Mars weathering analogs - Secondary mineralization in Antarctic basalts
Alkalic basalt samples from Ross Island, Antarctica, are evaluated as terrestrial analogs to weathered surface materials on Mars. Secondary alteration in the rocks is limited to pneumatolytic oxidation of igneous minerals and glass, rare groundmass clay and zeolite mineralization, and hydrothermal m...
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ftnasantrs:oai:casi.ntrs.nasa.gov:19820048242 2023-05-15T13:46:48+02:00 Mars weathering analogs - Secondary mineralization in Antarctic basalts Berkley, J. L. Unclassified, Unlimited, Publicly available JAN 1, 1982 http://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=19820048242 unknown http://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=19820048242 Accession ID: 82A31777 Copyright Other Sources 91 Lunar and Planetary Science Conference; March 16-20, 1981; Houston, TX 1982 ftnasantrs 2012-02-15T15:04:32Z Alkalic basalt samples from Ross Island, Antarctica, are evaluated as terrestrial analogs to weathered surface materials on Mars. Secondary alteration in the rocks is limited to pneumatolytic oxidation of igneous minerals and glass, rare groundmass clay and zeolite mineralization, and hydrothermal minerals coating fractures and vesicle surfaces. Hydrothermal mineral assemblages consist mainly of K-feldspar, zeolites (phillipsite and chabazite), calcite, and anhydrite. Low alteration rates are attributed to cold and dry environmental factors common to both Antarctica and Mars. It is noted that mechanical weathering (aeolian abrasion) of Martian equivalents to present Antarctic basalts would yield minor hydrothermal minerals and local surface fines composed of primary igneous minerals and glass but would produce few hydrous products, such as palagonite, clay or micas. It is thought that leaching of hydrothermal vein minerals by migrating fluids and redeposition in duricrust deposits may represent an alternate process for incorporating secondary minerals of volcanic origin into Martian surface fines. Other/Unknown Material Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica Ross Island NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS) Antarctic Ross Island |
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NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS) |
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91 |
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91 Berkley, J. L. Mars weathering analogs - Secondary mineralization in Antarctic basalts |
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91 |
description |
Alkalic basalt samples from Ross Island, Antarctica, are evaluated as terrestrial analogs to weathered surface materials on Mars. Secondary alteration in the rocks is limited to pneumatolytic oxidation of igneous minerals and glass, rare groundmass clay and zeolite mineralization, and hydrothermal minerals coating fractures and vesicle surfaces. Hydrothermal mineral assemblages consist mainly of K-feldspar, zeolites (phillipsite and chabazite), calcite, and anhydrite. Low alteration rates are attributed to cold and dry environmental factors common to both Antarctica and Mars. It is noted that mechanical weathering (aeolian abrasion) of Martian equivalents to present Antarctic basalts would yield minor hydrothermal minerals and local surface fines composed of primary igneous minerals and glass but would produce few hydrous products, such as palagonite, clay or micas. It is thought that leaching of hydrothermal vein minerals by migrating fluids and redeposition in duricrust deposits may represent an alternate process for incorporating secondary minerals of volcanic origin into Martian surface fines. |
format |
Other/Unknown Material |
author |
Berkley, J. L. |
author_facet |
Berkley, J. L. |
author_sort |
Berkley, J. L. |
title |
Mars weathering analogs - Secondary mineralization in Antarctic basalts |
title_short |
Mars weathering analogs - Secondary mineralization in Antarctic basalts |
title_full |
Mars weathering analogs - Secondary mineralization in Antarctic basalts |
title_fullStr |
Mars weathering analogs - Secondary mineralization in Antarctic basalts |
title_full_unstemmed |
Mars weathering analogs - Secondary mineralization in Antarctic basalts |
title_sort |
mars weathering analogs - secondary mineralization in antarctic basalts |
publishDate |
1982 |
url |
http://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=19820048242 |
op_coverage |
Unclassified, Unlimited, Publicly available |
geographic |
Antarctic Ross Island |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic Ross Island |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica Ross Island |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica Ross Island |
op_source |
Other Sources |
op_relation |
http://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=19820048242 Accession ID: 82A31777 |
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Copyright |
_version_ |
1766245231944007680 |