Clay on Mars

Clay on Mars provides an in-depth look at the latest advancements in exploration and characterization of clay on Mars. The editors bring together an impressive group of contributors to examine the most recent developments in the field.

Following some useful introductory content, the book begins with a look at remote sensing instruments and in situ analyses from probes and rovers. After a discussion of lithologic and textural context as well as clay stratigraphy, the chapters review clay from impact craters, clay from lakes and seas, and clays of hydrothermal origin. There are detailed examinations of surface alteration, diagenesis and burial, and mixed-layer clay minerals. The book closes with thought-provoking chapters on clays in meteorites, potential Martian astrobiology, and clays as a possible natural resource for human missions on Mars.

Mineralogists and geologists will find much to consider and contemplate in this intriguing study of clay on mars.

• Opens new avenues for research by describing state of the art and the strategic knowledge gaps in ways multiple disciplines can understand
• Clarifies how clay minerals, which are small by definition, are detected at large regional scales, and what this means to different experts of various perspectives
• Highlights the impact of clay mineralogy for the most important topics in planetary science, and Mars science in particular; also widens the perspective of Earth scientists to generate new research avenues