Duststones on Mars: Source, transport, deposition and erosion
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Abstract
Dust is an abundant material on Mars, and there is strong evidence that it is a contributor to the rock record as “duststone,” analogous in many ways to loess on Earth. Although a common suite of dust formation mechanisms has operated on the two planets, fundamental differences in environments and geologic histories have resulted in vastly different weighting functions, causing distinct depositional styles and erosional mechanisms. On Earth, dust is derived predominantly from glacial grinding and, in nonglacial environments, by other processes, such as volcanism, eolian abrasion, and fluvial comminution. Hydrological and biological processes convert dust accumulations to loess deposits. Active hydrology also acts to clean dust from the atmosphere and convert loess into soil or erode it entirely. On Mars, glacial production of dust has been minor, with most fine particles probably produced from ancient volcanic, impact, and fluvial processes. Dust is deposited under arid conditions in which aggregate growth and cementation are the stabilizing agents. Thick accumulations result in duststone.
| Publication type | Article |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
| Title | Duststones on Mars: Source, transport, deposition and erosion |
| Series title | SEPM Special Publication |
| DOI | 10.2110/pec.12.102.0169 |
| Volume | 120 |
| Year Published | 2012 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Society for Sedimentary Geology |
| Contributing office(s) | Geology and Environmental Change Science Center |
| Description | 14 p. |
| First page | 169 |
| Last page | 182 |
| Other Geospatial | Mars |
| Online Only (Y/N) | N |
| Additional Online Files (Y/N) | N |
| Google Analytic Metrics | Metrics page |