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Geosciences
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Martian Meteorites and Mars Exploration
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Martian Meteorites and Mars Exploration

A special issue of Geosciences (ISSN 2076-3263).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 July 2020) | Viewed by 35002

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Elias Chatzitheodoridis

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
National Technical University of Athens, School of Mining and Metallurgical Engineering, Department of Geological Sciences, 9 Heroon Polytechneiou str., GR-15780 Zografou, Athens, Greece
Interests: martian meteorites; alteration processes and minerals; astrobiology; biosignatures
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Hitesh Changela

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Key Laboratory for Earth and Planetary Physics, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
Interests: extraterrestrial materials; martian meteorites; electron microscopy; X-ray synchrotron; astrobiology; sample return missions

Special Issue Information

Dear Researchers,

The planet Mars is a vital focus of planetary exploration. Latest discoveries by the Curiosity rover strongly suggest that higher concentrations of organics are deeper in the subsurface of the red planet. Explanations for increases in localised methane abundances also remain elusive. On Earth, martian meteorites are the only source of subsurface samples that may shed light on these recent discoveries, whether abiotic and geochemical or perhaps even biological.

Recent missions to Mars have provided us with a wealth of knowledge regarding the properties of the surface of the red planet. We also know a great deal about the mineralogy, petrology, chronology and stable isotopic properties of martian meteorites. With new Mars missions in view, it is important to integrate and condense this knowledge in order to extend our scientific objectives. To achieve this, we propose on focusing on the following special topics:

  • The exhaustive characterization of available Martian meteorite samples. This means summarising the mineralogy, petrology, chronology and geochemistry recorded in them.
  • To provide a comprehensive account of Mars exploration in situ combined with the forensic study of Martian meteorites.
  • To target possible locations that martian meteorites were ejected from the martian surface by integrating remote sensing observations of Mars.
  • To relate this knowledge with future missions in order to acquire a maximum possible information yield.
  • To investigate the habitability of the surface/subsurface of Mars.
  • To develop new methods and instrumentation for the study of the surface/subsurface of Mars and design an efficient sample-return mission.

In this issue, we would like to expand on the above topics by accepting review papers summing up the current knowledge on Mars crustal/mantle processes, which should also act as roadmap for future investigations, focusing on yet solved problems and identifying new ones. We would also like to investigate the habitability of Mars historically, presently, microscopically and macroscopically. We intend on making this issue a resource of information and contemplation, supporting a new era of planetary research.           

Dr. Elias Chatzitheodoridis
Dr. Hitesh Changela
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Geosciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Planet Mars
  • Martian meteorites
  • Chronology
  • Secondary minerals and processes
  • Textural, chemical, mineralogical Biosignatures
  • Habitability

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Related Special Issue

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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14 pages, 1272 KiB  
Article
Oxygen Isotope Thermometry of DaG 476 and SaU 008 Martian Meteorites: Implications for Their Origin
by Arshad Ali, Iffat Jabeen, Sobhi J. Nasir and Neil R. Banerjee
Geosciences 2018, 8(1), 15; https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences8010015 - 8 Jan 2018
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 5475
Abstract
We report the equilibration temperatures derived from the oxygen isotope thermometry of pyroxene-olivine pair from the Dar al Ghani (DaG) 476 (1200 +105/−90 °C) and Sayh al Uhaymir (SaU) 008 (1430 +220/−155 °C) meteorites showing a difference of over 200 °C at the [...] Read more.
We report the equilibration temperatures derived from the oxygen isotope thermometry of pyroxene-olivine pair from the Dar al Ghani (DaG) 476 (1200 +105/−90 °C) and Sayh al Uhaymir (SaU) 008 (1430 +220/−155 °C) meteorites showing a difference of over 200 °C at the face values. Regardless of the large associated uncertainties, contrasting geochemical and isotopic characteristics such as oxygen fugacities, hydrogen isotopic compositions (referred to as the D/H ratios), olivine abundances, presence of merrillite and/or apatite, and their chlorine contents between the two meteorites are observed in the literature. These opposing features lend support to the idea that the relative difference observed in the estimated temperatures is probably real and significant, thus providing insights into the Martian mantle magmatism. Based on our temperature estimation and previous magmatic models, we propose that SaU 008 could have been originated from a deeper depleted mantle source. However, DaG 476 may have been produced by the partial melting of the entrained pockets of the depleted mantle similar to that of the SaU 008’s source at a relatively shallower depth. Both meteorites erupted as a relatively thick lava flow or a shallow intrusion at approximately the same time followed by a launch initiated by a single meteoritic impact 1.1 million years (Ma) ago. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Martian Meteorites and Mars Exploration)
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27101 KiB  
Article
Validity of the Apatite/Merrillite Relationship in Evaluating the Water Content in the Martian Mantle: Implications from Shergottite Northwest Africa (NWA) 2975
by Ewa Słaby, Hans-Jürgen Förster, Richard Wirth, Alicja Wudarska, Łukasz Birski and Izabela Moszumańska
Geosciences 2017, 7(4), 99; https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences7040099 - 4 Oct 2017
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 5230
Abstract
Phosphates from the Martian shergottite NWA 2975 were used to obtain insights into the source and subsequence differentiation of the melt/melts. The crystallization of two generations of fluorapatite (F > Cl~OH and F-rich), chlorapatite and ferromerrillite-merrillite were reconstructed from TEM (Transmission Electron Microscopy) [...] Read more.
Phosphates from the Martian shergottite NWA 2975 were used to obtain insights into the source and subsequence differentiation of the melt/melts. The crystallization of two generations of fluorapatite (F > Cl~OH and F-rich), chlorapatite and ferromerrillite-merrillite were reconstructed from TEM (Transmission Electron Microscopy) and geochemical analyses. The research results indicated that the recognized volatiles budget of the two generations of fluorapatite was related to their magmatic origin. The apatite crystals crystallized from an evolved magma during its final differentiation and degassing stage. In turn, chlorapatite replaced ferromerrillite-merrillite and was not related to, mantle-derived shergottite magma. The relationship between merrillite and apatite indicates that apatite is most probably a product of merrillite reacting with fluids. REE (rare earth elements) pattern of Cl-apatite might point to an origin associated with exogenous fluids mixed with fluids exsolved from evolved magma. The study shows that, among the three types of apatite, only the fluorapatite (F > Cl~OH) is a reliable source for assessing the degree of Martian mantle hydration. The occurrence of apatite with merrillite requires detailed recognition of their relationship. Consequently, the automatic use of apatite to assess the water content of the magma source can lead to false assumptions if the origin of the apatite is not precisely determined. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Martian Meteorites and Mars Exploration)
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Review

