Alteration History of Mars and Implications for Water Reservoirs
When
Where
Dr. John Mustard
Professor
Brown University
When, how and where aqueous alteration occurred on Mars is the subject of some debate. Did it occur at or near the surface by weathering processes? Or was it mostly in the shallow, warm crust by diagenetic or low-grade hydrothermal processes? What was the role of water that carved the valley networks? In a surprising new concept it has been proposed that a significant amount of alteration occurred shortly after accretion in a dense, steam atmosphere. How would this model affect the aqueous evolution of the planet? This talk will consider these competing hypotheses and the implications for where the water went and where it may be today.