence is very similar to that detected locally in Nili Fossae by orbital spectroscopy. By analogy, we propose that the mineral assemblage detected on Mars is the result of long-term weathering, and thus could be the best evidence of past weathering as a direct result of a climate significantly warmer than at present. 相似文献
13.
We present results of our morphologic and stratigraphic investigations in the Amenthes region for which our observations suggest a complex spatial and temporal interrelation between volcanic and possibly water-related processes. We have produced a series of self-consistent geological maps and a stratigraphic correlation chart that show the spatial and temporal distribution of volcanic, fluvial and tectonic processes.The Amenthes region consists of a broad trough-like topographic depression that has served as a path for the supply of materials from Hesperia Planum to Isidis Planitia. It is most likely that Hesperia Planum and, in particular the area north of Hesperia Planum, including Tinto Vallis, Palos crater and the surrounding dissected highlands have acted as a source region for materials that were transported into the Amenthes trough and farther into the Isidis basin. The Amenthes trough, as well as the graben of Amenthes Fossae were formed after the Isidis impact in the Noachian and represent likely the oldest features in the Amenthes region. Dendritic valley networks, that bear evidence for surface runoff, have dissected the highlands adjacent to Amenthes Planum and within the Tinto Vallis and Palos crater region before ∼3.7 Ga. The ridged volcanic plains located near the Palos crater and Tinto Vallis region, within Amenthes Planum as well as within the Isidis transitional plains were formed between ∼3.5 and 3.2 Ga and represent the volcanic activity which resulted in the flooding of the Amenthes trough. The sinuous channel of Tinto Vallis was formed in the Hesperian (?3.5 Ga) and shows characteristics, which are consistent with both ground water sapping and igneous processes. The Palos crater outflow channel was formed nearly at the same time as Tinto Vallis, between ∼3.5 Ga and ∼3.2 Ga and postdates the volcanic flooding of the Amenthes trough in the Hesperian. Small valleys (∼3.4-2.8 Ga) incised into the ridged plains of Amenthes Planum appear also within the transitional plains located between the Amenthes plains and the Isidis interior plains. Our model ages show that Tinto Vallis, the Palos crater outflow channel as well as the small valleys are unlikely formed at the same time and by the same processes as the dendritic valley networks and represent an episode that clearly postdates the volcanic activity. 相似文献
14.
Oliver L. White Ali Safaeinili Stephen M. Clifford The MARSIS Science Team 《Icarus》2009,201(2):460-473
The MARSIS radar experiment aboard the ESA Mars Express satellite has recorded several unusual reflections in the Ma'adim Vallis region of Mars. These reflections display a wide variety of morphologies which are very different from those of reflections seen beneath the Polar Layered Deposits, Medusae Fossae Formation and Dorsa Argentea Formation. Their morphologies are sometimes very laterally extensive, parabolic or hyperbolic, and apparently deep, but they can also appear horizontal and shallow. Aided by a geological map of the Ma'adim Vallis region, the morphological, locational and temporal characteristics of the reflections have been studied individually in an attempt to constrain their origin. While some may be subsurface reflections based on their shallow morphologies and correlation with the Eridania Planitia basin network, all of the reflections are ambiguous to some degree, displaying characteristics that do not allow a definite subsurface- or possibly ionospheric-sourced mechanism to be proposed for their creation. Those with more exaggerated morphologies are regarded as being much more likely to result from ionospheric distortion rather than subsurface inhomogeneity. 相似文献
15.
D. Loizeau J. Carter S. Bouley N. Mangold F. Poulet J.-P. Bibring F. Costard Y. Langevin B. Gondet S.L. Murchie 《Icarus》2012,219(1):476-497
The Tyrrhena Terra region of Mars is studied with the imaging spectrometers OMEGA (Observatoire pour la Minéralogie, l’Eau, les Glaces et l’Activité) onboard Mars Express and CRISM (Compact Reconnaissance Infrared Spectrometer for Mars) onboard Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, through the observation of tens of craters that impacted into this part of the martian highlands. The 175 detections of hydrated silicates are reported, mainly associated with ejecta blankets, crater walls and rims, and central up-lifts. Sizes of craters where hydrated silicates are detected are highly variable, diameters range from less than 1 km to 42 km. We report the presence of zeolites and phyllosilicates like prehnite, Mg-chlorite, Mg-rich smectites and mixed-layer chlorites–smectites and chlorite–vermiculite from comparison of hyperspectral infrared observations with laboratory spectra. These minerals are associated with fresh craters post-dating any aqueous activity. They likely represent ancient hydrated terrains excavated by the crater-forming impacts, and hence reveal the composition of the altered Noachian crust, although crater-related hydrothermal activity may have played a minor role for the largest craters (>20 km in diameter). Most detected minerals formed over relatively high temperatures (100–300 °C), likely due to aqueous alteration of the Noachian crust by regional low grade metamorphism from the Noachian thermal gradient and/or by extended hydrothermal systems associated with Noachian volcanism and ancient large impact craters. This is in contrast with some other phyllosilicate-bearing regions like Mawrth Vallis where smectites, kaolinites and hydrated silica were mainly identified, pointing to a predominance of surface/shallow sub-surface alteration; and where excavation by impacts played only a minor role. Smooth plains containing hydrated silicates are observed at the boundary between the Noachian altered crust, dissected by fluvial valleys, and the Hesperian unaltered volcanic plains. These plains may correspond to alluvial deposition of eroded material. The highlands of Tyrrhena Terra are therefore particularly well suited for investigating the diversity of hydrated minerals in ancient martian terrains. 相似文献
16.
