NASA Logo

NTRS

NTRS - NASA Technical Reports Server

Back to Results
The Importance of Mars Samples in Constraining the Geological and Geophysical Processes on Mars and the Nature of Its Crust, Mantle, and CoreIn situ compositional and mineralogical measurements on the Martian surface, combined with analyses of Martian meteorites, indicate that most igneous rocks are lavas and volcaniclastic rocks of basaltic composition and cumulates of ultramafic composition. Alkaline rocks are common in Early Hesperian terranes and tholeiitic rocks dominate younger Amazonian martian meteorites. Very uncommon feldspathic rocks represent the ultimate fractionation products, while granitoid rocks have not been identified. The impact-driven delivery mechanism for the Martian meteorites biases in favor of more competent samples - young, igneous rocks - and against rocks that are more representative of the Martian crust. Comparisons of rock types found among the meteorites to those documented by landed missions demonstrates this bias unequivocally; furthermore, of the over 100 martian lithologies represented by the martian meteorites, only one (NWA 7034 and pairs) is a regolith breccia.
Document ID
20180003295
Acquisition Source
Johnson Space Center
Document Type
Conference Paper
Date Acquired
June 4, 2018
Publication Date
April 25, 2018
Subject Category
Space Sciences (General)
Report/Patent Number
JSC-E-DAA-TN52597
Meeting Information
Meeting: International Mars Sample Return Conference
Location: Berlin
Country: Germany
Start Date: April 25, 2018
End Date: April 27, 2018
Sponsors: European Space Agency
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NNA16BD26C
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Public Use Permitted.
No Preview Available