Abstract
Hydrogen isotopes in the shergottite Martian meteorites are among the most varied in Mars laboratory samples. By collating results of previous studies on major hydroxyl, deuterium, and H2O bearing phases, we provide a compendium of recent measurements in order to elucidate crustal-rock versus mantle-rock processes on Mars. We summarize recent works on volatile and δD measurements in a range of shergottite phases: from melt inclusions, apatite, merrillite, maskelynite, impact melt glass, groundmass glass, and nominal anhydrous minerals. We interpret these observations using an evidence-based approach, considering two particular scenarios: (1) water-rock crustal interactions versus (2) magmatic-based processes. We consider the implications of these measurements and the scope they have for future studies, paying particular attention to future works on H, S, and Cl isotopes in situ, shedding light on the nature of volatiles in the hydrosphere and lithosphere of Mars.
Highlights
Martian meteorites are the only samples of igneous basalts from Mars [1,2]
Martian meteorites have been classified into regolith breccia (e.g., NWA 7034 [3]), orthopyroxenite (ALH 84001), clinopyroxenites, dunites, and the most abundant Martian basalt—the shergottites [2]
The depleted shergottites crystallized under reducing conditions (Log fO2 QFM ~ −3) that depleted their light rare earth elemental (LREE) content [28,29,30]
Summary
Martian meteorites are the only samples of igneous basalts from Mars [1,2]. exceptions occur with the recent discovery of the regolith breccia, NWA 7034 [3,4]. The shergottites are subclassified into basaltic (e.g., Shergotty), olivine-phyric (e.g., Tissint), and poikilitic (e.g., ALH 77005) sub-groups based on texture and mineralogy [9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20] They are further divided into depleted, intermediate, and enriched—three geochemical groups based on the relative rare earth elemental (REE) abundances and their isotopic compositions of Sr, Nd, and Hf [1,12,21,22,23,24,25,26,27]. We aim to collate various measurements and studies in order to explore water-rock verses magmatic H isotopic processes
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