1. Department of Geological Sciences, Arizona State University, Box 871404, Tempe, Arizona 85287-1404, USA
2. Earth and Environmental Sciences, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, USA

Correspondence to: L. Paul Knauth¹ Correspondence and requests for materials should be addressed to L.P.K. (Email: Knauth@asu.edu).

Abstract

Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity discovered sediments with layered structures thought to be unique to aqueous deposition and with minerals attributed to evaporation of an acidic salty sea. Remarkable iron-rich spherules were ascribed to later groundwater alteration, and the inferred abundance of water reinforced optimism that Mars was once habitable. The layered structures, however, are not unique to water deposition, and the scenario encounters difficulties in accounting for highly soluble salts admixed with less soluble salts, the lack of clay minerals from acid–rock reactions, high sphericity and near-uniform sizes of the spherules and the absence of a basin boundary. Here we present a simple alternative explanation involving deposition from a ground-hugging turbulent flow of rock fragments, salts, sulphides, brines and ice produced by meteorite impact. Subsequent weathering by intergranular water films can account for all of the features observed without invoking shallow seas, lakes or near-surface aquifers. Layered sequences observed elsewhere on heavily cratered Mars and attributed to wind, water or volcanism may well have formed similarly. If so, the search for past life on Mars should be reassessed accordingly.

MORE ARTICLES LIKE THIS

These links to content published by NPG are automatically generated.