273 GSA Noontime Lecture: Elizabeth Rampe
The martian surface today is cold and dry, where wind-driven transport of sand and dust, sublimation and refreezing of H2O and CO2 ice near the poles, and seasonal gully formation are the most active surface processes. Mars was once much more geologically active. The red planet hosts the largest volcano in the solar system, a canyon system that is thousands of kilometers long, and river channels and lake deposits that indicate liquid water was common ~3 to 4 billion years ago. Minerals in these ancient igneous and sedimentary rocks on Mars are the key to understanding the planet’s geologic history, including magmatic evolution and surface conditions, like the pH, salinity, and temperature of past surface and near-surface waters. This presentation will discuss orbital and in-situ mineralogical detections, their implications for Mars’ geological evolution, and future directions for Mars mineralogy.
Wednesday, 22 October 2025
12:15 PM - 1:15 PM
HBGCC, Stars at Night Ballroom B2&B3
Mars Encoded: How Minerals Reveal the Red Planet’s Geologic Evolution
Paper number: 273-1
Program: Technical Sessions
Time: 12:20 PM – 1:05 PM
Authors
Abstract
The martian surface today is cold and dry, where wind-driven transport of sand and dust, sublimation and refreezing of H2O and CO2 ice near the poles, and seasonal gully formation are the most active surface processes. Mars was once much more geologically active. The red planet hosts the largest volcano in the solar system, a canyon system that is thousands of kilometers long, and river channels and lake deposits that indicate liquid water was common ~3 to 4 billion years ago. Minerals in these ancient igneous and sedimentary rocks on Mars are the key to understanding the planet’s geologic history, including magmatic evolution and surface conditions, like the pH, salinity, and temperature of past surface and near-surface waters. This presentation will discuss orbital and in-situ mineralogical detections, their implications for Mars’ geological evolution, and future directions for Mars mineralogy.
Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Vol. 57, No. 6
doi: 10.1130/abs/2025AM-413524
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