Formations of Martian Plagioclases and Flow Textures by Carbon- Dioxides-rich Gas and Fluids Compared with Natural Rocks and Artificial Products on the Earth

Introduction: Water liquid has been considered to be main fluid in cold Mars, though major sources of liquid water are not clearly found on Martian surfaces. Recently author (Y.M.) found carbon-bearing grains on plagioclase composition in druses of terrestrial volcanic basalts in Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi, Japan [1], where many scientists have been reported as normal “plagioclases” formed at hydrothermal condition from volcanic magmas [2]. The main reason to report such crystals is analytical mistake without detection of light carbon (C) by normal X-ray detection and the EPMATEM analyses (heavier than Na element) [3-7]. As main sources of carbon-bearing grains are carbonate minerals (limestone etc.) of sedimentary rocks on the Earth and carbon dioxides (CO2) on Mars. Carbon dioxides of gas and liquid states are main molecules of the Martian atmosphere and probably in the undergrounds. The purpose of this paper is to elucidate carbonbearing Martian plagioclases compared with terrestrial and artificial carbon-bearing Ca-rich minerals and rocks from CO2 gas and liquid, which can be applied to explain carbon cycles and flow textures of Martian surfaces and undergrounds related with Martian atmosphere [3, 4, 6]. Carbon-bearing plagioclase grains as relicts of carbon cycles in terrestrial volcanic basalts: The terrestrial samples used in this study are crystalline grains from druses of basaltic lavas, which are collected from Ryono and Kifune-cho, Shimonosekishi, Yamaguchi-ken, Japan [1], which are the same rocks of well-known phlogopites from the Mutsurejima at the same City [2]. Fe and Ti-bearing phlogopite crystal observed by the FE-SEM with EDX analyzer (JEOL7000F), Yamaguchi, Japan, shows 1) various vein-textures intruded irregularly by carbon-rich fluid (mixed with phlogopite in composition), and 2) various carbon-bearing grains mixed with plagioclase composition (reported as “plagioclase” in composition with more than Na element [2]) (Fig.1). Zonal and growth spirals reported previously on the similar samples are not “phlogopite crystal growth” but micro-grain assemblages on phlogopite crystals which are formed by rapid reaction as vapor-gas carbon dioxides on phlogopite plates during quenching processes from basaltic magma. This is the first report of carbon-rich grains in volcanic basalts on the Earth connected to Martian rocks and minerals with carbon.