Nontronite and Montmorillonite as Nutrient Sources for Life on Mars

Kral, T. A. ; Mickol, R. L. ; Archer, P. D. ; Craig, P. I.

PID  :  NTRS Document ID: 20170002223
RP-ID  :  JSC-CN-39020

学科分类：天文学(综合)

美国|英语

来源: NASA Technical Reports Server

【 摘 要 】

Clay minerals have been identified on Mars' oldest (Noachian) terrain and their presence suggests long-term water-rock interactions. The most commonly identified clay minerals on Mars to date are nontronite (Fe-smectite) and montmorillonite (Al-smectite) [1], both of which contain variable amounts of water both adsorbed on their surface and within their structural layers. Over Mars' history, these clay miner-al-water assemblages may have served as nutrient sources for microbial life.