In situ evidence for serpentinization within the Máaz formation, Jezero crater, Mars.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 40601750.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1126/sciadv.adr8793 and PMC identifier 12219501.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
As both a source of atmospheric H<sub>2</sub> and a sink for liquid water, the serpentinization of olivine-bearing rocks is widely thought to have influenced the long-term evolution of the early martian atmosphere and hydrosphere. However, the mechanisms, timing, and global importance of this process are unconstrained, in part because the remnants of ancient serpentinizing systems have not been examined in situ. New geochemical and mineralogical data from multiple instruments aboard the Mars 2020 Perseverance rover record serpentinization and associated H<sub>2</sub> production in ancient igneous rocks of the Máaz formation, exposed on the Jezero crater floor. These data, combined with petrogenetic constraints, indicate that serpentinization may have been driven by devolatilization of magmatic H<sub>2</sub>O, highlighting a potential link between H<sub>2</sub> production and the style and tempo of magmatism within the ancient martian crust.