Study of a terrestrial Martian analogue: Geochemical characterization of the Meñakoz outcrops (Biscay, Spain). (5th February 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Ruiz‐Galende, Patricia; Torre‐Fdez, Imanol; Aramendia, Julene; Gómez‐Nubla, Leticia; Castro, Kepa; Arana, Gorka; Madariaga, Juan Manuel
• Other Names: Bersani Danilo guestEditor.; Barone Germana guestEditor.; Marshall Craig Patrick guestEditor.
• Is Part Of: Journal of Raman spectroscopy. Volume 51:Number 9(2020)
• Page Start: 1603
• Page End: 1612
• Publication Date: 2019-02-05
• Subjects: Martian analogue -- Meñakoz outcrops -- phyllosilicates -- Raman -- Vis–NIR; Raman spectroscopy -- Periodicals; 535.846
• DOI: 10.1002/jrs.5565
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0377-0486

Abstract

Abstract: The necessity to create databases for the proper interpretation of the results obtained by the rovers that will be sent by ESA to Mars implies the study of terrestrial Martian analogues. In this work, the Meñakoz outcrops, which are basaltic volcanic rocks interbedded with Turonian sediments coming from a Cretaceous submarine volcano outcrop located in Biscay (northern Spain), have been studied and proposed as a Martian analogue. Considering that Raman and near infrared spectroscopies are two of the techniques that will go on‐board the rovers in the next planetary missions, they were used to characterize the samples collected in Meñakoz. As was expected, silicates (phyllosilicates) were the major minerals detected by those techniques in the Meñakoz samples, but also, compounds such as sulfates and oxides could be detected. Phyllosilicates are very important because they are some of the compounds that have been reported to be present on the Mars surface in previous missions and specifically in Oxia Planum, the landing site for the ExoMars 2020 rover of the ESA missions to Mars. This fact provides reasons to propose the emplacement of Meñakoz as Martian analogue. Abstract : As spectroscopic techniques will be implemented in the rovers of the next planetary missions carried out by ESA, Raman and visible–near infrared spectroscopies were used in order to characterized the Meñakoz outcrop, proposed as a Martian analogue. Its volcanic origin and the similar composition of the Earth basalts and those of Mars make this emplacement as a good candidate for the mentioned purpose.