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Mineralogy and Geochemistry of Mars: Everything You Need to Know...
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Mineralogy and Geochemistry of Mars: Everything You Need to Know about the Red Planet

A special issue of Minerals (ISSN 2075-163X). This special issue belongs to the section "Mineral Deposits".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 23 May 2025 | Viewed by 12614

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Michael T. Thorpe

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, CRESST II, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD 21250, USA
Interests: sedimentary geochemistry; clay mineralogy; planetary exploration
Dr. Maëva Millan

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
LATMOS (Laboratoire Atmosphère, Observation Spatiales), Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20057, USA
Interests: organic molecules; biosignatures; geochemistry; analogues; pyrolysis GC-MS
Dr. Lucie Riu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
European Space Agency/European Space Astronomy Center (ESAC), 28692 Madrid, Spain
Interests: hydrated mineralogy; planetary bodies; ISRU

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Mars research has entered an exciting new era focused on sample return but has also been prospering through a golden age of exploration. As we continue to prepare for some of the most precious samples to return to Earth within the next decade, it is important to take some time and reflect on what we already know about the red planet. Through rover and orbital observations, we have geochemical and mineralogical data that have revealed a rich geological history of Mars. The Martian landscape provides an ideal environment to understand small planet evolution, paleoclimate reconstructions, and unravel complex sedimentary systems. This Special Issue is set to review some of the major geochemical and mineralogical accomplishments of researching Mars over the years. It will highlight how in situ and remote sensing observations have been used to reconstruct the ancient history of Mars and how this can provide a reference frame for future exploration.

The Special Issue is organized as follows:

Section 1: Igneous processes and global observations.

Section 2: Sedimentary history of Martian landscapes.

Section 3: Preparing for the future of Mars Sample Return.

We hope this Special Issue will be a resource for the community for years to come, and we appreciate your consideration.

Dr. Michael T. Thorpe
Dr. Maëva Millan
Dr. Lucie Riu
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. Minerals 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 2400 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

  • geochemistry of Mars
  • mineralogy of Mars 
  • sedimentary history of Mars 
  • igneous processes of Mars 
  • future of Mars research

