2010/07/20 by Adrian J. Brown, A. J. Brown, Simon J. Hook +12 · 4 citations
Earth and Planetary Sciences · Physics and Astronomy · #Geology and Paleoclimatology Research #Paleontology and Stratigraphy of Fossils #Planetary Science and Exploration #astro-ph.EP
paper · pdf · doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2010.06.018
published as Earth and Planetary Science Letters (2010) 297, 174-182 · 21 pages, 7 figures, 2 tables
openalex publication_date 2010/07/20 · crossref created 2010/07/20 · crossref issued 2010/08/01 · crossref published 2010/08/01 · crossref published-print 2010/08/01 · arxiv created 2014/02/05 · arxiv updated 2014/02/06 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · crossref deposited 2025/11/02 · crossref indexed 2026/06/13 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/29
The Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars (CRISM) has returned observations of the Nili Fossae region indicating the presence of Mg- carbonate in small (<10km sq2), relatively bright rock units that are commonly fractured (Ehlmann et al., 2008b). We have analyzed spectra from CRISM images and used co-located HiRISE images in order to further characterize these carbonate-bearing units. We applied absorption band mapping techniques to investigate a range of possible phyllosilicate and carbonate minerals that could be present in the Nili Fossae region. We also describe a clay-carbonate hydrothermal alteration mineral assemblage in the Archean Warrawoona Group of Western Australia that is a potential Earth analog to the Nili Fossae carbonate-bearing rock units. We discuss the geological and biological implications for hydrothermal processes on Noachian Mars.