Experimental study of acid sulfate alteration of basalt and implications for sulfate deposits on Mars
Open accessAbstract
Acid‐sulfate alteration of basalt by SO 2 ‐bearing volcanic vapors has been proposed as one possible origin for sulfate‐rich deposits on Mars. To better define mineralogical signatures of acid‐sulfate alteration, laboratory experiments were performed to investigate alteration pathways and geochemical processes during reaction of basalt with sulfuric acid. Pyroclastic cinders composed of phenocrysts including plagioclase, olivine, and augite embedded in glass were reacted with sulfuric acid at 145 °C for up to 137 days at a range of fluid : rock ratios. During the experiments, the phenocrysts reacted rapidly to form secondary products, while the glass was unreactive. Major products included amorphous silica, anhydrite, and Fe‐rich natroalunite, along with minor iron oxides/oxyhydroxides (probably hematite) and trace levels of other sulfates. At the lowest fluid : rock ratio, hexahydrite and an unidentified Fe‐silicate phase also occurred as major products. Reaction‐path models indicated that formation of the products required both slow dissolution of glass and kinetic inhibitions to precipitation of a number of minerals including phyllosilicates and other aluminosilicates as well as Al‐ and Fe‐oxides/oxyhydroxides. Similar models performed for Martian basalt compositions predict that the initial stages of acid‐sulfate alteration of pyroclastic deposits on Mars should result in formation of amorphous silica, anhydrite, Fe‐bearing natroalunite, and kieserite, along with relict basaltic glass. In addition, analysis of the experimental products indicates that Fe‐bearing natroalunite produces a Mössbauer spectrum closely resembling that of jarosite, suggesting that it should be considered an alternative to the component in sulfate‐rich bedrocks at Meridiani Planum that has previously been identified as jarosite.
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The Mars surface is composed primarily of mafic rocks, usually basalts.
“The Mars surface is composed primarily of mafic rocks, usually basalts [28,29,30,31]”
From Mars Regolith Simulant Ameliorated by Compost as in situ Cultivation Substrate Improves Lettuce Growth and Nutritional Aspects (2020) · cites this paper as [28]
Section 6, paragraph [99] says basaltic volcanism has been widespread on Mars and discusses basalts at the surface. That supports basalt as a widespread surface rock, but the passage does not establish that mafic rocks make up most of the Martian surface. (LLM, conf=0.82)
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- Authors
- McCollom, T. M., Robbins, M., Moskowitz, B., Berquó, T. S., Jöns, N., & Hynek, B. M.
- Affiliations
- University of Colorado Boulder (US)
- University of Minnesota (US)
- Concordia College - Minnesota (US)
- University of Bremen (DE)
- Corresponding author
- McCollom, Thomas M.
- Venue
- Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets
- Publisher
- American Geophysical Union (AGU)
- Published
- 2013-04
- Volume
- 118
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 577-614
- ISSN
- 2169-9097 (ISSN-L)
- 2169-9100
- OpenAlex
- W2168300062
- Cited by
- 45
- References
- 1
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 7 · 2021: 1 · 2020: 3 · 2019: 2 · 2018: 4 · 2017: 1 · 2016: 2 · 2015: 2 · 2014: 4 · 2013: 5
- FWCI
- 2.22
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- Journal of Geophysical Research Planets (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- NASA Astrobiology Institute, NASA Exobiology program (NNX07AU06G)
- NASA Mars Fundamental Research Program (NNX12AI02G)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Astronomy and Astrophysics › Planetary Science and Exploration
- Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Geochemistry and Petrology › Geochemistry and Elemental Analysis
- Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Astronomy and Astrophysics › Astro and Planetary Science
- Keywords
- acid-sulfate alteration, basalt, sulfuric acid, reaction path modeling, anhydrite, natroalunite, jarosite, amorphous silica, kieserite, hematite, fluid/rock ratio, Meridiani Planum, volcanic glass
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