Carbonates on Mars Colin Dundas Ge/Ay 132

Outline Significance of carbonates Carbonate spectra Recent results concerning carbonates on Mars

Detecting Carbonates Carbonates (e.g. CaCO 3 ) have several vibrational absorptions in the infrared. The fundamentals ν 2 and ν 3 give lines at around 890 and 1540 cm -1 for most carbonates. Combinations and overtones are not generally used for spectroscopy; the two fundamentals are distinctive.

(Christensen et al 2001)

(Bandfield et al 2003)

Results and Conclusions There are no large carbonate formations currently exposed on the Martian surface. Martian dust appears to contain a few percent of carbonates by weight. How this relates to the overall crust is uncertain. If the dust is close to representative of the upper crust, several bars of CO 2 could be stored in carbonates.