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15 pages, 1519 KiB  
Review
Constraints on Martian Chronology from Meteorites
by Zoltán Váci and Carl Agee
Geosciences 2020, 10(11), 455; https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences10110455 - 12 Nov 2020
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 3284
Abstract
Martian meteorites provide the only direct constraints on the timing of Martian accretion, core formation, magmatic differentiation, and ongoing volcanism. While many radiogenic isotope chronometers have been applied to a wide variety of Martian samples, few, if any, techniques are immune to secondary [...] Read more.
Martian meteorites provide the only direct constraints on the timing of Martian accretion, core formation, magmatic differentiation, and ongoing volcanism. While many radiogenic isotope chronometers have been applied to a wide variety of Martian samples, few, if any, techniques are immune to secondary effects from alteration and terrestrial weathering. This short review focuses on the most robust geochronometers that have been used to date Martian meteorites and geochemically model the differentiation of the planet, including 147Sm/143Nd, 146Sm/142Nd, 176Lu/176Hf, 182Hf/182W, and U-Th-Pb systematics. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Martian Meteorites and Mars Exploration)
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26 pages, 3036 KiB  
Review
Reviewing Martian Atmospheric Noble Gas Measurements: From Martian Meteorites to Mars Missions
by Thomas Smith, P. M. Ranjith, Huaiyu He and Rixiang Zhu
Geosciences 2020, 10(11), 439; https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences10110439 - 6 Nov 2020
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 4531
Abstract
Martian meteorites are the only samples from Mars available for extensive studies in laboratories on Earth. Among the various unresolved science questions, the question of the Martian atmospheric composition, distribution, and evolution over geological time still is of high concern for the scientific [...] Read more.
Martian meteorites are the only samples from Mars available for extensive studies in laboratories on Earth. Among the various unresolved science questions, the question of the Martian atmospheric composition, distribution, and evolution over geological time still is of high concern for the scientific community. Recent successful space missions to Mars have particularly strengthened our understanding of the loss of the primary Martian atmosphere. Noble gases are commonly used in geochemistry and cosmochemistry as tools to better unravel the properties or exchange mechanisms associated with different isotopic reservoirs in the Earth or in different planetary bodies. The relatively low abundance and chemical inertness of noble gases enable their distributions and, consequently, transfer mechanisms to be determined. In this review, we first summarize the various in situ and laboratory techniques on Mars and in Martian meteorites, respectively, for measuring noble gas abundances and isotopic ratios. In the second part, we concentrate on the results obtained by both in situ and laboratory measurements, their complementarity, and the implications for the Martian atmospheric dynamic evolution through the last billions of years. Here, we intend on demonstrating how the various efforts established the Mars-Martian meteorites connection and its significance to our understanding of the red planet. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Martian Meteorites and Mars Exploration)
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21 pages, 2702 KiB  
Review
Hydrogen Isotopic Variations in the Shergottites
by Shuai Wang and Sen Hu
Geosciences 2020, 10(4), 148; https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences10040148 - 17 Apr 2020
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3809
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 [...] Read more.
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. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Martian Meteorites and Mars Exploration)
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24 pages, 407 KiB  
Review
Habitability of Mars: How Welcoming Are the Surface and Subsurface to Life on the Red Planet?
by Aleksandra Checinska Sielaff and Stephanie A. Smith
Geosciences 2019, 9(9), 361; https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences9090361 - 22 Aug 2019
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 11158
Abstract
Mars is a planet of great interest in the search for signatures of past or present life beyond Earth. The years of research, and more advanced instrumentation, have yielded a lot of evidence which may be considered by the scientific community as proof [...] Read more.
Mars is a planet of great interest in the search for signatures of past or present life beyond Earth. The years of research, and more advanced instrumentation, have yielded a lot of evidence which may be considered by the scientific community as proof of past or present habitability of Mars. Recent discoveries including seasonal methane releases and a subglacial lake are exciting, yet challenging findings. Concurrently, laboratory and environmental studies on the limits of microbial life in extreme environments on Earth broaden our knowledge of the possibility of Mars habitability. In this review, we aim to: (1) Discuss the characteristics of the Martian surface and subsurface that may be conducive to habitability either in the past or at present; (2) discuss laboratory-based studies on Earth that provide us with discoveries on the limits of life; and (3) summarize the current state of knowledge in terms of direction for future research. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Martian Meteorites and Mars Exploration)
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