Abstract
The Vastitas Borealis Formation is a Hesperian-aged sedimentary unit that mainly covers the Martian northern plains. Its environment of formation is uncertain but may be related to an ancient Martian ocean, outflow channel deposits, compaction and drainage activities, or subsurface ice-related processes. Here we investigate the geological evolution of the Vastitas Borealis Formation using geochemical and mineralogical data acquired by the Mars Surface Composition Detector on board the Zhurong rover at the Tianwen-1 landing site. We find that the fine-grained soil is very similar to the ubiquitous surface dust at other landing sites on Mars but mixed with calcium-rich and magnesium-poor local materials. These materials are mostly igneous minerals mixed with allophane and imogolite/opal and appear to have a low degree of chemical alteration. We suggest that these deposits likely formed by alteration of extensive volcaniclastic soils in limited or ephemeral water under cold conditions, which largely supports the hypotheses of a frozen ocean and sublimation.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
