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Definitive Mineralogical Analysis of Martian Rocks and Soil Using the CheMin XRD/XRF Instrument and the USDC SamplerThe search for evidence of extant or extinct life on Mars will initially be a search for evidence of present or past conditions supportive of life (e.g., evidence of water), not for life itself. Definitive evidence of past or present water activity lies in the discovery of: * Hydrated minerals: The "rock type" hosting the hydrated minerals could be igneous, metamorphic, or sedimentary, with only a minor hydrated mineral phase. Therefore, the identification of minor phases is important. * Clastic sediments: Clastic sediments are commonly identified by the fact that they contain minerals of disparate origin that could only have come together as a mechanical mixture. Therefore, the identification of all minerals present in a mixture to ascertain mineralogical source regions is important. * Hydrothermal precipitates and chemical sediments: Some chemical precipitates are uniquely identified only by their structure. For example, Opal A, Opal CT, tridymite, crystobalite, high and low Quartz all have the same composition (SiO2) but different crystal structures indicative of different environments - from hydrothermal hydrothermal formation to low temperature precipitation. Other silica types such as stishovite can provide evidence of shock metamorphism. Therefore, identification of crystal structures and structural polymorphs is important. The elucidation of the nature of the Mars soil will require the identification of mineral components that can unravel its history and the history of the Mars atmosphere.
Document ID
20030066798
Acquisition Source
Goddard Space Flight Center
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
D F Blake
(Ames Research Center Mountain View, California, United States)
P Sarrazin
(Ames Research Center Mountain View, California, United States)
S J Chipera
(Los Alamos National Laboratory Los Alamos, New Mexico, United States)
D L Bish
(Los Alamos National Laboratory Los Alamos, New Mexico, United States)
D T Vaniman
(Los Alamos National Laboratory Los Alamos, New Mexico, United States)
Y Bar-Cohen
(Jet Propulsion Lab La Cañada Flintridge, California, United States)
S Sherrit
(Jet Propulsion Lab La Cañada Flintridge, California, United States)
S Collins
(Jet Propulsion Lab La Cañada Flintridge, California, United States)
B Boyer
(Oxford Instruments (United States) Austin, Texas, United States)
C Bryson
(Bryson Consulting Morgan Hill, CA, United States)
Date Acquired
August 21, 2013
Publication Date
July 25, 2003
Publication Information
Publication: Sixth International Conference on Mars
Publisher: LPI
Subject Category
Lunar And Planetary Science And Exploration
Report/Patent Number
3022
Meeting Information
Meeting: Sixth International Conference on Mars
Location: Pasadena, CA
Country: US
Start Date: July 20, 2003
End Date: July 25, 2003
Sponsors: Lunar and Planetary Institute
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NCC5-679
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Portions of document may include copyright protected material.
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