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Chemical transport during formation and alteration of Martian impact and volcanic depositsMuch of the surface of Mars, including volcanic and cratered terrains, probably experienced alteration and degassing processes. These processes may have depleted or enriched many important elements in surface materials, including bedrock, dust, and soils. The composition of the martian soil may represent the best estimate, for some elements, of the average composition of the martian crust, similar to the composition of loess created by glacial action on the Earth. The martian soil may represent the only convenient, globally or regionally averaged sample of the martian crust. In order to understand the composition of the source material for the soil, however, we need to understand the contributions of volcanic vs. impact sources for this material and the chemical fractionations involved in its production. The processes to be addressed include degassing of volcanic deposits, as observed in the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes at Katmai, Alaska, and degassing of meltbearing impact ejecta as inferred for suevite ejecta sheets at the Ries Crater, and alteration or palagonitization of volcanic deposits, as documented for volcanos in British Columbia and many other volcanic terrains, and impact crater deposits. The process of palagonitization has been the subject of several studies with reference to Mars, and palagonite is a good analogue for the spectroscopic properties of the martian dust. The role of impact in cratering has not been as well studied, although other researchers have established that both degassing and alteration are common features of impact crater deposits. Other relevant sources of experimental data include the extensive literature on the corrosion of nuclear waste glass and leaching of shocked materials.
Document ID
19930022764
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Other
Authors
Newsom, H. E.
(New Mexico Univ. Albuquerque, NM, United States)
Date Acquired
September 6, 2013
Publication Date
September 12, 1992
Publication Information
Publication: Lunar and Planetary Inst., MSATT Workshop on Chemical Weathering on Mars
Subject Category
Lunar And Planetary Exploration
Accession Number
93N31953
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.

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