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A Review of Meteorite Evidence for the Timing of Magmatism and of Surface

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A Review of Meteorite Evidence for the Timing of Magmatism and of Surface JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH, VOL. 110, E12S03, doi:10.1029/2005JE002402, 2005 A review of meteorite evidence for the timing of magmatism and of surface or near-surface liquid water on Mars Lars Borg Institute of Meteoritics, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA Michael J. Drake Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA Received 13 January 2005; revised 3 March 2005; accepted 6 April 2005; published 27 September 2005. [1] There is widespread photogeological evidence for ubiquitous water flowing on the surface of Mars. However, the age of surface and near-surface water cannot be deduced with high precision from photogeology. While there is clear evidence for old and young fluvial features in the photogeologic record, the uncertainty in the absolute calibration of the Martian crater flux results in uncertainties of ±1.5 Gyr in the middle period of Martian geologic history. Aqueous alteration of primary igneous minerals produces secondary minerals in Martian meteorites. Here we use the ages of secondary alteration minerals in Martian meteorites to obtain absolute ages when liquid water was at or near the surface of Mars. Aqueous alteration events in Martian meteorites occurred at 3929 ± 37 Ma (carbonates in ALH84001), 633 ± 23 Ma (iddingsite in nakhlites), and 0–170 Ma (salts in shergottites). Furthermore, these events appear to be of short duration, suggesting episodic rather than continuous aqueous alteration of the meteorites. The Martian meteorites appear to be contaminated by Martian surface Pb characterized by a 207Pb/206Pb ratio near 1. Lead of this composition could be produced by water-based alteration on the Martian surface. The high 129Xe/132Xe ratio in the Martian atmosphere compared to Martian meteorites indicates fractionation of I from Xe within 100 Myr after nucleosynthesis of 129I. Such fractionation is difficult to achieve through magmatic processes. However, water very efficiently fractionates I from Xe, raising the intriguing possibility that Mars had a liquid water ocean within its first 100 Myr.1. Citation: Borg, L., and M. J. Drake (2005), A review of meteorite evidence for the timing of magmatism and of surface or near-surface liquid water on Mars, J. Geophys. Res., 110, E12S03, doi:10.1029/2005JE002402. 1. Introduction are primarily concentrated in the oldest Noachian age and intermediate Hesperian age terrains, respectively. In con- [2] Mars is one of two terrestrial planets that have trast, the youngest Amazonian age terrain has significantly evidence for the presence of liquid water on its surface fewer of these fluvial features [e.g., Carr, 1996], leading to [e.g., Carr, 1996]. For example, recent investigations by the the hypothesis that Mars has become dryer through time. Mars Exploration Rover at the Opportunity landing site [3] The Martian meteorites also provide constraints on have revealed layered deposits that are interpreted to be the history of water on Mars. Some of these samples record sedimentary rocks that were produced by weathering of aqueous geochemical fractionation events that occurred on basalts [Squyres et al., 2004; Herkenhoff et al., 2004]. the surface and in the atmosphere and they preserve Outcrops composed of sulfate minerals that are thought to secondary alteration products produced by interaction of be of aqueous origin are also observed [Christensen et al., surface rocks with water. By analyzing both primary igne- 2004; Klingelho¨fer et al., 2004; Rieder et al., 2004]. The ous minerals and secondary alteration products present in presence of water on Mars is also clearly manifested by the Martian meteorites using a variety of isotopic systems, fluvial features covering portions of the surface of Mars that the timing of these water-based geochemical processes can are in many ways similar to those observed on Earth. The be precisely determined. Despite the fact that these studies most common Martian fluvial features include incised are limited to only a few individual samples, they provide valleys of variable length, often with multiple branched the only mechanism to absolutely date Martian geologic tributaries (valley networks), and long, wide channels processes associated with water. Therefore these ages are of emanating from broken and dissected chaotic terrain (out- fundamental importance in understanding the broader role flow channels). The valley networks and outflow channels of water on Mars. [4] Although both photogeologic and meteorite studies Copyright 2005 by the American Geophysical Union. indicate a clear role of surface water in the Martian geologic 0148-0227/05/2005JE002402$09.00 record, the details of these studies have not penetrated both E12S03 1of10 E12S03 BORG AND DRAKE: MAGMATISM AND LIQUID WATER ON MARS E12S03 scientific communities. This manuscript reviews the tem- discuss the existing chronologic constraints on geologic poral constraints placed on these geochemical processes processes derived from the