New Perspectives on Ancient Mars

Solomon, Sean C.; Aharonson, O.; Aurnou, J. M.; Banerdt, W. B.; Carr, M. H.; Dombard, A. J.; Frey, Herbert; Golombek, M. P.; Hauck, Steven A.; Head, J. W.; Jakosky, B. M.; Johnson, C. L.; McGovern, P. J.; Neumann, Gregory A.; Phillips, R. J.; Smith, David E.; Zuber, M. T.

doi:10.1126/science.1101812

Cited by 270 publications

(190 citation statements)

References 93 publications

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“…Olympus Mons on the Mars, the largest volcano in our Solar System is the most recent volcano in this region. Moreover, the traces of erupted lava from these volcanoes featured long from the South to the North, and it is assumed that the volcanic activities have affected the martian atmosphere (Solomon et al 2005).…”

Section: The Mars Geographymentioning

confidence: 99%

A Case Study in the Mars Landing Site Selection for Science Objects

Seo¹,

Kim²,

Kim³

et al. 2012

Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences

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Section: The Mars Geographymentioning

confidence: 99%

A Case Study in the Mars Landing Site Selection for Science Objects

Seo¹,

Kim²,

Kim³

et al. 2012

Journal of Astronomy and Space Sciences

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“…Volcanic activity on Tharsis has apparently continued until the very recent past, albeit at a small rate (Neukum et al 2004). The recent knowledge on Mars volcanism has been summarized by Solomon et al (2005).…”

Section: Volcanismmentioning

confidence: 99%

Water, Life, and Planetary Geodynamical Evolution

et al. 2007

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In our search for life on other planets over the past decades, we have come to understand that the solid terrestrial planets provide much more than merely a substrate on which life may develop. Large-scale exchange of heat and volatile species between planetary interiors and hydrospheres/atmospheres, as well as the presence of a magnetic field, are important factors contributing to the habitability of a planet. This chapter reviews these processes, their mutual interactions, and the role life plays in regulating or modulating them.

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“…From the REE characteristics of martian meteorites, it has been shown that Mars differentiated very early in the history of the Solar System (~4.5 Ga) to form a metallic core, a silicate mantle, and a crust, and broadly differentiated to form a LREE-depleted reservoir (low La/Yb, high Sm/Nd) and an inferred, complementary LREE-enriched reservoir (high La/Yb, low Sm/Nd; [159]), the latter of which remains to be directly sampled (see discussion later; e.g., [160][161][162][163][164][165][166][167]). Unlike the lunar sample collection and the lunar magma ocean model (Figures 3 and 4), Mars lacks an Al-rich anorthositic crust.…”

Section: Rees Beyond the Moonmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sources of Extraterrestrial Rare Earth Elements: To the Moon and Beyond

McLeod

Krekeler

2017

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Abstract:The resource budget of Earth is limited. Rare-earth elements (REEs) are used across the world by society on a daily basis yet several of these elements have <2500 years of reserves left, based on current demand, mining operations, and technologies. With an increasing population, exploration of potential extraterrestrial REE resources is inevitable, with the Earth's Moon being a logical first target. Following lunar differentiation at~4.50-4.45 Ga, a late-stage (after~99% solidification) residual liquid enriched in Potassium (K), Rare-earth elements (REE), and Phosphorus (P), (or "KREEP") formed. Today, the KREEP-rich region underlies the Oceanus Procellarum and Imbrium Basin region on the lunar near-side (the Procellarum KREEP Terrain, PKT) and has been tentatively estimated at preserving 2.2 × 10 8 km 3 of KREEP-rich lithologies. The majority of lunar samples (Apollo, Luna, or meteoritic samples) contain REE-bearing minerals as trace phases, e.g., apatite and/or merrillite, with merrillite potentially contributing up to 3% of the PKT. Other lunar REE-bearing lunar phases include monazite, yittrobetafite (up to 94,500 ppm yttrium), and tranquillityite (up to 4.6 wt % yttrium, up to 0.25 wt % neodymium), however, lunar sample REE abundances are low compared to terrestrial ores. At present, there is no geological, mineralogical, or chemical evidence to support REEs being present on the Moon in concentrations that would permit their classification as ores. However, the PKT region has not yet been mapped at high resolution, and certainly has the potential to yield higher REE concentrations at local scales (<10s of kms). Future lunar exploration and mapping efforts may therefore reveal new REE deposits. Beyond the Moon, Mars and other extraterrestrial materials are host to REEs in apatite, chevkinite-perrierite, merrillite, whitlockite, and xenotime. These phases are relatively minor components of the meteorites studied to date, constituting <0.6% of the total sample. Nonetheless, they dominate a samples REE budget with their abundances typically 1-2 orders of magnitude enriched relative to their host rock. As with the Moon, though phases which host REEs have been identified, no extraterrestrial REE resource, or ore, has been identified yet. At present extraterrestrial materials are therefore not suitable REE-mining targets. However, they are host to other resources that will likely be fundamental to the future of space exploration and support the development of in situ resource utilization, for example: metals (Fe, Al, Mg, PGEs) and water.

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New Perspectives on Ancient Mars

Cited by 270 publications

References 93 publications

A Case Study in the Mars Landing Site Selection for Science Objects

A Case Study in the Mars Landing Site Selection for Science Objects

Water, Life, and Planetary Geodynamical Evolution

Sources of Extraterrestrial Rare Earth Elements: To the Moon and Beyond

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