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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39 pages, 3950 KiB  
Article
Expanded Insights into Martian Mineralogy: Updated Analysis of Gale Crater’s Mineral Composition via CheMin Crystal Chemical Investigations
by Shaunna M. Morrison, David F. Blake, Thomas F. Bristow, Nicholas Castle, Steve J. Chipera, Patricia I. Craig, Robert T. Downs, Ahmed Eleish, Robert M. Hazen, Johannes M. Meusburger, Douglas W. Ming, Richard V. Morris, Aditi Pandey, Anirudh Prabhu, Elizabeth B. Rampe, Philippe C. Sarrazin, Sarah L. Simpson, Michael T. Thorpe, Allan H. Treiman, Valerie Tu, Benjamin M. Tutolo, David T. Vaniman, Ashwin R. Vasavada and Albert S. Yenadd Show full author list remove Hide full author list
Minerals 2024, 14(8), 773; https://doi.org/10.3390/min14080773 - 29 Jul 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1351
Abstract
This study presents mineral composition estimates of rock and sediment samples analyzed with the CheMin X-ray diffraction instrument on board the NASA Mars Science Laboratory rover, Curiosity, in Gale crater, Mars. Mineral composition is estimated using crystal-chemically derived algorithms applied to X-ray [...] Read more.
This study presents mineral composition estimates of rock and sediment samples analyzed with the CheMin X-ray diffraction instrument on board the NASA Mars Science Laboratory rover, Curiosity, in Gale crater, Mars. Mineral composition is estimated using crystal-chemically derived algorithms applied to X-ray diffraction data, specifically unit-cell parameters. The mineral groups characterized include those found in major abundance by the CheMin instrument (i.e., feldspar, olivine, pyroxene, and spinel oxide). In addition to estimating the composition of the major mineral phases observed in Gale crater, we place their compositions in a stratigraphic context and provide a comparison to that of martian meteorites. This work provides expanded insights into the mineralogy and chemistry of the martian surface. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mineralogy and Geochemistry of Mars: Everything You Need to Know about the Red Planet)
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19 pages, 2348 KiB  
Article
Hydrogen Chloride and Sulfur Dioxide Gas Evolutions from the Reaction between Mg Sulfate and NaCl: Implications for the Sample Analysis at the Mars Instrument in Gale Crater, Mars
by Joanna V. Clark, Brad Sutter, Amy C. McAdam, Christine A. Knudson, Patrick Casbeer, Valerie M. Tu, Elizabeth B. Rampe, Douglas W. Ming, Paul D. Archer, Paul R. Mahaffy and Charles Malespin
Minerals 2024, 14(3), 218; https://doi.org/10.3390/min14030218 - 21 Feb 2024
Viewed by 1305
Abstract
The Sample Analysis at Mars-Evolved Gas Analyzer (SAM-EGA) on the Curiosity rover detected hydrogen chloride (HCl) and sulfur dioxide (SO2) gas evolutions above 600 °C and 700 °C, respectively, from several drilled rock and soil samples collected in Gale crater, which [...] Read more.
The Sample Analysis at Mars-Evolved Gas Analyzer (SAM-EGA) on the Curiosity rover detected hydrogen chloride (HCl) and sulfur dioxide (SO2) gas evolutions above 600 °C and 700 °C, respectively, from several drilled rock and soil samples collected in Gale crater, which have been attributed to NaCl and Mg sulfates. Although NaCl and Mg sulfates do not evolve HCl or SO2 within the SAM temperature range (<~870 °C) when analyzed individually, they may evolve these gases at <870 °C and become detectable by SAM-EGA when mixed. This work aims to determine how Mg sulfate and NaCl interact during heating and how that affects evolved HCl and SO2 detection temperatures in SAM-EGA. Solid mixtures of NaCl and kieserite were analyzed using a thermogravimeter/differential scanning calorimeter furnace connected to a quadrupole mass spectrometer, configured to operate under similar conditions as SAM, and using X-ray diffraction of heated powders. NaCl analyzed individually did not evolve HCl; however, NaCl/kieserite mixtures evolved HCl releases with peaks above 600 °C. The results suggested that kieserite influenced HCl production from NaCl via two mechanisms: (1) kieserite depressed the melting point of NaCl, making it more reactive with evolved water; and (2) SO2 from kieserite decomposition reacted with NaCl and water (i.e., Hargreaves reaction). Additionally, NaCl catalyzed the thermal decomposition of kieserite, such that the evolved SO2 was within the SAM-EGA temperature range. The results demonstrated that SAM-EGA can detect chlorides and Mg sulfates when mixed due to interactions during heating. These phases can provide information on past climate and mineral formation conditions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mineralogy and Geochemistry of Mars: Everything You Need to Know about the Red Planet)
