Crustal compositions exposed by impact craters in the Tyrrhena Terra region of Mars: Considerations for Noachian environments

Crater ejecta blankets distinguished by differences in thermophysical properties from the target material were investigated in Tyrrhena Terra, Mars. Approximately one third of craters exhibit spectral differences from target material in Mars Global Surveyor Thermal Emission Spectrometer (TES) data. Craters that exhibit these spectral differences from the target material do not strongly correlate with phyllosilicate exposures detected in near infrared data from the Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars (CRISM). Shock processes cannot fully explain the observed spectral trends. Rather, the subtle spectral differences observed in TES data are likely due to differences in plagioclase and/or high-silica phase abundance relative to pyroxene abundance, with the crater ejecta exhibiting lower pyroxene abundance than target materials. These mineralogic trends are consistent with several scenarios, none of which can be ruled out from existing observations: 1) vertical variations in primary lithology (considered least likely), 2) subsurface alteration exposed by impact, 3) syn- or post-impact alteration associated with the impact process, such as devitrification of melt glass materials or alteration of highly shocked materials, and 4) light surface alteration that preferentially altered/removed plagioclase and/or high-silica glass relative to pyroxene and subsequent exposure of less-altered materials from the subsurface by impact. Scenario 2 is consistent with phyllosilicate detections; Scenarios 1, 3 and 4 are consistent with CRISM phyllosilicate detections in some impact craters if phyllosilicate mineral abundance is volumetrically small. Results from this work suggest that some signatures of alteration may be escaping detection by near infrared measurements; alteration environments would be best interpreted through a combination of near infrared and thermal infrared data sets, rather than near infrared detections alone.

Research Highlights► Many ejecta blankets exhibit differences in spectral properties from target material. ► Spectral differences are consistent with decreased pyroxene in crater ejecta. ► Possible geological origins of the spectral differences are examined.