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Evolved magma on Mars

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The surface of Mars is dominated by basalt that has undergone little magmatic evolution. However, minerals now identified in some ancient terrains suggest that extensive magma processing and intrusive volcanism were not uncommon on the red planet.

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Figure 1: Float rocks at the Curiosity rover's landing site at Gale Crater, Mars, with a diameter of about 6 cm.

© NASA/JPL-CALTECH/MSSS

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Briony Horgan is at the School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University, PO Box 876305, Tempe, Arizona, 85287, USA,

    Briony Horgan

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  1. Briony Horgan
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Correspondence to Briony Horgan.

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Horgan, B. Evolved magma on Mars. Nature Geosci 6, 991–992 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1038/ngeo2010

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