Olivine and Pyroxene Diversity in the Crust of Mars
- 11 March 2005
- journal article
- Published by American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in Science
- Vol. 307 (5715), 1594-1597
- https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1109098
Abstract
Datafromthe Observatoire pour la Minéralogie, l'Eau, les Glaces, et l'Activité (OMEGA) on the Mars Express spacecraft identify the distinct mafic, rock-forming minerals olivine, low-calcium pyroxene (LCP), and high-calcium pyroxene (HCP) on the surface of Mars. Olivine- and HCP-rich regions are found in deposits that span the age range of geologic units. However, LCP-rich regions are found only in the ancient Noachian-aged units, which suggests that melts for these deposits were derived from a mantle depleted in aluminum and calcium. Extended dark regions in the northern plains exhibit no evidence of strong mafic absorptions or absorptions due to hydrated materials.Keywords
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