Carbonates on Mars
Videos
The formation of carbonates on Mars have been suggested based on evidence of the presence of liquid water and atmospheric carbon dioxide in the planet's early stages. Moreover, due to their utility in
Estimating carbon in the Nili Fossae plains region of Mars from orbiters (2 September 2015).
Huygens Crater - circle shows location of carbonate deposit - representing a time when Mars had abundant liquid water on its surface (Scale bar = 259 km).
Nili Fossae on Mars - largest known carbonate deposit.
Nili Fossae
Videos
Nili Fossae is a group of large, concentric grabens on Mars, in the Syrtis Major quadrangle. They have been eroded and partly filled in by sediments and clay-rich ejecta from a nearby giant impact cra
Carbonates on Mars
…surficial carbonate minerals of local scale (< 10 km2) was made by the MRO-CRISM team in 2008. Spectral modeling in 2007 identified a key deposit in Nili Fossae dominated by a single mineral phase that was spatially associated with olivine outcrops. The dominant mineral appeared to be magnesite, while morphology…
Nili Fossae as seen by CRISM. Top left: location of observation. Bottom left: context of observation. Top right: yellow-brown areas denote olivine, bright green areas denote phyllosilicates and purple areas pyroxene. Bottom right: approximate true-color view of the target area.
Viking Orbiter 1 mosaic of Nili Fossae