S. P. Schwenzer J. C. Bridges R. C. Wiens P. G. Conrad S. P. Kelley R. Leveille N. Mangold J. Martín‐Torres A. McAdam H. Newsom M. P. Zorzano W. Rapin J. Spray A. H. Treiman F. Westall A. G. Fairén P.‐Y. Meslin 《Meteoritics & planetary science》2016,51(11):2175-2202
We model the fluids involved in the alteration processes recorded in the Sheepbed Member mudstones of Yellowknife Bay (YKB), Gale crater, Mars, as revealed by the Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity rover investigations. We compare the Gale crater waters with fluids modeled for shergottites, nakhlites, and the ancient meteorite ALH 84001, as well as rocks analyzed by the Mars Exploration rovers, and with terrestrial ground and surface waters. The aqueous solution present during sediment alteration associated with phyllosilicate formation at Gale was high in Na, K, and Si; had low Mg, Fe, and Al concentrations—relative to terrestrial groundwaters such as the Deccan Traps and other modeled Mars fluids; and had near neutral to alkaline pH. Ca and S species were present in the 10?3 to 10?2 concentration range. A fluid local to Gale crater strata produced the alteration products observed by Curiosity and subsequent evaporation of this groundwater‐type fluid formed impure sulfate‐ and silica‐rich deposits—veins or horizons. In a second, separate stage of alteration, partial dissolution of this sulfate‐rich layer in Yellowknife Bay, or beyond, led to the pure sulfate veins observed in YKB. This scenario is analogous to similar processes identified at a terrestrial site in Triassic sediments with gypsum veins of the Mercia Mudstone Group in Watchet Bay, UK. 相似文献
17.
Victoria E. HAMILTON Philip R. CHRISTENSEN Harry Y. McSWEEN Joshua L. BANDFIELD 《Meteoritics & planetary science》2003,38(6):871-885
Abstract— The objective of this study was to identify and map possible source regions for all 5 known martian meteorite lithologies (basalt, lherzolite, clinopyroxenite, orthopyroxenite, and dunite) using data from the Mars Global Surveyor Thermal Emission Spectrometer (MGS TES). We deconvolved the TES data set using laboratory spectra of 6 martian meteorites (Los Angeles, Zagami, ALH A77005, Nakhla, ALH 84001, and Chassigny) as end members, along with atmospheric and surface spectra previously derived from TES data. Global maps (16 pixels/degree) of the distribution of each meteorite end member show that meteorite‐like compositions are not present at or above TES detectability limits over most of the planet's dust‐free regions. However, we have confidently identified local‐scale (100s‐1000s km2) concentrations of olivine‐ and orthopyroxene‐bearing materials similar to ALH A77005, Chassigny, and ALH 84001 in Nili Fossae, in and near Ganges Chasma, in the Argyre and Hellas basin rims, and in Eos Chasma. Nakhla‐like materials are identified near the detection limit throughout the eastern Valles Marineris region and portions of Syrtis Major. Basaltic shergottites were not detected in any spatially coherent areas at the scale of this study. Martian meteorite‐like lithologies represent only a minor portion of the dust‐free surface and, thus, are not representative of the bulk composition of the ancient crust. Meteorite‐like spectral signatures identified above TES detectability limits in more spatially restricted areas (<tens of km) are targets of ongoing analysis. 相似文献
18.
