Global Mineralogical and Aqueous Mars History Derived from OMEGA/Mars Express Data

• DOI: 10.1126/science.1122659
• Publication Date: 2006-04-21T22:24:13Z
• Authors: Jean-Pierre Bibring; Yves Langevin; John F. Mustard; François Poulet; Raymond Arvidson; Aline Gendrin; Brigitte Gondet; Nicolas Mangold; P. Pinet; F. Forget; Michel Berthé; Jean-Pierre Bibring; Aline Gendrin; Cécile Gomez; Brigitte Gondet; Denis Jouglet; François Poulet; Alain Soufflot; Mathieu Vincendon; Michel Combes; Pierre Drossart; Thérèse Encrenaz; Thierry Fouchet; Riccardo Merchiorri; GianCarlo Belluci; Francesca Altieri; Vittorio Formisano; Fabricio Capaccioni; Pricilla Cerroni; Angioletta Coradini; Sergio Fonti; Oleg Korablev; Volodia Kottsov; Nikolai Ignatiev; Vassili Moroz; Dimitri Titov; Ludmilla Zasova; Damien Loiseau; Nicolas Mangold; Patrick Pinet; Sylvain Douté; Bernard Schmitt; Christophe Sotin; Ernst Hauber; Harald Hoffmann; Ralf Jaumann; Uwe Keller; Ray Arvidson; John F. Mustard; Tom Duxbury; François Forget; G. Neukum
• Keywords: 550; SURFACE; Extraterrestrial Environment; SPIRIT ROVER; DIVERSITY; Mars; GUSEV CRATER; DUST; 551; Ferric Compounds; 01 natural sciences; Time; [SDU] Sciences of the Universe [physics]; MERIDIANI; 0103 physical sciences; Mars Express; Minerals; Omega; IDENTIFICATION; Atmosphere; Sulfates; Silicates; Water; Carbon Dioxide; 15. Life on land; Phyllosilicates; EVOLUTION; CLIMATE; [SDU]Sciences of the Universe [physics]; 13. Climate action; Clay; Aluminum Silicates; CRUST

Global mineralogical mapping of Mars by the Observatoire pour la Mineralogie, l'Eau, les Glaces et l'Activité (OMEGA) instrument on the European Space Agency's Mars Express spacecraft provides new information on Mars' geological and climatic history. Phyllosilicates formed by aqueous alteration very early in the planet's history (the “phyllocian” era) are found in the oldest terrains; sulfates were formed in a second era (the “theiikian” era) in an acidic environment. Beginning about 3.5 billion years ago, the last era (the “siderikian”) is dominated by the formation of anhydrous ferric oxides in a slow superficial weathering, without liquid water playing a major role across the planet.