meteorite suite. These include from radiogenic isotope studies of the Martian meteorites the timing of planetary differentiation (i.e., segregation of and attempts to correlate conclusions based on the radio- core, mantle, and crust) as well as the timing of magmatic genic isotopic record of the meteorites with those from activity. Figure 1 is a summary of ages determined for photogeology studies. In order to provide a geologic back- significant Martian geologic events. From Figure 1 it is ground in which to interpret the timing of water-based apparent that the events recorded in the Martian meteorite processes preserved in the meteorites, we will first review suite occurred over discrete and limited time intervals. This the absolute ages of geologic events on Mars inferred from ultimately reflects the fact that the meteorites are not a the meteorites, followed by age constraints on the timing of complete representation of surface rocks on Mars. Never- aqueous geochemical processes on Mars as deduced from theless, several age constraints on early geologic processes internal isochrons (e.g., Rb-Sr and Pb-Pb) of the meteorites. can be gleaned from the samples. 182 182 Finally we review the somewhat more indirect evidence for [7] The age of core formation is based on the Hf- W very early widespread water on Mars. This evidence comes (t1/2 = 9 Ma) isotopic systematics observed in the meteor- from U-Pb and Xe isotopic measurements of Martian ites. Small excesses of 182W over other W isotopes indicate meteorites and from Xe isotopic measurements of the that W was fractionated from Hf at a time when 182Hf was Martian atmosphere by the Viking spacecraft. still alive. This fractionation event is interpreted as core formation because this process can strongly separate these elements. The age of core formation is estimated to be 2. Characteristics of the Martian Meteorites 4556 ± 1 Ma (Figure 2) assuming the Martian mantle has [5] The goal of this review is to summarize the temporal a Hf/W ratio of 5.1 [Foley et al., 2004, 2005]. The age of constraints that can be placed on the history of water on Mars silicate differentiation is based on both the 146Sm-142Nd 147 143 through chronologic studies of the Martian meteorites (sher- (t1/2 = 103 Ma) and Sm- Nd (t1/2 = 106 Ga) isotopic gottites, nakhlites, Chassigny, and ALH 84001). Because systems. Enrichments and depletions of 142Nd and 143Nd alteration of igneous rocks often results in the formation of observed in the meteorites indicate that Sm was fraction- +21 secondary alteration products, and because it is the dating of ated from Nd at 4526À19 Ma (Figure 2, revised from these minerals that provides many of the temporal con- Borg et al. [2003a] using data from Foley et al. [2005]). straints discussed below, it is important to briefly review This fractionation is interpreted to be the time that the some of the pertinent petrologic features of this suite of mantle source regions of the basaltic Martian meteorites samples. The meteorites represent a range of rock types with obtained their present-day compositions and hence repre- variable mineral modes and compositions. The shergottites sents the age of silicate differentiation [Harper et al., are the most abundant class of Martian meteorite. These are 1995; Borg et al., 1997, 2003a]. The observation that basalts and basaltic cumulates containing some combination ancient ages of planetary differentiation are recorded in of pyroxene + plagioclase ± olivine [McSween, 1994] with relatively young rocks indicates that the broad composi- ages less than 575 Ma [Borg et al., 2001]. They also contain tional and mineralogic features of major Martian reser- various trace phases such as chromite, phosphate, ilmenite, voirs (e.g., core, mantle, and crust) were not only pyrrhotite, silica, kaersutite, sulfides, carbonate, and sulfate, produced very early, but have been preserved throughout as well as variable amounts of impact derived melt. The the history of the planet. Thus large-scale mixing pro- nakhlites, the next most abundant class, are clinopyroxenites cesses associated with tectonics or giant impacts capable containing clinopyroxene, olivine, and mesostasis with mi- of producing magma oceans or lakes could not have nor to trace amounts of plagioclase, K-feldspar, phosphates, occurred after 4.52 Ga [Borg et al., 1997; Foley et impact glass, magnetite, ilmenite, sulfates, carbonates, and al., 2005]. the hydrous alteration material called iddingsite. Chassigny [8] Other temporal constraints placed on Martian geo- is a dunite, composed primarily of olivine with minor logic processes are derived from the crystallization ages of amounts of pyroxene, plagioclase, K-feldspar, biotite, the meteorites. The oldest age of 4500 ± 130 Ma is kaersutite amphibole, baddeleyite, apatite, and sulfides. determined for ALH84001 [Nyquist et al., 1995]. The The nakhlites and Chassigny have ages of 1330 Ma nakhlites and Chassigny have ages that are within analyt- [Nyquist et al., 2001]. The final meteorite type is repre- ical uncertainty of one another and yield a weighted sented by the orthopyroxenite ALH84001. In addition to average Sm-Nd age of 1327 ± 39 Ma (Figure 1).
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