Characterizing the Aqueous Geochemical History at Tyrrhena Terra, Mars

Abstract

Tyrrhena Terra is an intriguing region of Mars extending from the southern part of Isidis Basin at the Libya Montes southward to Hellas Basin. Noachian and Hesperian basement rocks are covered by Syrtis lavas, especially in the northwestern part of Tyrrhena Terra and the surface is carved by craters and fluvial features. The central region is marked by the craters Jarry-Desloges, Owen, and Briault, and contains abundant Fe/Mg-rich phyllosilicates and olivine-bearing outcrops in Noachian-Hesperian terrain [1,2]. Many of the phyllosilicates in this region are located in crater ejecta and in central crater mounds, consistent with uplift of ancient materials, but some are present in dissected terrains. We are investigating the mineralogy and geology of this region through a coordinated study using TES, THEMIS, CRISM multispectral strips, CTX and HRSC imagery, and HRSC digital elevation models at a regional scale, as well as CRISM targeted images and HiRISE views of the surface at a closer scale. The phyllosilicate spectra across the central Tyrrhena Terra region (see attached figure) are most consistent with chlorite, Fe/Mg-smectite, and mixed smectite-chlorite. A few hydrated silica and zeolite outcrops are also present. This mineralogy is consistent with higher temperature processes than the primarily Fe/Mg-smectite and carbonate spectra observed in the Libya Montes region [3,4]. A few sites towards the east of our study site contain more Fe/Mg-smectite than chlorite and additional hydrated phases including sulfates, which likely represent a different formation environment. Ongoing investigations of the targeted CRISM images at the eastern part of this area are characterizing the stratigraphy of these aqueous units and their association with higher temperature units towards the west and smectite-carbonate units towards the north.