Abstract
We report on the determination of the mineralogy of the atmospherically suspended Martian dust particles using backscattering 57Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy on dust accumulated onto the magnets onboard the Mars Exploration Rovers. The spectra can be interpreted in terms of minerals of igneous origin, and shows only limited, if any, amounts of secondary minerals that may have formed in the presence of liquid water. These findings suggest that the dust has formed in a dry environment over long time in the history of the planet.
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Bertelsen, P., Madsen, M.B., Binau, C.S. et al. Backscattering Mössbauer spectroscopy of Martian dust. Hyperfine Interact 166, 523–527 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10751-006-9320-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10751-006-9320-7