F. Poulet N. Mangold J.-M. Bardintzeff V. Sautter J.-P. Bibring Y. Langevin A. Aléon-Toppani 《Icarus》2009,201(1):84-243
The primary objectives of this paper are to determine the modal mineralogy of selected low albedo terrains of different ages ranging from Noachian to Amazonian exposed on the surface of Mars. This analysis is conducted using the spectral modeling of the Observatoire pour la Minéralogie, l'Eau, les Glaces, et l'Activité (OMEGA) reflectance data. Results from this work are consistent with the major results of previous spectroscopic studies: plagioclase (40-60% in volume) and high calcium pyroxene (20-40%, HCP) are the dominant minerals of the most regions. Low calcium pyroxene (10-15%, LCP) and minor amounts of olivine are also present. The oldest terrains are characterized by the largest amount of LCP and the lowest concentration of plagioclase. These overall compositions are consistent with two-pyroxene basalts. The particle sizes are in the range of a few hundreds of micrometers, which is in good agreement with the thermal inertia of the martian low albedo regions. In the region around the Nili Fossae, localized concentrations of olivine up to 40% with millimeter particle size similar to picritic basalts observed in situ by the Spirit rover in the Gusev crater are inferred. Chemical compositions are calculated for the first time from OMEGA spectra. They are quite consistent with Gusev rocks and shergottite compositions but they appear to be significantly SiO2-poorer than Thermal Emission Spectrometer data. A decreasing low calcium pyroxene abundance with the decreasing age of the low albedo regions is reported. This may be indicative of decreasing degree of partial melting as thermal flux decreases with time. We propose that the ancient Noachian-aged, LCP-rich terrains could have been formed from H2O-bearing melts. Then, dry, basaltic volcanism occurred leading to decreasing LCP abundance with time due to decreasing degree of partial melting. The olivine-bearing material modeled in Nili Fossae resembles the composition of ALH77005 and Chassigny meteorites consistent with prior studies. Implications on the formation of the basaltic Shergottites are discussed. 相似文献
19.
J. Helbert 《Planetary and Space Science》2006,54(4):331-336
The Isidis Planitia region on Mars usually is regarded as a comparably attractive site for landing missions based on engineering constraints such as elevation and smooth regional topography. The Mars Express landed element Beagle 2 was deployed to this area, and the southern margin of the basin was selected as one of the backup landing sites for the NASA Mars Exploration Rovers.Especially in the context of the Beagle 2 mission, Isidis Planitia has been discussed as a place which might have experienced a volatile-rich history with associated potential for biological activity [e.g. Bridges et al., 2003. Selection of the landing site in Isidis Planitia of Mars Probe Beagle 2. J. Geophys. Res. 108(E1), 5001, doi: 10.1029/2001JE001820]. However the measurements of by the GRS instrument on Mars Odyssey indicate a maximum inferred water abundance of only 3 wt% in the upper few meters of the surface [Feldman et al., 2004. Global distribution of near-surface hydrogen on Mars. J. Geophys. Res. 109, E09006, doi: 10.1029/2003JE002160]. Based on these measurements this area seems to be one of the driest spots in the equatorial region of Mars.To support future landing site selections we took a more detailed look at the minimum burial depth of stable ice deposits in this area, focusing as an example on the planned Beagle 2 landing site. We are especially interested in the likelihood of ground ice deposits within the range of proposed subsurface sampling tools as drills or ‘mole’-like devices [Richter et al., 2002. Development and testing of subsurface sampling devices for the Beagle 2 Lander. Planet. Space Sci. 50, 903-913] given reasonable physical constraints for the surface and near surface material.For a mission like ExoMars [Kminek, G., Vago, J.L., 2005. The Aurora Exploration Program—The ExoMars Mission. In: Proceedings of the 35th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, abstract no. 1111, 15-19 March 2004, League City, TX] with a focus on finding traces of fossil life the area might be of potential interest, because these traces would be better conserved in the dry soil. Modeling and measurement indicate that Isidis Planitia is indeed a dry place and any hypothetical ground ice deposits in this region are out of range of currently proposed sampling devices. 相似文献
20.
Analysis of visible to near infrared reflectance data from the MRO CRISM hyperspectral imager has revealed the presence of an ovoid-shaped landform, approximately 3 by 5 km in size, within the layered terrains surrounding the Mawrth Vallis outflow channel. This feature has spectral absorption features consistent with the presence of the ferric sulfate mineral jarosite, specifically a K-bearing jarosite (KFe3(SO4)2(OH)6). Terrestrial jarosite is formed through the oxidation of iron sulfides in acidic environments or from basaltic precursor minerals with the addition of sulfur. Previously identified phyllosilicates in the Mawrth Vallis layered terrains include a basal sequence of layers containing Fe-Mg smectites and an upper set of layers of hydrated silica and aluminous phyllosilicates. In terms of its fine scale morphology revealed by MRO HiRISE imagery, the jarosite-bearing unit has fracture patterns very similar to that observed in Fe-Mg smectite-bearing layers, but unlike that observed in the Al-bearing phyllosilicate unit. The ovoid-shaped landform is situated in an east-west bowl-shaped depression superposed on a north sloping surface. Spectra of the ovoid-shaped jarosite-bearing landform also display an anomalously high 600 nm shoulder, which may be consistent with the presence of goethite and a 1.92 μm absorption which could indicate the presence of ferrihydrite. Goethite, jarosite, and ferrihydrite can be co-precipitated and/or form through transformation of schwertmannite, both processes generally occurring under low pH conditions (pH 2-4). To date, this location appears to be unique in the Mawrth Vallis region and could represent precipitation of jarosite in acidic, sulfur-rich ponded water during the waning stages of drying. 相似文献