An integrated view of the chemistry and mineralogy of martian soils.
The mineralogical and elemental compositions of the martian soil are indicators of chemical and physical weathering processes. Using data from the Mars Exploration Rovers, we show that bright dust deposits on opposite sides of the planet are part of a global unit and not dominated by the composition of local rocks. Dark soil deposits at both sites have similar basaltic mineralogies, and could reflect either a global component or the general similarity in the compositions of the rocks from which they were derived. Increased levels of bromine are consistent with mobilization of soluble salts by thin films of liquid water, but the presence of olivine in analysed soil samples indicates that the extent of aqueous alteration of soils has been limited. Nickel abundances are enhanced at the immediate surface and indicate that the upper few millimetres of soil could contain up to one per cent meteoritic material.
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91109, USA. Albert.Yen@jpl.nasa.gov
Albert S
AS
Yen
Ralf
R
Gellert
Christian
C
Schröder
Richard V
RV
Morris
James F
JF
Bell
Amy T
AT
Knudson
Benton C
BC
Clark
Douglas W
DW
Ming
Joy A
JA
Crisp
Raymond E
RE
Arvidson
Diana
D
Blaney
Johannes
J
Brückner
Philip R
PR
Christensen
David J
DJ
DesMarais
Paulo A
PA
de Souza
Thanasis E
TE
Economou
Amitabha
A
Ghosh
Brian C
BC
Hahn
Kenneth E
KE
Herkenhoff
Larry A
LA
Haskin
Joel A
JA
Hurowitz
Bradley L
BL
Joliff
Jeffrey R
JR
Johnson
Göstar
G
Klingelhöfer
Morten Bo
MB
Madsen
Scott M
SM
McLennan
Harry Y
HY
McSween
Lutz
L
Richter
Rudi
R
Rieder
Daniel
D
Rodionov
Larry
L
Soderblom
Steven W
SW
Squyres
Nicholas J
NJ
Tosca
Alian
A
Wang
Michael
M
Wyatt
Jutta
J
Zipfel
D001966:Bromine / Q000032:analysis; D004391:Dust / Q000032:analysis*; D005118:Extraterrestrial Environment / Q000737:chemistry*; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000737:chemistry*; D058085:Iron Compounds / Q000032:analysis; D017616:Magnesium Compounds / Q000032:analysis; D018535:Mars; D008903:Minerals / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry; D009532:Nickel / Q000032:analysis; D017640:Silicates / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry; D012987:Soil / Q000032:analysis*; D013055:Spectrophotometry, Infrared; D015204:Spectroscopy, Mossbauer; D014867:Water / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry
D004391:Dust; D058085:Iron Compounds; D017616:Magnesium Compounds; D008903:Minerals; D017640:Silicates; D012987:Soil; C060346:basalt; D014867:Water; D009532:Nickel; C034475:olivine; D001966:Bromine