Physics
MONDAY, November 3rd
Dr. Adrian Brown
SETI Institute
4:00 PM in TH 411
Refreshments served at 3:50 PM
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The Recent Discovery of Talc on Mars and What it Means for a
Second Genesis on our Neighboring Planet
Abstract:
How do we decide where to land rovers on Mars? We now have airborne maps of
minerals on Mars that we can use to guide us to the best locations. In this
presentation, I will discuss how the mineral talc (particularly in combination with
carbonate) is an important indicator mineral for identifying the hydrothermal alteration of ancient terrestrial ultramafic sequences, and as such may lead the way to
astrobiologically critical regions on Mars (specifically in the Nili Fossae region). Two
recent studies have uncovered corroborating spectral evidence for talc in Nili Fossae
on Mars using the CRISM spectrometer on Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. This recent
confirmation of talc on Mars can now be used to guide the Mars rover to the most
probable locations to find evidence of past life on Mars.