Evidence of plagioclase feldspar in Valles Marineris on Mars from MRO data.
A team of researchers from France and Canada has discovered large deposits of plagioclase feldspar in the walls of Valles Marineris on Mars. Data from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) was used to find the igneous rock and determine its significance in terms of the planet’s history. Plagioclase feldspar is formed from cooling magma or lava, which suggests the material in Valles Marineris originated from volcanic activity.
The MRO data showed a layer of the igneous rock approximately 2 meters thick extending for several kilometers. Its shape indicates that it was formed due to lava flowing onto the surface of the planet. Spectral analysis has thus far suggested it is mostly basalt. Plagioclase feldspar is rarely seen on Mars, which makes the find all the more important.
The researchers suggest that learning the exact combination of minerals comprising the layer could help determine if the layer was made from flowing lava or ash that came from above. And figuring that out could help determine what types of rock makes up the Martian crust as a whole—to date, it is not yet known.
The discovery of plagioclase feldspar in Valles Marineris on Mars is an important step in understanding the planet’s history and composition. Further study of the layer and its minerals could reveal more about the origin of the material and the planet’s geology. The findings of the research team have been published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters.
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