Hydrated Minerals

Hydrated minerals like sulfates and phyllosilicates that have been detected on Mars by OMEGA/MEX [Gendrin et al., 2005; Poulet et al., 2005; Bibring et al., 2006; Mangold et al., 2007; Poulet et al., 2007] constitute direct records of its past aqueous activity. These minerals provide information about the environmental processes on the abundance and duration of water and importance of chemical alteration. These alteration products are supposed to result from different formation processes occurring during distinct climatic episodes [Poulet et al., 2005].
At four areas on Mars, hydrated minerals have been detected at a global scale: Terra, Meridiani, Mawrth Vallis, Nili Fossae, and Aram Chaos. The sulfates detected in Valles Marineris have been identified at smaller scale as they appear in small isolated areas. Altogether, the surface of Mars is lacking hydrated minerals at the detection threshold limit at 1.9 µm [Poulet et al., 2007].

Figure 1: Phyllosilicates: Nontronite, Chamosite, Montmorillonite.
Figure 2: Sulfates: Kiserite, Gypsum, Epsomite

References

  • Bibring, J.-P., Y. Langevin, J. F. Mustard, F. Poulet, R. Arvidson, A. Gendrin, B. Gondet, N. Mangold, P. Pinet, F. Forget, and the OMEGA team (2006): Global Mineralogical and Aqueous Mars History Derived from OMEGA/Mars Express Data, Science, 312 (4), 400-404.
  • Gendrin, A., N. Mangold, J.-P. Bibring, Y. Langevin, B. Gondet, F. Poulet, G. Bonello, C. Quantin, J. Mustard, R. Arvidson, and S. LeMouélic (2005): Sulfates in Martian Layered Terrains: The OMEGA/Mars Express View, Science, 307, 1587-1591.
  • Mangold, N., F. Poulet, J. F. Mustard, J.-P. Bibring, B. Gondet, Y. Langevin, V. Ansan, Ph. Masson, C. Fassett, J. W. Head III, H. Hoffmann, and G. Neukum (2007): Mineralogy of the Nili Fossae region with OMEGA/Mars Express data: 2. Aqueous alteration of the crust, JGR, 112.
  • Poulet, F., J.-P. Bibring, J. F. Mustard, A. Gendrin, N. Mangold, Y. Langevin, R. E. Arvidson, B. Gondet, C. Gomez & the Omega Team (2005): Phyllosilicates on Mars and implications for early martian climate, Nature, 438, 623-627.
  • Poulet, F., C. Gomez, J.-P. Bibring, Y. Langevin, B. Gondet, P. Pinet, G. Belluci, and J. Mustard (2007): Martian surface mineralogy from Observatoire pour la Minéralogie, l’Eau, les Glaces et l’Activite ́ on board the Mars Express spacecraft (OMEGA/MEx): Global mineral maps, JGR, 112.

Last update: 20/05/2010 14:15