Hydrous magmatism on Mars: A source of water for the surface and subsurface during the Amazonian

McCubbin, F. M.; Smirnov, Alexander; Nekvasil, H.; Wang, Jingyuan; Hauri, E. H.; Lindsley, D. H.

doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2010.01.028

Cited by 113 publications

(115 citation statements)

References 57 publications

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“…In fact, this conclusion has been incorporated into many petrologic and geophysical models constructed to aid in our understanding of lunar formation and lunar geology (3)(4)(5)(6)(7)(8)(9)(10)(11). The bulk water content of the Moon was recently estimated to be less than 1 ppb (11), which would make the Moon at least six orders of magnitude drier than the interiors of Earth (12,13) and Mars (14). This extremely low water content is in keeping with the pervasive volatile-element depletion signature recorded in all lunar materials, because hydrogen is the most volatile of the elements.…”

mentioning

confidence: 53%

Nominally hydrous magmatism on the Moon

McCubbin

Steele

Hauri

et al. 2010

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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275

185

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For the past 40 years, the Moon has been described as nearly devoid of indigenous water; however, evidence for water both on the lunar surface and within the lunar interior have recently emerged, calling into question this long-standing lunar dogma. In the present study, hydroxyl (as well as fluoride and chloride) was analyzed by secondary ion mass spectrometry in apatite [Ca 5 ðPO 4 Þ 3 ðF,Cl,OHÞ] from three different lunar samples in order to obtain quantitative constraints on the abundance of water in the lunar interior. This work confirms that hundreds to thousands of ppm water (of the structural form hydroxyl) is present in apatite from the Moon. Moreover, two of the studied samples likely had water preserved from magmatic processes, which would qualify the water as being indigenous to the Moon. The presence of hydroxyl in apatite from a number of different types of lunar rocks indicates that water may be ubiquitous within the lunar interior, potentially as early as the time of lunar formation. The water contents analyzed for the lunar apatite indicate minimum water contents of their lunar source region to range from 64 ppb to 5 ppm H 2 O. This lower limit range of water contents is at least two orders of magnitude greater than the previously reported value for the bulk Moon, and the actual source region water contents could be significantly higher. O ne of the scientific discoveries resulting from the Apollo missions was the pervasive waterless nature of the Moon and its rocks. The initial studies of the returned samples were pristine and showed no evidence of aqueous alteration, and water analyses were below detection limits. Moreover, hydrous phases were absent from the lunar rocks aside from a few unconfirmed reports of possible amphibole grains (1), which are now considered by many to represent either misidentifications or terrestrial contamination (as summarized by ref. 2). The subsequent forty years of lunar sample analysis have only supported and strengthened the idea that indigenous water was nearly absent from the Moon's interior. In fact, this conclusion has been incorporated into many petrologic and geophysical models constructed to aid in our understanding of lunar formation and lunar geology (3-11). The bulk water content of the Moon was recently estimated to be less than 1 ppb (11), which would make the Moon at least six orders of magnitude drier than the interiors of Earth (12, 13) and Mars (14). This extremely low water content is in keeping with the pervasive volatile-element depletion signature recorded in all lunar materials, because hydrogen is the most volatile of the elements. The exact cause for this volatile-element depletion is still under question; however, many have argued that it stems from the high temperatures associated with the Moon-forming giant-impact event at ∼4.5 Ga (i.e., refs. 3,8,15,and 16).Facilitated by advancements in analytical detection sensitivities for water, several recent discoveries have indicated that the story of water on the Moon is far from complete. Evi...

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mentioning

confidence: 53%

Nominally hydrous magmatism on the Moon

McCubbin

Steele

Hauri

et al. 2010

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

Self Cite

275

185

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“…After a period of surface volcanic activity, Mars appears to have entered an acidic aqueous alteration phase in the Hesperian era that left behind sulfate minerals. According to a reinterpretation of Mars Exploration Rover mission results, acidic aqueous alteration continued until much later into the Amazonian period of martian history, although only at local scales ) and probably due to hydrous magmatism as suggested by the high water content of Chassigny (McCubbin et al, 2010). Most of the Amazonian period was characterized by oxidation that formed oxide minerals of iron.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Conspicuous Clay Ovoid in Nakhla: Evidence for Subsurface Hydrothermal Alteration on Mars with Implications for Astrobiology

