NAI
2009 Annual Science Report
University of Hawaii, Manoa
Reporting | JUL 2008 – AUG 2009
Mars Bulk Composition
Project Summary
The bulk composition of Mars, including its total inventory of water, is central to understanding how planets form and to fully understanding the role of water in Martian geological evolution.
Project Progress
Global measurements by the Mars Odyssey GRS suggest that bulk silicate Mars has chondritic K/Cl, reinforcing the idea that Mars is enriched in moderately-volatile elements compared to Earth, and possibly in water and other volatiles. Data from Martian meteorites also indicates that the Cl/Br ratio is chondritic, implying that Mars also contains chondritic relative abundances or of even highly volatile elements such as Br. Overall, Mars appears to be similar in composition to CM chondrites. It is not clear if Mars is similarly enriched in water as CM chondrites.
Publications
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Dohm, J. M., Anderson, R. C., Barlow, N. G., Miyamoto, H., Davies, A. G., Jeffrey Taylor, G., … Karunatillake, S. (2008). Recent geological and hydrological activity on Mars: The Tharsis/Elysium corridor. Planetary and Space Science, 56(7), 985–1013. doi:10.1016/j.pss.2008.01.001
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McSween, H. Y., Taylor, G. J., & Wyatt, M. B. (2009). Elemental Composition of the Martian Crust. Science, 324(5928), 736–739. doi:10.1126/science.1165871
- Boynton, W.V., Taylor, G.J., Karunatillake, S., Reedy, R.C. & Keller, J.M. (2008). Elemental abundances determined by Mars Odyssey GRS. In: Bell, J.F. (Eds.). The Martian Surface: Composition, Mineralogy, and Physical Properties. Cambridge University Press.
- Taylor, G.J., McLennan, S.M., McSween, H.Y., Jr., Wyatt, M.B. & Lentz, R.C.F. (2008). Implications of observed primary lithologies. In: Bell, J.F. (Eds.). The Martian Surface: Composition, Mineralogy, and Physical Properties. Cambridge University Press.
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PROJECT INVESTIGATORS:
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PROJECT MEMBERS:
Jeff Taylor
Unspecified Role
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RELATED OBJECTIVES:
Objective 1.1
Formation and evolution of habitable planets.
Objective 2.1
Mars exploration.