| タイトル | The Water-Wheel IR (WIR): A Contact Survey Experiment for Water and Carbonates on Mars |
| 著者（英） | Kuebler, Karla E.; Haskin, Larry A.; Freeman, John; Wang, Alian; Dong, Edward X. |
| 著者所属（英） | Washington Univ. |
| 発行日 | 2004-01-01
2004 |
| 言語 | eng |
| 内容記述 | Minimum requirements for life include water and accessible carbon. Mars has both in its polar caps and atmosphere. Water (or water-equivalent hydrogen) is present at shallow depths (approx. 10-20 cm) at latitudes =60 and is heterogeneously distributed in other parts of Mars [1]. Mars may have once had surface water that could plausibly have produced carbonate deposits [2-5]. Mars shows signs of hydrothermal activity [6-8] that may have affected soil composition [9, 10]. The Thermal Emission Spectrometer on the Mars Global Surveyor found large and small patches of hematite that may have been water-borne or water-derived [11, 12]. Current orbiting spacecraft (MGS & Odyssey) have not found massive carbonate deposits, however [13]. Shales and limestones, which we associate with moist and benign environments on Earth, are apparently not abundant on Mars. Both carbonate and organic carbon occur as alteration products in Martian meteorites of igneous origin [14]. One study of MGS-TES data suggests 2-5 wt% carbonates (mainly MgCO3) in surface dust, but found no concentrated source [15]. Carbonates and H2O/OH bearing minerals will be sought by the mini-TES and Mossbauer experiments on the Mars Exploration Rovers, one of which landed successfully on Mars on January 3. |
| NASA分類 | Lunar and Planetary Science and Exploration |
| 権利 | Copyright, Distribution under U.S. Government purpose rights |
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