Carbonates identified by the Curiosity rover indicate a carbon cycle operated on ancient Mars

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Tutolo, Benjamin M.; Hausrath, Elisabeth M.; Kite, Edwin S.; Rampe, Elizabeth B.; Bristow, Thomas F.; Downs, Robert T.; Treiman, Allan; Peretyazhko, Tanya S.; Thorpe, Michael T.; Grotzinger, John P.; Roberts, Amelie L.; Archer, P. Douglas; Des Marais, David J.; Blake, David F.; Vaniman, David T.; Morrison, Shaunna M.; Chipera, Steve; Hazen, Robert M.; Morris, Richard V.; Tu, Valerie M.; Simpson, Sarah L.; Pandey, Aditi; Yen, Albert; Larter, Stephen R.; Craig, Patricia; Castle, Nicholas; Ming, Douglas W.; Meusburger, Johannes M.; Fraeman, Abigail A.; Burtt, David G.; Franz, Heather B.; Sutter, Brad; Clark, Joanna V.; Rapin, William; Bridges, John C.; Loche, Matteo; Gasda, Patrick; Frydenvang, Jens; Vasavada, Ashwin R.
• 署名单位: University of Calgary; Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE); University of Nevada Las Vegas; University of Chicago; National Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA); NASA Johnson Space Center; National Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA); NASA Ames Research Center; University of Arizona; Universities Space Research Association (USRA); National Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA); NASA Johnson Space Center; University System of Maryland; University of Maryland College Park; National Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA); NASA Goddard Space Flight Center; California Institute of Technology; Imperial College London; Carnegie Institution for Science; Rutgers University System; Rutgers University New Brunswick; Texas State University System; Texas State University San Marcos; National Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA); NASA Johnson Space Center; California Institute of Technology; National Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA); NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL); Universite de Toulouse; Universite Toulouse III - Paul Sabatier; Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS); University of Leicester; United States Department of Energy (DOE); Los Alamos National Laboratory; University of Copenhagen
• 刊物名称: SCIENCE
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0036-8484
• DOI: 10.1126/science.ado9966
• 发表日期: 2025-04-18
• 页码: 292-297
• 关键词: equation-of-state; chemcam instrument suite; high-pressure behavior; gale crater; structure refinements; crystal-structure; high-temperature; mount sharp; magnesite; climate

摘要

Ancient Mars had surface liquid water and a dense carbon dioxide (CO2)-rich atmosphere. Such an atmosphere would interact with crustal rocks, potentially leaving a mineralogical record of its presence. We analyzed the composition of an 89-meter stratigraphic section of Gale crater, Mars, using data collected by the Curiosity rover. An iron carbonate mineral, siderite, occurs in abundances of 4.8 to 10.5 weight %, colocated with highly water-soluble salts. We infer that the siderite formed in water-limited conditions, driven by water-rock reactions and evaporation. Comparison with orbital data indicates that similar strata (deposited globally) sequestered the equivalent of 2.6 to 36 millibar of atmospheric CO2. The presence of iron oxyhydroxides in these deposits indicates that a partially closed carbon cycle on ancient Mars returned some previously sequestered CO2 to the atmosphere.