Related Experiment Video
Updated: Nov 23, 2025

Scattering And Absorption of Light in Planetary Regoliths
Published on: July 1, 2019
Water on Mars: Insights from apatite in regolith breccia Northwest Africa 7034
Jemma Davidson1,2, Meenakshi Wadhwa2, Richard L Hervig2
1Center for Meteorite Studies, Arizona State University, 781 East Terrace Road, Tempe, AZ 85287-6004, USA.
Abstract:
Determining the source of planetary water from the hydrogen isotope compositions of crustal samples is complicated by the overprinting of isotopically diverse source material by geologic and atmospheric processes. As Mars has no plate tectonics, crustal material, which may have isotopically exchanged with the martian atmosphere, is not recycled into the mantle keeping the water reservoirs in the mantle and atmosphere mostly isolated, buffered by the crust. As the only known martian samples that are regolith breccias with a composition representative of the average crust of Mars, Northwest Africa (NWA) 7034 and its paired stones provide an important opportunity to investigate the water content and hydrogen isotope composition of the martian crust. In particular, apatites in distinct clasts as well as the brecciated matrix of NWA 7034 record a complex history including magmatic and impact processes, and exchange with crustal fluids.
More Related Videos
09:41Isolation of Quartz Grains for Optically Stimulated Luminescence OSL Dating of Quaternary Sediments for Paleoenvironmental Research
Published on: August 2, 2021
12:18Pore-scale Imaging and Characterization of Hydrocarbon Reservoir Rock Wettability at Subsurface Conditions Using X-ray Microtomography
Published on: October 21, 2018
Related Concept Videos
Water and Mineral Acquisition
Minerals
Major...
Porosity and Absorption of Aggregate
When all pores in an aggregate are filled with water, the aggregate is considered saturated and surface-dry. If left in dry air, water will evaporate until the...
Moisture Content and Bulking of Aggregate
When aggregates are exposed to rain or sit in stockpiles, they absorb moisture, which must be...
Porosity in Cement Paste
The balance of water to cement in the mix is...
Specific Gravity of Aggregate
Bulk or gross specific gravity is calculated by taking the ratio of the mass of aggregates in the saturated surface-dry state to the total volume that includes both the solids and the voids within the...