Hydrated silicate minerals on Mars observed by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter CRISM instrument
Abstract
Phyllosilicates, a class of hydrous mineral first definitively identified on Mars by the OMEGA (Observatoire pour la Mineralogie, L'Eau, les Glaces et l'Activitié) instrument, preserve a record of the interaction of water with rocks on Mars. Global mapping showed that phyllosilicates are widespread but are apparently restricted to ancient terrains and a relatively narrow range of mineralogy (Fe/Mg and Al smectite clays). This was interpreted to indicate that phyllosilicate formation occurred during the Noachian (the earliest geological era of Mars), and that the conditions necessary for phyllosilicate formation (moderate to high pH and high water activity) were specific to surface environments during the earliest era of Mars's history. Here we report results from the Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars (CRISM) of phyllosilicate-rich regions. We expand the diversity of phyllosilicate mineralogy with the identification of kaolinite, chlorite and illite or muscovite, and a new class of hydrated silicate (hydrated silica). We observe diverse Fe/Mg-OH phyllosilicates and find that smectites such as nontronite and saponite are the most common, but chlorites are also present in some locations. Stratigraphic relationships in the Nili Fossae region show olivine-rich materials overlying phyllosilicate-bearing units, indicating the cessation of aqueous alteration before emplacement of the olivine-bearing unit. Hundreds of detections of Fe/Mg phyllosilicate in rims, ejecta and central peaks of craters in the southern highland Noachian cratered terrain indicate excavation of altered crust from depth. We also find phyllosilicate in sedimentary deposits clearly laid by water. These results point to a rich diversity of Noachian environments conducive to habitability.
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Iron and magnesium rich phyllosilicates (clays) are found extensively over Noachian terrain on Mars.
“Iron and magnesium rich phyllosilicates (clays) are found extensively over Noachian terrain (Poulet et al. 2005; Bibring et al. 2006; Mustard et al. 2008; Murchie et al. 2009; Carter et al. 2010).”
From The Climate of Early Mars (2016) · cites this paper as Mustard et al. 2008
Subsequent detections of widespread aqueous mineral deposits imply that another explanation is needed for the scarcity of carbonates.
“but subsequent detections of widespread aqueous mineral deposits [Poulet et al., 2005;Bibring et al., 2006;Mustard et al., 2008;Murchie et al., 2009a] imply that another explanation is needed for the scarcity of carbonates.”
From Orbital evidence for more widespread carbonate-bearing rocks on Mars (2016) · cites this paper as Mustard et al., 2008
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Clay minerals in delta deposits and organic preservation potential on Mars
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Self-citationEvidence for extensive, olivine-rich bedrock on Mars
Hamilton, V. E., & Christensen, P. R. (2005) · Geology · doi:10.1130/g21258.1 · Cited by 223 · see citing works
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Orbital Identification of Carbonate-Bearing Rocks on Mars
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Self-citationGeologic setting of serpentine deposits on Mars
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Self-citationWordsworth, R. D. (2016) · Annual Review of Earth and Planetary Sciences · doi:10.1146/annurev-earth-060115-012355 · Cited by 416 · see citing works
“Iron and magnesium rich phyllosilicates (clays) are found extensively over Noachian terrain (Poulet et al. 2005; Bibring et al. 2006; Mustard et al. 2008; Murchie et al. 2009; Carter et al. 2010).”
BackgroundSoil Diversity and Hydration as Observed by ChemCam at Gale Crater, Mars
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Self-citationHydrothermal formation of Clay-Carbonate alteration assemblages in the Nili Fossae region of Mars
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Orbital evidence for more widespread carbonate-bearing rocks on Mars
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- Authors
- Mustard, J. F., Murchie, S. L., Pelkey, S. M., Ehlmann, B. L., Milliken, R. E., Grant, J. A., Bibring, J.-P., Poulet, F., Bishop, J., Dobrea, E. N., Roach, L., Seelos, F., Arvidson, R. E., Wiseman, S., Green, R., Hash, C., Humm, D., Malaret, E., McGovern, J. A., Seelos, K., Clancy, T., Clark, R., Marais, D. D., Izenberg, N., Knudson, A., Langevin, Y., Martin, T., McGuire, P., Morris, R., Robinson, M., Roush, T., Smith, M., Swayze, G., Taylor, H., Titus, T., & Wolff, M.
- Affiliations
- Brown University (US)
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (US)
- California Institute of Technology (US)
- Smithsonian Institution (US)
- Université Paris-Sud (FR)
- Ames Research Center (US)
- Washington University in St. Louis (US)
- Applied Coherent Technology (United States) (US)
- Space Science Institute (US)
- United States Geological Survey (US)
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration (US)
- Arizona State University (US)
- Goddard Space Flight Center (US)
- Corresponding author
- Mustard, John F.
- ORCID
- Venue
- Nature
- Published
- 2008-07-01
- Volume
- 454
- Issue
- 7202
- Pages
- 305-309
- ISSN
- 0028-0836 (ISSN-L)
- 1476-4687
- OpenAlex
- W2108201068
- Cited by
- 794
- References
- 2
- Citations by year
- 2026: 38 · 2025: 47 · 2024: 32 · 2023: 24 · 2022: 38 · 2021: 54 · 2020: 35 · 2019: 36 · 2018: 41 · 2017: 39 · 2016: 49 · 2015: 42 · 2014: 38 · 2013: 35 · 2012: 73
- FWCI
- 33.63
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Nature (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- CaltechAUTHORS (California Institute of Technology) (submittedVersion)
- RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
- Smithsonian Digital Repository (Smithsonian Institution) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Astronomy and Astrophysics › Planetary Science and Exploration
- Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Astronomy and Astrophysics › Astro and Planetary Science
- Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Geochemistry and Petrology › Geochemistry and Elemental Analysis
- Keywords
- phyllosilicates, hydrated silicates, Mars, Noachian, aqueous alteration, olivine, kaolinite, chlorite, illite, muscovite, hydrated silica, stratigraphy, sedimentary deposits, habitability, water activity, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, CRISM
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