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El vulcanismo en Marte controlado por la oxidación temprana del manto superior
1Department of Earth Sciences, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3AN, UK.
Nature
|June 21, 2013
Resumen
Marte Marte es el planeta Marte.
Área de la Ciencia:
- Ciencias planetarias Ciencias planetarias.
- La geoquímica es la geoquímica.
- Astrogeología y Astrogeología.
Sus antecedentes:
- Los meteoritos Shergottite-nakhlite-chassignite (SNC) proporcionan una visión clave de la composición química y la evolución de Marte.
- Los meteoritos SNC, similares a los basaltos terrestres, muestran mayor cantidad de hierro y elementos volátiles, y menor cantidad de níquel y azufre en comparación con las rocas de la superficie marciana.
- Las rocas superficiales marcianas más antiguas del cráter Gusev analizadas por el rover Spirit exhiben composiciones distintas de los meteoritos SNC, desafiando el "modelo SNC".
Objetivo del estudio:
- Para conciliar las diferencias de composición entre los meteoritos marcianos y las rocas de la superficie.
- Para investigar el papel de la fugacidad del oxígeno en la evolución del manto marciano.
- Establecer un modelo unificado para la historia geológica marciana.
Principales métodos:
- Análisis geoquímico comparativo de meteoritos SNC y rocas superficiales del cráter Gusev.
- Modelado de los procesos de fusión del manto bajo diferentes condiciones de fugacidad de oxígeno.
- Análisis de la composición isotópica y elemental.
Principales resultados:
- Las diferencias en las composiciones de meteoritos y rocas superficiales se explican por la fugacidad variable del oxígeno durante el derretimiento del manto.
- Los meteoritos marcianos y las rocas superficiales se originan en la misma fuente del manto rica en azufre.
- Un evento temprano de oxidación (hace más de 3.700 millones de años) en el manto superior marciano influyó en la composición de la roca superficial más que en las regiones más profundas del manto.
Conclusiones:
- El "modelo SNC" puede ampliarse para incluir rocas superficiales considerando las variaciones de fugacidad del oxígeno.
- El manto marciano experimentó una evolución química significativa, particularmente un evento de oxidación temprana.
- Una comprensión unificada de la composición química y la evolución de Marte se puede lograr a través del análisis integrado de meteoritos y datos de superficie in situ.
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