The Composition of Amorphous Phases in Soils and Sediments on Earth and Mars

Smith, R J ; Horgan, B ; Rampe, E ; Dehouck, E

关键词: AMORPHOUS MATERIALS;    MARS CRATERS;    SOILS;    SEDIMENTS;    CRATERS;    SILICON DIOXIDE;   

RP-ID  :  LPI Contrib. No. 2083-1779,JSC-E-DAA-TN53593

学科分类：金属与冶金

美国|英语

来源: NASA Technical Reports Server

【 摘 要 】

Amorphous phases are major components (~15-70 wt%) of all rock and soil samples measured thus far by the CheMin X-ray diffractometer (XRD) instrument on the MSL rover in Gale crater, Mars. The nature of these phases is not well understood and could be any combination of primary (e.g., glass) and secondary (e.g., silica, errihydrite) phases. Secondary amorphous phases are frequently found as weathering products in soils on Earth, but these materials remain poorly characterized, and it is not certain how properties like composition and structure change with formation environment.