Detection of Hydrated Silicates in Crustal Outcrops in the Northern Plains of Mars

Abstract

Hydrated Minerals on Martian Northern Plains The presence of hydrated minerals on the surface of Mars implies that the crust of the planet was once altered by the action of liquid water. This conclusion is well established for the ancient southern highlands of Mars, but the situation in the northern lowlands, which are thought to have been resurfaced by lava flows during the Hesperian period about 3 billion years ago, is not so clear. Carter et al. (p. 1682 ) report the detection of hydrated minerals in nine northern plain craters, which are thought to have exposed the ancient, pre-Hesperian crust. The results suggest that the degree of alteration of the ancient martian crust is more extensive than previously assumed.