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Transient Liquid Water as a Mechanism for Induration of Soil Crusts on MarsThe Viking and the Mars Exploration Rover missions observed that the surface of Mars is encrusted by a thinly cemented layer tagged as "duricrust". A hypothesis to explain the formation of duricrust on Mars should address not only the potential mechanisms by which these materials become cemented, but also the textural and compositional components of cemented Martian soils. Elemental analyzes at five sites on Mars show that these soils have sulfur content of up to 4%, and chlorine content of up to 1%. This is consistent with the presence of sulfates and halides as mineral cements. . For comparison, the rock "Adirondack" at the MER site, after the exterior layer was removed, had nearly five times lower sulfur and chlorine content , and the Martian meteorites have ten times lower sulfur and chlorine content, showing that the soil is highly enriched in the saltforming elements compared with rock.Here we propose two alternative models to account for the origin of these crusts, each requiring the action of transient liquid water films to mediate adhesion and cementation of grains. Two alternative versions of the transient water hypothesis are offered, a top down hypothesis that emphasizes the surface deposition of frost, melting and downward migration of liquid water and a bottom up alternative that proposes the presence of interstitial ice/brine, with the upward capillary migration of liquid water.
Document ID
20040057997
Acquisition Source
Johnson Space Center
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Landis, G. A.
(NASA Glenn Research Center Cleveland, OH, United States)
Blaney, D.
(Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Cabrol, N.
(NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA, United States)
Clark, B. C.
(Lockheed Martin Corp. Denver, CO, United States)
Farmer, J.
(Arizona State Univ. Tucson, AZ, United States)
Grotzinger, J.
(Massachusetts Inst. of Tech. Cambridge, MA, United States)
Greeley, R.
(Arizona State Univ. Tucson, AZ, United States)
McLennan, S. M.
(State Univ. of New York Stony Brook, NY, United States)
Richter, L.
(Deutsche Forschungsanstalt fuer Luft- und Raumfahrt Germany)
Yen, A.
(Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Date Acquired
August 21, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 2004
Publication Information
Publication: Lunar and Planetary Science XXXV: Mars Missions
Subject Category
Lunar And Planetary Science And Exploration
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Public Use Permitted.
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