Earthly clays add to discussion of the nature of early Mars
SEP 10, 2012
DOI: 10.1063/PT.5.026325
BBC : An examination of clays from a Polynesian atoll has suggested that early Mars may not have been as wet as believed. Alain Meunier from the University of Poitiers, France, and his colleagues determined that their samples had precipitated from molten rocks as the lava cooled. When the clay’s IR reflectance was studied, it turned out to be very similar to readings from large areas of Mars. If the same process for the clay’s creation occurred on Mars, then much less water could have been present than is predicted by current theories. However, the Martian clay fields are deeper and larger than those on the atoll, so further study will be required to determine whether the same mechanism played a role in both settings.
© 2012 American Institute of Physics
