Eridania Basin: An ancient paleolake floor as the next landing site for the Mars 2020 rover

Pajola, M.; Rossato, Sandro; Carter, John; Baratti, Emanuele; Pozzobon, Riccardo; Erculiani, M. S.; Coradini, A.; McBride, Karen

doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2016.03.029

Cited by 22 publications

(53 citation statements)

References 104 publications

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“…It is possible that clay in Eridania could have formed in an alkaline-saline evaporative lake setting1643, but we present challenges to the evaporite hypothesis, the most significant of which is the fact that the deep basin deposits are dominated by silicates rather than salt deposits.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 87%

Ancient hydrothermal seafloor deposits in Eridania basin on Mars

et al. 2017

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The Eridania region in the southern highlands of Mars once contained a vast inland sea with a volume of water greater than that of all other Martian lakes combined. Here we show that the most ancient materials within Eridania are thick (>400 m), massive (not bedded), mottled deposits containing saponite, talc-saponite, Fe-rich mica (for example, glauconite-nontronite), Fe- and Mg-serpentine, Mg-Fe-Ca-carbonate and probable Fe-sulphide that likely formed in a deep water (500–1,500 m) hydrothermal setting. The Eridania basin occurs within some of the most ancient terrain on Mars where striking evidence for remnant magnetism might suggest an early phase of crustal spreading. The relatively well-preserved seafloor hydrothermal deposits in Eridania are contemporaneous with the earliest evidence for life on Earth in potentially similar environments 3.8 billion years ago, and might provide an invaluable window into the environmental conditions of early Earth.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 87%

Ancient hydrothermal seafloor deposits in Eridania basin on Mars

et al. 2017

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“…In this particular case, the geological context could be used as criteria to characterize the mineralogy. For example, the detection by proximity of monohydrated sulfates, kaolin, opal, and nontronite suggests acidic environment, which is more favorable for sulfate than zeolite formation, as explained in Pajola et al (2016). The following part deals with zeolite absence, as well as controversial and confirmed zeolite detections on Noachian surfaces.…”

Section: Remote Sensing Detection Of Zeolitesmentioning

confidence: 88%

“…Nevertheless, the zeolite presence in Martian dust is uncertain and disputed (Bandfield, Glotch, & Christensen, 2003). Zeolites mixed with hydrated silica, opaline have also been suggested in the faulted region of Nili Fossae (Ehlmann et al, 2009;Viviano, Moersch, & McSween, 2013), and at the bottom of stratigraphic profiles in Terby crater and Eridania Basin, with a sequence from top to bottom of Al-phyllosilicates, Fe,Mg-phyllosilicates, and possibly zeolite with hydrated silica (opaline) (Ansan et al, 2011;Carter et al, 2010Carter et al, , 2013Carter et al, , 2015Pajola et al, 2016). However, these detections remain uncertain because identification is based on the shape of spectra near 2.5 μm observed by the Compact Reconnaissance Infrared Spectrometer for Mars (CRISM).…”

Section: Absence and Controversial Detection Of Zeolitesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dioctahedral Phyllosilicates Versus Zeolites and Carbonates Versus Zeolites Competitions as Constraints to Understanding Early Mars Alteration Conditions

et al. 2017

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Widespread occurrence of Fe,Mg‐phyllosilicates has been observed on Noachian Martian terrains. Therefore, the study of Fe,Mg‐phyllosilicate formation, in order to characterize early Martian environmental conditions, is of particular interest to the Martian community. Previous studies have shown that the investigation of Fe,Mg‐smectite formation alone helps to describe early Mars environmental conditions, but there are still large uncertainties in terms of pH range, oxic/anoxic conditions, etc. Interestingly, carbonates and/or zeolites have also been observed on Noachian surfaces in association with the Fe,Mg‐phyllosilicates. Consequently, the present study focuses on the dioctahedral/trioctahedral phyllosilicate/carbonate/zeolite formation as a function of various CO2 contents (100% N2, 10% CO2/90% N2, and 100% CO2), from a combined approach including closed system laboratory experiments for 3 weeks at 120°C and geochemical simulations. The experimental results show that as the CO2 content decreases, the amount of dioctahedral clay minerals decreases in favor of trioctahedral minerals. Carbonates and dioctahedral clay minerals are formed during the experiments with CO2. When Ca‐zeolites are formed, no carbonates and dioctahedral minerals are observed. Geochemical simulation aided in establishing pH as a key parameter in determining mineral formation patterns. Indeed, under acidic conditions dioctahedral clay minerals and carbonate minerals are formed, while trioctahedral clay minerals are formed in basic conditions with a neutral pH value of 5.98 at 120°C. Zeolites are favored from pH ≳ 7.2. The results obtained shed new light on the importance of dioctahedral clay minerals versus zeolites and carbonates versus zeolites competitions to better define the aqueous alteration processes throughout early Mars history.

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“…The bottom layer (of zeolite/sulfate mixed with carbonate) is not systematically present in all the weathering profiles studied here. However, sulfates, such as bassanite (Ca‐sulfate; Wray et al, ) or jarosite (Fe‐sulfate; Farrand et al, , Pajola et al, ), have been detected locally in some of the weathering profiles (e.g., in Mawrth Vallis and Eridania Basin). None of these detections suggest that sulfates are present globally and systematically in one or multiple horizons of the weathering profiles.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Detection of Carbonates in Martian Weathering Profiles

et al. 2019

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Noachian surfaces on Mars exhibit vertical assemblages of weathering horizons termed as weathering profiles; this indicates that surface water caused alteration of the rocks that required a different, warmer climate than today. Evidence of this early Martian climate with CO2 vapor as the main component causing greenhouse warming has been challenged by the lack of carbonate in these profiles. Here we report the analysis of Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars L‐detector data leading to the detections of carbonates using a spectral signature exclusively attributed to them. The carbonates are collocated with hydroxylated minerals in weathering profiles over the Martian surface. The origin of CO2 for the formation of carbonates could be the atmosphere. The widespread distribution of weathering profiles with carbonates over the surface of the planet suggest global interactions between fluids containing carbonate/bicarbonate ions with the surface of Mars in the presence of atmospheric water until around 3.7 billion years ago.

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Eridania Basin: An ancient paleolake floor as the next landing site for the Mars 2020 rover

Cited by 22 publications

References 104 publications

Ancient hydrothermal seafloor deposits in Eridania basin on Mars

Ancient hydrothermal seafloor deposits in Eridania basin on Mars

Dioctahedral Phyllosilicates Versus Zeolites and Carbonates Versus Zeolites Competitions as Constraints to Understanding Early Mars Alteration Conditions

Detection of Carbonates in Martian Weathering Profiles

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