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Published Online February 17, 2005
Science DOI: 10.1126/science.1109098

Reports

Submitted on December 23, 2004
Accepted on February 8, 2005

Olivine and Pyroxene Diversity in the Crust of Mars

John F. Mustard 1*, Francois Poulet 2, Aline Gendrin 2, Jean-Pierre Bibring 2, Yves Langevin 2, Brigitte Gondet 2, Nicholas Mangold 3, Giancarlo Bellucci 4, Francesca Altieri 4

1 Geological Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA.
2 Institut d'Astrophysique Spatiale, Bâtiment 121, 91405 Orsay Campus, France.
3 IDES, Bâtiment 509, 91405 Orsay Campus, France.
4 IFSI-INAF, Rome, Italy.

* To whom correspondence should be addressed.
John F. Mustard , E-mail: john_mustard{at}brown.edu

Data from the Observatoire pour la Minéralogie, l'Eau, la Glace, et l'Activité (OMEGA) on the Mars Express spacecraft identify the distinct mafic, rock-forming minerals olivine, low-calcium pyroxene (LCP), and high-calcium pyroxene (HCP) on the surface of Mars. Olivine- and HCP-rich regions are found in deposits that span the age range of geologic units. However, LCP-rich regions are found only in the ancient Noachian-aged units, which suggests that melts for these deposits were derived from a mantle depleted in aluminum and calcium. Extended dark regions in the northern plains exhibit no evidence of strong mafic absorptions or absorptions due to hydrated materials.


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