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38 pages, 12514 KiB  
Article
Manganese-Iron Phosphate Nodules at the Groken Site, Gale Crater, Mars
by Allan H. Treiman, Nina L. Lanza, Scott VanBommel, Jeff Berger, Roger Wiens, Thomas Bristow, Jeffrey Johnson, Melissa Rice, Reginald Hart, Amy McAdam, Patrick Gasda, Pierre-Yves Meslin, Albert Yen, Amy J. Williams, Ashwin Vasavada, David Vaniman, Valerie Tu, Michael Thorpe, Elizabeth D. Swanner, Christina Seeger, Susanne P. Schwenzer, Susanne Schröder, Elizabeth Rampe, William Rapin, Silas J. Ralston, Tanya Peretyazhko, Horton Newsom, Richard V. Morris, Douglas Ming, Matteo Loche, Stéphane Le Mouélic, Christopher House, Robert Hazen, John P. Grotzinger, Ralf Gellert, Olivier Gasnault, Woodward W. Fischer, Ari Essunfeld, Robert T. Downs, Gordon W. Downs, Erwin Dehouck, Laura J. Crossey, Agnes Cousin, Jade M. Comellas, Joanna V. Clark, Benton Clark III, Steve Chipera, Gwenaël Caravaca, John Bridges, David F. Blake and Ryan Andersonadd Show full author list remove Hide full author list
Minerals 2023, 13(9), 1122; https://doi.org/10.3390/min13091122 - 25 Aug 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2576
Abstract
The MSL Curiosity rover investigated dark, Mn-P-enriched nodules in shallow lacustrine/fluvial sediments at the Groken site in Glen Torridon, Gale Crater, Mars. Applying all relevant information from the rover, the nodules are interpreted as pseudomorphs after original crystals of vivianite, (Fe2+,Mn [...] Read more.
The MSL Curiosity rover investigated dark, Mn-P-enriched nodules in shallow lacustrine/fluvial sediments at the Groken site in Glen Torridon, Gale Crater, Mars. Applying all relevant information from the rover, the nodules are interpreted as pseudomorphs after original crystals of vivianite, (Fe2+,Mn2+)3(PO4)2·8H2O, that cemented the sediment soon after deposition. The nodules appear to have flat faces and linear boundaries and stand above the surrounding siltstone. ChemCam LIBS (laser-induced breakdown spectrometry) shows that the nodules have MnO abundances approximately twenty times those of the surrounding siltstone matrix, contain little CaO, and have SiO2 and Al2O3 abundances similar to those of the siltstone. A deconvolution of APXS analyses of nodule-bearing targets, interpreted here as representing the nodules’ non-silicate components, shows high concentrations of MnO, P2O5, and FeO and a molar ratio P/Mn = 2. Visible to near-infrared reflectance of the nodules (by ChemCam passive and Mastcam multispectral) is dark and relatively flat, consistent with a mixture of host siltstone, hematite, and a dark spectrally bland material (like pyrolusite, MnO2). A drill sample at the site is shown to contain minimal nodule material, implying that analyses by the CheMin and SAM instruments do not constrain the nodules’ mineralogy or composition. The fact that the nodules contain P and Mn in a small molar integer ratio, P/Mn = 2, suggests that the nodules contained a stoichiometric Mn-phosphate mineral, in which Fe did (i.e., could) not substitute for Mn. The most likely such minerals are laueite and strunzite, Mn2+Fe3+2(PO4)2(OH)2·8H2O and –6H2O, respectively, which occur on Earth as alteration products of other Mn-bearing phosphates including vivianite. Vivianite is a common primary and diagenetic precipitate from low-oxygen, P-enriched waters. Calculated phase equilibria show Mn-bearing vivianite could be replaced by laueite or strunzite and then by hematite plus pyrolusite as the system became more oxidizing and acidic. These data suggest that the nodules originated as vivianite, forming as euhedral crystals in the sediment, enclosing sediment grains as they grew. After formation, the nodules were oxidized—first to laueite/strunzite yielding the diagnostic P/Mn ratio, and then to hematite plus an undefined Mn oxy-hydroxide (like pyrolusite). The limited occurrence of these Mn-Fe-P nodules, both in space and time (i.e., stratigraphic position), suggests a local control on their origin. By terrestrial analogies, it is possible that the nodules precipitated near a spring or seep of Mn-rich water, generated during alteration of olivine in the underlying sediments. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mineralogy and Geochemistry of Mars: Everything You Need to Know about the Red Planet)
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Review

