Daniel MEGE

RESEARCH

Spectral signature of Martian basalts: a study of terrestrial basalt alteration in extreme climatic settings: the Ogaden and Baikal

The question is whether the infrared spectra of altered basalts on Mars obtained by the Mars Express/OMEGA and Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter/CRISM instruments can inform on the past climatic conditions of Mars.

Field work was carried out in the Udokan volcanic field, Lake Baikal (Russia), and the Ogaden volcanics, Ethiopia, in 2008. Representative samples have been studied using IR spectrometry to compare with Martian spectra. Every rock sample has been measured 4 times: the surface of the bulk rock, the fresh, internal part of the bulk rock, a powder ofthe rock surface, and a powder of its internal part. X-ray diffractometry, electron microscopy, and Raman spectrometry were also investigated on these samples in order to understand what the IR spectral signature means, and determine whether or not it can inform on the past weathering conditions. The results will be published soon, come back here later to see a summary!

This work has been carried out with Joanna Gurgurewicz with the help of LPGNnates members Véronique Carrère, Anne Gaudin, and Yann Morizet.