Oxidation of manganese in an ancient aquifer, Kimberley formation, Gale crater, Mars
| Autor: | John P. Grotzinger, David T. Vaniman, Javier Martin-Torres, Fred Calef, Jeffrey R. Johnson, Kenneth S. Edgett, Cécile Fabre, Stéphane Le Mouélic, Jérémie Lasue, Susanne Schröder, Raymond E. Arvidson, Violaine Sautter, Ann Ollila, John L. Campbell, Jens Frydenvang, Jeff A. Berger, Nicolas Mangold, Allan H. Treiman, Craig Hardgrove, María Paz Zorzano, James F. Bell, Douglas W. Ming, Scott VanBommel, Agnes Cousin, Horton E. Newsom, Woodward W. Fischer, Nathan T. Bridges, Marie J. McBride, Olivier Forni, Michael C. Malin, Roger C. Wiens, Samuel M. Clegg, Richard V. Morris, Martin R. Fisk, Sylvestre Maurice, Scott M. McLennan, Ralf Gellert, Nina Lanza, Benton C. Clark, Diana L. Blaney, Melissa S. Rice, Lucy M. Thompson, Joel A. Hurowitz, Keian R. Hardy |
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| Rok vydání: | 2016 |
| Předmět: |
010504 meteorology & atmospheric sciences
Evaporite Mineralogy chemistry.chemical_element Manganese Mars Exploration Program 01 natural sciences Atmosphere Geophysics Planetary science Deposition (aerosol physics) chemistry 13. Climate action 0103 physical sciences General Earth and Planetary Sciences Trace metal 010303 astronomy & astrophysics Earth (classical element) Geology 0105 earth and related environmental sciences |
| Zdroj: | Geophysical Research Letters. 43:7398-7407 |
| ISSN: | 0094-8276 |
| Popis: | The Curiosity rover observed high Mn abundances (>25 wt % MnO) in fracture-filling materials that crosscut sandstones in the Kimberley region of Gale crater, Mars. The correlation between Mn and trace metal abundances plus the lack of correlation between Mn and elements such as S, Cl, and C, reveals that these deposits are Mn oxides rather than evaporites or other salts. On Earth, environments that concentrate Mn and deposit Mn minerals require water and highly oxidizing conditions; hence, these findings suggest that similar processes occurred on Mars. Based on the strong association between Mn-oxide deposition and evolving atmospheric dioxygen levels on Earth, the presence of these Mn phases on Mars suggests that there was more abundant molecular oxygen within the atmosphere and some groundwaters of ancient Mars than in the present day. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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