Global mineralogical and aqueous mars history derived from OMEGA/Mars Express data.
Global mineralogical mapping of Mars by the Observatoire pour la Mineralogie, l'Eau, les Glaces et l'Activité (OMEGA) instrument on the European Space Agency's Mars Express spacecraft provides new information on Mars' geological and climatic history. Phyllosilicates formed by aqueous alteration very early in the planet's history (the "phyllocian" era) are found in the oldest terrains; sulfates were formed in a second era (the "theiikian" era) in an acidic environment. Beginning about 3.5 billion years ago, the last era (the "siderikian") is dominated by the formation of anhydrous ferric oxides in a slow superficial weathering, without liquid water playing a major role across the planet.
Bibring
Jean-Pierre
JP
Institut d'Astrophysique Spatiale (IAS), Bâtiment 121, 91405 Orsay Campus, France.
Langevin
Yves
Y
Mustard
John F
JF
Poulet
François
F
Arvidson
Raymond
R
Gendrin
Aline
A
Gondet
Brigitte
B
Mangold
Nicolas
N
Pinet
P
P
Forget
F
F
Berthé
Michel
M
Bibring
Jean-Pierre
JP
Gendrin
Aline
A
Gomez
Cécile
C
Gondet
Brigitte
B
Jouglet
Denis
D
Poulet
François
F
Soufflot
Alain
A
Vincendon
Mathieu
M
Combes
Michel
M
Drossart
Pierre
P
Encrenaz
Thérèse
T
Fouchet
Thierry
T
Merchiorri
Riccardo
R
Belluci
Giancarlo
G
Altieri
Francesca
F
Formisano
Vittorio
V
Capaccioni
Fabricio
F
Cerroni
Pricilla
P
Coradini
Angioletta
A
Fonti
Sergio
S
Korablev
Oleg
O
Kottsov
Volodia
V
Ignatiev
Nikolai
N
Moroz
Vassili
V
Titov
Dimitri
D
Zasova
Ludmilla
L
Loiseau
Damien
D
Mangold
Nicolas
N
Pinet
Patrick
P
Douté
Sylvain
S
Schmitt
Bernard
B
Sotin
Christophe
C
Hauber
Ernst
E
Hoffmann
Harald
H
Jaumann
Ralf
R
Keller
Uwe
U
Arvidson
Ray
R
Mustard
John F
JF
Duxbury
Tom
T
Forget
François
F
Neukum
G
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D000538:Aluminum Silicates; D001272:Atmosphere; D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D000077215:Clay; D005118:Extraterrestrial Environment; D005290:Ferric Compounds; D018535:Mars; D008903:Minerals; D017640:Silicates; D013431:Sulfates; D013995:Time; D014867:Water
D000538:Aluminum Silicates; D005290:Ferric Compounds; D008903:Minerals; D017640:Silicates; D013431:Sulfates; D014867:Water; C092478:pyroxene; D002245:Carbon Dioxide; C000499:ferric oxide; D000077215:Clay