Recent orbiting and landed missions to Mars have revealed much about its ancient and modern environments via measurements of composition. The earliest era may have featured widespread carbonate formation, potentially capturing a formerly thicker atmosphere into the sedimentary rock record. Clay minerals formed from early water-rock interactions, and over time a wider variety of weathering products and salts was formed as aqueous environments became more localized, saline, and evolved to a wider range of pH and redox extremes. Geologically young salt deposits both trace and facilitate ongoing minor aqueous activity even under the modern cold, hyperarid climate. This presentation will illustrate how new remote sensing and in situ measurements combine synergistically to further refine our understanding of Mars surface chemistry past and present.

New insights into Mars surface geochemistry from orbiters and rovers

2019 Spring National Meeting

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.