Chemical Alteration Pathways Resulting in High-Silica Deposits on Mars

Abstract:

The chemical compositions of nearly 1000 targets at the surface of Mars have been established by the cross-calibrated Alpha-Particle X-ray Spectrometers (APXS) onboard the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) and the two Mars Exploration Rovers (MER). Comparing and contrasting these measurements provides greater insight into martian surface processes than the standalone use of data from an individual mission. For example, the combination of MER and MSL APXS data indicate two distinct pathways for silicate weathering:   1. Open system alteration at circumneutral pH. Fracture-filling deposits in impact breccias at the rim of Endeavour Crater analyzed by the Opportunity rover show the highest SiO2 concentrations at Meridiani Planum (62 wt%) with correlated Si and Al (Si:Al ~0.3). These Mg and Fe-depleted veins have chemical signatures consistent with an Al-rich smectite and likely formed as a precipitate from non-acidic aqueous solutions. Similar high Si and Al deposits found at the Gusev landing site by the Spirit rover were interpreted as montmorillonite.   2. Open system, acid-sulfate alteration. In sharp contrast to Si and Al-rich deposits, a group of high-Si targets have low concentrations of Al. Deposits in Gusev Crater near “Home Plate,” a hydrothermal locale with nearby fumarolic deposits, fall into this category. Acid-sulfate processes are likely responsible for mobilizing most other elements, including Al, leaving behind a Si-rich, and generally Ti-rich, residue. Recent high-Si samples (up to 72 wt% SiO2) analyzed by the Curiosity rover exhibit similar chemical patterns, including elevated TiO2 concentrations, suggestive that acidic leaching may also have been an important process in the development of deposits found within Gale Crater.   The framework of chemical analyses established through years of Mars surface operations provides the basis against which future measurements by Opportunity, Curiosity and the Mars 2020 rover can be compared.