| タイトル | Sulfate Mineral Formation from Acid-Weathered Phyllosilicates: Implications for the Aqueous History of Mars |
| 本文（外部サイト） | http://hdl.handle.net/2060/20150002844 |
| 著者（英） | Rampe, E. B.; Craig, P. I.; Morris, R. V.; Ming, D. W. |
| 発行日 | 2015-03-16 |
| 言語 | eng |
| 内容記述 | Phyllosilicates on Mars are thought to have formed under neutral to alkaline conditions during Mars' earliest Noachian geologic era (approx. 4.1-3.7 Gya). Sulfate formation, on the other hand, requires more acidic conditions which are thought to have occurred later during Mars' Hesperian era (approx. 3.7-3.0 Gya). Therefore, regions on Mars where phyllosilicates and sulfates are found in close proximity to each other provide evidence for the geologic and aqueous conditions during this global transition. Both phyllosilicates and sulfates form in the presence of water and thus give clues to the aqueous history of Mars and its potential for habitability. Phyllosilicates that formed during the Noachian era may have been weathered by the prevailing acidic conditions that characterize the Hesperian. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to characterize the alteration products resulting from acid-sulfate weathered phyllosilicates in laboratory experiments. This study focuses on two phyllosilicates commonly identified with sulfates on Mars: nontronite and saponite. We also compare our results to observations of phyllosilicates and sulfates on Mars to better understand the formation process of sulfates in close proximity to phyllosilicates on Mars and constrain the aqueous conditions of these regions on Mars. |
| NASA分類 | Lunar and Planetary Science and Exploration |
| レポートNO | JSC-CN-32874 |
| 権利 | Copyright, Distribution as joint owner in the copyright |
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