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Updated: Jul 13, 2026

12:18
Pore-scale Imaging and Characterization of Hydrocarbon Reservoir Rock Wettability at Subsurface Conditions Using X-ray Microtomography
Published on: October 21, 2018
Mars surface diversity as revealed by the OMEGA/Mars Express observations
Jean-Pierre Bibring1, Yves Langevin, Aline Gendrin
1Institut d'Astrophysique Spatiale (IAS), Bâtiment 121, 91405 Orsay Campus, France. bibring@ias.u-psud.fr
Summary
The Observatoire pour la Minéralogie, l
Area of Science:
- Planetary Science
- Mineralogy
- Geology
Background:
- The surface composition of Mars is crucial for understanding its geological evolution.
- Previous missions have provided limited high-resolution mineralogical data.
Purpose of the Study:
- To map the surface mineralogy of Mars using visible-near-infrared hyperspectral reflectance imagery.
- To gain insights into the evolution of Mars through detailed surface composition analysis.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing the Observatoire pour la Minéralogie, l'Eau, les Glaces, et l'Activité (OMEGA) instrument on the Mars Express mission.
- Acquiring hyperspectral reflectance imagery at 0.3- to 5-kilometer resolution.
- Analyzing data from the first 9 months of the mission.
Main Results:
- Identified and mapped mafic iron-bearing silicates across both northern and southern Martian crusts.
- Detected localized concentrations of hydrated phyllosilicates and sulfates.
- Observed water-ice composition in the north polar perennial cap and a carbon dioxide-ice veneer on the south cap.
- Found no evidence of carbonates in the analyzed regions.
Conclusions:
- Mars exhibits a diverse and complex surface mineralogy.
- The findings provide key insights into the planet's geological history and evolution.
- OMEGA's data reveals distinct compositional differences between polar caps.
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