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34 pages, 8938 KiB  
Review
Phosphates on Mars and Their Importance as Igneous, Aqueous, and Astrobiological Indicators
by E. M. Hausrath, C. T. Adcock, J. A. Berger, L. M. Cycil, T. V. Kizovski, F. M. McCubbin, M. E. Schmidt, V. M. Tu, S. J. VanBommel, A. H. Treiman and B. C. Clark
Minerals 2024, 14(6), 591; https://doi.org/10.3390/min14060591 - 4 Jun 2024
Viewed by 1665
Abstract
This paper reviews the phosphate phases in meteorites and those measured by landed spacecraft, what they reveal about past igneous and aqueous conditions on Mars, and important implications for potential prebiotic chemistry, past habitability, and potential biosignatures that could be detected in samples [...] Read more.
This paper reviews the phosphate phases in meteorites and those measured by landed spacecraft, what they reveal about past igneous and aqueous conditions on Mars, and important implications for potential prebiotic chemistry, past habitability, and potential biosignatures that could be detected in samples returned from Mars. A review of the 378 martian meteorites as of 2023 indicate that of the two most common phosphate minerals in Mars meteorites, merrillite and apatites, the apatite composition is largely F- and Cl-rich, with shergottites containing more OH. The phosphate concentrations examined across multiple missions show a relatively narrow range of phosphate, with higher concentrations observed in the Mount Sharp Group in Gale crater and Wishstone at Gusev crater and lower concentrations observed at Jezero crater floor and Jezero fan. Possible secondary phosphates detected on Mars, including Fe phosphates at Jezero crater and Gusev crater and Ca- and Al-bearing secondary phosphates, temperatures of formation of secondary phases and their dissolution rates and solubilities are reviewed and summarized. Despite this wealth of information about phosphates on Mars, due to their fine scale and relatively low concentrations, Mars Sample Return is needed to better understand phosphate and its implications for the igneous, aqueous, and astrobiological history of Mars. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mineralogy and Geochemistry of Mars: Everything You Need to Know about the Red Planet)
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44 pages, 21329 KiB  
Review
The Chemistry and Mineralogy (CheMin) X-ray Diffractometer on the MSL Curiosity Rover: A Decade of Mineralogy from Gale Crater, Mars
by David Blake, Valerie Tu, Thomas Bristow, Elizabeth Rampe, David Vaniman, Steve Chipera, Philippe Sarrazin, Richard Morris, Shaunna Morrison, Albert Yen, Robert Downs, Robert Hazen, Allan Treiman, Douglas Ming, Gordon Downs, Cherie Achilles, Nicholas Castle, Tanya Peretyazhko, David De Marais, Patricia Craig, Barbara Lafuente, Benjamin Tutolo, Elisabeth Hausrath, Sarah Simpson, Richard Walroth, Michael Thorpe, Johannes Meusburger, Aditi Pandey, Marc Gailhanou, Przemyslaw Dera, Jeffrey Berger, Lucy Thompson, Ralf Gellert, Amy McAdam, Catherine O’Connell-Cooper, Brad Sutter, John Michael Morookian, Abigail Fraeman, John Grotzinger, Kirsten Siebach, Soren Madsen and Ashwin Vasavadaadd Show full author list remove Hide full author list
Minerals 2024, 14(6), 568; https://doi.org/10.3390/min14060568 - 29 May 2024
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2114
Abstract
For more than a decade, the CheMin X-ray diffraction instrument on the Mars Science Laboratory rover, Curiosity, has been returning definitive and quantitative mineralogical and mineral–chemistry data from ~3.5-billion-year-old (Ga) sediments in Gale crater, Mars. To date, 40 drilled rock samples and [...] Read more.
For more than a decade, the CheMin X-ray diffraction instrument on the Mars Science Laboratory rover, Curiosity, has been returning definitive and quantitative mineralogical and mineral–chemistry data from ~3.5-billion-year-old (Ga) sediments in Gale crater, Mars. To date, 40 drilled rock samples and three scooped soil samples have been analyzed during the rover’s 30+ km transit. These samples document the mineralogy of over 800 m of flat-lying fluvial, lacustrine, and aeolian sedimentary rocks that comprise the lower strata of the central mound of Gale crater (Aeolis Mons, informally known as Mt. Sharp) and the surrounding plains (Aeolis Palus, informally known as the Bradbury Rise). The principal mineralogy of the sedimentary rocks is of basaltic composition, with evidence of post-depositional diagenetic overprinting. The rocks in many cases preserve much of their primary mineralogy and sedimentary features, suggesting that they were never strongly heated or deformed. Using aeolian soil composition as a proxy for the composition of the deposited and lithified sediment, it appears that, in many cases, the diagenetic changes observed are principally isochemical. Exceptions to this trend include secondary nodules, calcium sulfate veining, and rare Si-rich alteration halos. A surprising and yet poorly understood observation is that nearly all of the ~3.5 Ga sedimentary rocks analyzed to date contain 15–70 wt.% of X-ray amorphous material. Overall, this >800 m section of sedimentary rock explored in lower Mt. Sharp documents a perennial shallow lake environment grading upward into alternating lacustrine/fluvial and aeolian environments, many of which would have been habitable to microbial life. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mineralogy and Geochemistry of Mars: Everything You Need to Know about the Red Planet)
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20 pages, 1897 KiB  
Review
Igneous Diversity of the Early Martian Crust
by Valerie Payré, Arya Udry and Abigail A. Fraeman
Minerals 2024, 14(5), 452; https://doi.org/10.3390/min14050452 - 25 Apr 2024
Viewed by 1887
Abstract
Mars missions and Martian meteorites revealed how complex the Martian crust is. The occurrence of both alkaline and sub-alkaline igneous rocks of Noachian age (>3.7 Ga) in Gale crater indicates diverse magmatic processes, with sub-alkaline rocks likely formed through the partial melting of [...] Read more.
Mars missions and Martian meteorites revealed how complex the Martian crust is. The occurrence of both alkaline and sub-alkaline igneous rocks of Noachian age (>3.7 Ga) in Gale crater indicates diverse magmatic processes, with sub-alkaline rocks likely formed through the partial melting of hydrous mafic rocks, as commonly observed on Earth. The orbital discovery of excavated evolved igneous rocks scattered in Noachian terrains raise questions about the petrology of the ancient Martian crust, long thought to be basaltic. A possibly evolved crust beneath a mafic cover is supported by geophysical and seismic measurements from the Insight lander that indicate the bulk crust has a lower density than expected if it were homogeneously basaltic. If localized magmatic processes could form evolved terrains, the detection of abundant intermediate to felsic Noachian crustal exposures through remote sensing suggest regional- to global-scale processes that produced evolved crustal component(s) that are now buried below mafic materials. Due to the lack of centimetric to millimetric textural imaging and compositional measurements, the petrology of such crust is ambiguous. Future orbiter, rover, and aerial missions should focus on Noachian exposed regions exhibiting evolved crustal characteristics to unfold the petrology of the Martian crust and its formation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mineralogy and Geochemistry of Mars: Everything You Need to Know about the Red Planet)
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Planned Papers

The below list represents only planned manuscripts. Some of these manuscripts have not been received by the Editorial Office yet. Papers submitted to MDPI journals are subject to peer-review.

1. Title: Diagenesis on Mars: The Rover Mission Perspective

Authors: Patrick J. Gasda et.al.

2. Title: Spectroscopy on Mars: Surface Composition from Orbit to the Surface.
Authors: Amanda N. Rudolph, Briony H. N. Horgan, et al.

3. Title: Geochemistry on Mars with laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy: lessons learned for major element quantification from Zhurong's MarSCoDe instrument.

Authors: Yizhong Zhang, Zhaopeng Chen et al.

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