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Updated: May 25, 2026

Quantification of Hydrogen Concentrations in Surface and Interface Layers and Bulk Materials through Depth Profiling with Nuclear Reaction Analysis
Published on: March 29, 2016
Detection of hydrated silicates in crustal outcrops in the northern plains of Mars
J Carter1, F Poulet, J-P Bibring
1Institut d'Astrophysique Spatiale (IAS), CNRS/Université Paris XI, 91405 Orsay, France. John.carter@ias.u-psud.fr
Abstract:
The composition of the ancient martian crust is a key ingredient in deciphering the environment and evolution of early Mars. We present an analysis of the composition of large craters in the martian northern plains based on data from spaceborne imaging spectrometers. Nine of the craters have excavated assemblages of phyllosilicates from ancient, Noachian crust buried beneath the plains' cover. The phyllosilicates are indistinguishable from those exposed in widespread locations in the southern highlands, demonstrating that liquid water once altered both hemispheres of Mars.
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