Surface chemistry and mineralogyThe accumulated knowledge on the chemistry and mineralogy of Martian surface materials is reviewed. Pertinent information obtained by direct analyses of the soil on Mars by the Viking Landers, by remote sensing of Mars from flyby and orbiting spacecraft, by telescopic observations from earth, and through detailed analyses of the SNC meteorites presumed to be Martian rocks are summarized and analyzed. A compositional model for Mars soil, giving selected average elemental concentrations of major and trace elements, is suggested. It is proposed that the fine surface materials on Mars are a multicomponent mixture of weathered and nonweathered minerals. Smectite clays, silicate mineraloids similar to palagonite, and scapolite are suggested as possible major candidate components among the weathered minerals.
Document ID
19930043873
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Conference Proceedings
Authors
Banin, A. (Jerusalem, Hebrew Univ. Israel)
Clark, B. C. (Martin Marietta Astronautics Group Denver, CO, United States)
Waenke, H. (Max-Planck-Inst. fuer Chemie Mainz, Germany)