Session ID: 13512
Session Description:
Silica-rich rocks and regoliths/soils have been detected in many locations and geological settings on Mars, by rovers and orbiters, even though the composition of Mars’ surface averages that of low-silica basalt. These silica-rich materials may include igneous rocks, residua of leaching by acidic fluids, deposits from hot springs or lakes, and cemented regolith (e.g., silcrete). The formation mechanisms for all these silica-rich products require (or are promoted by) volatile species, especially water; thus, the recognition of silica-rich materials and an understanding of their origins has significant implications for the search for past habitable environments (and evidence for past or extant life) and for planetary protection. This Session will explore the diversity of silica-rich materials on Mars, hypotheses for their origins, terrestrial analogs, and implications for astrobiology and future exploration.

Submit an abstract to this session.

Final Abstract Submission Deadline is 3 August 2016 at 11:59 EDT.

Primary Convener:  Allan H Treiman, Lunar and Planetary Institute, Houston, TX, United States
Convener:  Elizabeth B Rampe, Organization Not Listed, Washington, DC, United States