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Mars May Hide Carbonate Rocks Underground
Developing
In Short: Researchers studying Martian rocks have found evidence that feldspar-rich rocks on the planet's surface may be hiding carbonate rocks underground, according to a new report in Universe Today.
Feldspar-rich rocks, increasingly detected by orbiters and rover missions, show possible signs of interaction with water and carbonates.
Simulations indicate that groundwater percolating through these rocks is more efficient at forming carbonates than standing water.
The findings suggest that these carbonates are likely being dissolved near the surface and reprecipitated deeper underground.
This discovery could explain the scarcity of carbonate rocks on Mars' surface, despite the planet's history of abundant water and a thick carbon dioxide atmosphere.
Scientists have long puzzled over why the carbonates found on Mars fall into two distinct groups: calcium- and iron-rich and magnesium-rich rocks.
The new research shows that feldspar-rich rocks readily produce calcium/iron-rich carbonates under most conditions.
Nick Wagner, a postdoctoral researcher at Brown University, explained that Mars's orbit causes slight changes in the planet's shape, leading to tidal forces.
These forces could be influencing the distribution of carbonates and other minerals on Mars.
The team's findings could also provide insights into Mars's thermal models and the influence of deep-seated volcanic activity.
A warm spot detected by tracking data from multiple Mars orbiters over 16 years may contain clues about Mars's internal heating and evolution.
The data suggest that tidal forces are causing seasonal changes that could lead to upwelling and enhanced magnetization in Mars's southern highlands.
This research offers new clues about Mars's geological history and the processes that shaped its surface.
What this adds
The exact mechanisms behind the formation and distribution of carbonates on Mars are still under investigation.
The research does not definitively prove the presence of carbonates underground but provides a plausible explanation for their scarcity on the surface.
What's still developing
- It is a scientific consensus that Mars once had abundant sources of surface water, including groundwater, rivers, lakes, and a massive ocean that covered much of its northern hemisphere.
- Previous research on water-rock interactions on Mars billions of years ago has assumed that water interacted with the planet's most common rock types, which are composed of mafic, iron-, and magnesium-rich minerals.
- "As Mars travels around the Sun, the Sun’s gravity gently stretches and squeezes the planet," said Wagner.