a research program was conducted on different clay-bearing rocks selected from the ilam, sarpol-e zahab and tajarak regions (iran) to predict their slaking characteristics. the new durability apparatus (nested mesh drums) separates disintegrated particles varying from > 25.4 to < 2 mm as the drums were rotated. on the basis of the particle size distribution, the disintegration ratio (dr) was us...

[1] To understand the aqueous history of Mars, it is critical to constrain the alteration mineralogy of the Martian surface. Previously published analyses of thermal infrared (l = 6–25 mm) remote sensing data of Mars suggest that dark regions have 15–20% clay minerals. However, near-infrared (l = 1–3 mm) spectral results generally do not identify widespread clay minerals. Thermal infrared detec...

A research program was conducted on different clay-bearing rocks selected from the Ilam, Sarpol-e Zahab and Tajarak regions (Iran) to predict their slaking characteristics. The new durability apparatus (nested mesh drums) separates disintegrated particles varying from > 25.4 to < 2 mm as the drums were rotated. On the basis of the particle size distribution, the disintegration ratio (DR) was us...

High-resolution mapping by visible and near-infrared orbital spectrometers has revealed a diversity of hydrated mineral deposits on the surface of Mars. Quantitative analysis of mineral abundances within these deposits has the potential to distinguish depositional and diagenetic processes. Such analysis can also provide important constraints on the nature of putative global and local-scale mine...

Introduction: Over 13 years after landing at Meridiani Planum and in her 10 extended mission, Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity continues to explore the rim of ~22 km diameter Endeavour crater [1]. The rim exposes material that is older than the S-rich, layered sedimentary rock covering the Meridiani plains and filling much of the interior of Endeavour. Clay mineral exposures at the rim have b...

Clay minerals on Mars have commonly been interpreted as the remnants of pervasive water-rock interaction during the Noachian period (>3.7Ga). This history has been partly inferred by observations of clays in central peaks of impact craters, which often are presumed uplifted from depth. However, combined mineralogical and morphological analyses of individual craters have shown that some central ...

The composition of the silicate portion of Martian regolith fines indicates derivation of the fines from mafic to ultramafic igneous rocks, probably rich in pyroxene. Rock types similar in chemical and mineralogical composition include terrestrial Archean basalts and certain achondrite meteorites. If these igneous rocks weathered nearly isochemically, the nontronitic clays proposed earlier as a...

Clay mineral studies in the U.S.S.R., mainly since 1960, are summarized. Electron diffraction techniques especially have been developed and used extensively. Methods have been developed for simultaneous recording of DTA curves and other properties. Polytypism of phyllosilicates has been studied intensively by Zvyagin and others. Mucfi new information on the structure and morphology of halloysit...