sulfates Archives - Astrobiology

ID: ESP_077054_1825 date: 3 January 2023 altitude: 271 km NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona larger image

Mars

Sulfates Or Other Hydrated Materials East Of Aram Chaos?

by Keith CowingJuly 2, 2026July 2, 2026

[NASA] Aram Chaos is of particular scientific interest because it is hypothesized that its chaotic terrain may be the source of water that contributed to the creation of nearby valleys […]

A southward-looking panorama combining images from both cameras of the Mast Camera (Mastcam) instrument on NASA's Curiosity Mars Rover shows diverse geological textures on Mount Sharp.

Astrogeology, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Mars, Missions & Hardware, Status Report, Tricorders & Sensors

Understanding Sulfate Stability on Mars: A Thermo-Raman Spectroscopy Study

by Keith CowingApril 23, 2025

This work examines the impact of high temperatures from celestial shock events on the stability of sulfates found on Mars (gypsum) and those expected to be present (syngenite and görgeyite).

Caption: At left: Steel is seen to corrode into siderite (FeCO3) when immersed in subcritical liquid carbon dioxide (LCO2). At right: Samples of albite (a plagioclase feldspar) and a sandstone core are observed to form red rhodochrosite (MnCO3) when exposed to supercritical CO2 in the presence of a water solution with potassium chloride and manganese chloride, with particularly strong reaction near the interface of the two solutions. In both experiments, water saturation is provided by floating LCO2 on the water. Under the lower pressure conditions characteristic of early Mars, the water would float on the LCO2. Credits: Photos courtesy of Todd Schaef/PNNL (left) and Earl Mattson/Mattson Hydrology (right).

Analog Studies, Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Astrogeology, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Cryobiology, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Mars, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Liquid On Mars Was Not Necessarily All Water

by Keith CowingDecember 7, 2024December 7, 2024

Dry river channels and lake beds on Mars point to the long-ago presence of a liquid on the planet’s surface, and the minerals observed from orbit and from landers seem […]

These yellow crystals were revealed after NASA’s Curiosity happened to drive over a rock and crack it open on May 30. Using an instrument on the rover’s arm, scientists later determined these crystals are elemental sulfur Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS Full Image Details

Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Mars, Microbiology & Virology, Missions & Hardware, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, Tricorders & Sensors

Curiosity Astrobiology Rover Discovers Pure Sulfur Crystals On Mars

by Keith CowingJuly 22, 2024July 30, 2024

Among several recent findings, the Mars Curiosity rover has found rocks made of pure sulfur — a first on the Red Planet.

Mixtures Of Sulfates In Melas Chasma On Mars

Astrogeology, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mars, Status Report

Mixtures Of Sulfates In Melas Chasma On Mars

by Keith CowingDecember 26, 2023December 26, 2023

Many locations on Mars have sulfates, which are sedimentary rocks formed in water. Within Valles Marineris, the large canyon system that cuts across the planet, there are big and thick […]