Chatzitheodoridis

Haigh

Lyon³

2014

Astrobiology

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A conspicuous biomorphic ovoid structure has been discovered in the Nakhla martian meteorite, made of nanocrystalline iron-rich saponitic clay and amorphous material. The ovoid is indigenous to Nakhla and occurs within a late-formed amorphous mesostasis region of rhyolitic composition that is interstitial to two clinopyroxene grains with Al-rich rims, and contains acicular apatite crystals, olivine, sulfides, Ti-rich magnetite, and a new mineral of the rhoenite group. To infer the origin of the ovoid, a large set of analytical tools was employed, including scanning electron microscopy and backscattered electron imaging, wavelength-dispersive X-ray analysis, X-ray mapping, Raman spectroscopy, time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry analysis, high-resolution transmission electron microscope imaging, and atomic force microscope topographic mapping. The concentric wall of the ovoid surrounds an originally hollow volume and exhibits internal layering of contrasting nanotextures but uniform chemical composition, and likely inherited its overall shape from a preexisting vesicle in the mesostasis glass. A final fibrous layer of Fe-rich phases blankets the interior surfaces of the ovoid wall structure. There is evidence that the parent rock of Nakhla has undergone a shock event from a nearby bolide impact that melted the rims of pyroxene and the interstitial matter and initiated an igneous hydrothermal system of rapidly cooling fluids, which were progressively mixed with fluids from the melted permafrost. Sharp temperature gradients were responsible for the crystallization of Al-rich clinopyroxene rims, rhoenite, acicular apatites, and the quenching of the mesostasis glass and the vesicle. During the formation of the ovoid structure, episodic fluid infiltration events resulted in the precipitation of saponite rinds around the vesicle walls, altered pyrrhotite to marcasite, and then isolated the ovoid wall structure from the rest of the system by depositing a layer of iron oxides/hydroxides. Carbonates, halite, and sulfates were deposited last within interstitial spaces and along fractures. Among three plausible competing hypotheses here, this particular abiotic scenario is considered to be the most reasonable explanation for the formation of the ovoid structure in Nakhla, and although compelling evidence for a biotic origin is lacking, it is evident that the martian subsurface contains niche environments where life could develop.

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“…In fact, there is enough evidence to suggest that Mars was actually a planet with plenty of water, with rivers, lakes, and even oceans [10] [11]. Mars's current surface topography, characterized by the presence of countless rills, gullies, and channels, is a clear indication of some types of fluid (most likely water) eroding the surface of the planet, a condition that occurred billions of years ago [12] [13].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Weathering Processes on Martian Craters: Implications on Recurring Slope Lineae and the Location of Liquid Water

García‐Chevesich¹,

Bendek²,

Pizarro³

et al. 2017

OJMH

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Recent attention has been put into recurring slope lineae (RSL), after the discovery that water is present in them. It is assumed that RSL are due to flowing water. However, even though that might be the case, the general characteristics of RSL as well as their seasonal and spatial distribution in Mars, and their occurrence within craters, suggest that RSL correspond to the weathering of frozen aquifers, which coincides with slope stability processes occurring in impact craters and scree slopes from Earth. In this study, we associated RSL with similar weathering processes occurring on impact craters and hydrogeological processes occurring on Earth (including ice, water, and wind erosion and natural aquifer recharge processes). We were able to create a conceptual model on how RSL develop, why are they found mostly in mid latitudes around craters, why are they present in more frequency in one side of crates in high latitudes, and why are there more RSL in the Martian southern hemisphere. Considering the whole hydrogeological processes occurring in craters that experience RSL, we were able to predict where large quantities of liquid water are most likely to be present in the red planet.

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Hydrous magmatism on Mars: A source of water for the surface and subsurface during the Amazonian

Cited by 113 publications

References 57 publications

Nominally hydrous magmatism on the Moon

Nominally hydrous magmatism on the Moon

A Conspicuous Clay Ovoid in Nakhla: Evidence for Subsurface Hydrothermal Alteration on Mars with Implications for Astrobiology

Weathering Processes on Martian Craters: Implications on Recurring Slope Lineae and the Location of Liquid Water

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